Jimmy Cliff Net Worth

What is Jimmy Cliff's Net Worth?

Jimmy Cliff is a Jamaican singer, musician, and actor who has a net worth of $5 million. Performing in the ska, rocksteady, reggae, and soul genres, Jimmy Cliff is known for such hit songs as "Many Rivers to Cross," "The Harder They Come," "Reggae Night," and his covers of "Wild World" and "I Can See Clearly Now." As an actor, he starred in the films "The Harder They Come" and "Club Paradise."

Early Life and Education

Jimmy Cliff was born James Chambers on July 30, 1944 in St. James, Jamaica. He attended primary school there, where he started writing songs. At the age of 14, he adopted the stage name Jimmy Cliff after his father took him to Kingston.

Career Beginnings

While still in high school, Cliff unsuccessfully sought out various producers to get his songs recorded. Finally, he got the attention of reggae producer Leslie Kong and recorded his first local hit, "Hurricane Hattie." Cliff had further local hits with "King of Kings," "Dearest Beverly," and "Miss Jamaica," among other songs. After signing with Island Records, he moved to the United Kingdom and released his debut album, "Hard Road to Travel," in 1967. He followed that with "Jimmy Cliff in Brazil" in 1968 and "Jimmy Cliff" in 1969. The latter album included such popular tracks as "Many Rivers to Cross," "Wonderful World, Beautiful People," and the protest song "Vietnam."

Music Success in the 1970s and '80s

Kicking off the 1970s, Cliff had hits with the songs "Sufferin' in the Land" and "Wild World," the latter a cover of Cat Stevens's song. His subsequent singles included "Goodbye Yesterday," "Sitting in Limbo," "Struggling Man," "On My Life," "Oh Jamaica," and "Don't Let it Die." Cliff also had a hit with "The Harder They Come," the title track from the soundtrack album of the same name. In the second half of the 1970s, he traveled to Africa and converted to Islam, influencing his 1978 album "Give Thankx." Early the next decade, Cliff released the albums "I Am the Living" and "Give the People What They Want" before he signed with Columbia Records. He then released "Special" (1982), which included the popular song "Treat the Youths Right." Cliff followed that with the well-received albums "The Power and the Glory" (1983) and "Cliff Hanger" (1985), the latter of which won a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Recording. The former album, which was certified Gold in France, included the Grammy-nominated song "Reggae Night." Among his other recording work in the 1980s, Cliff contributed backing vocals to the Rolling Stones' 1986 album "Dirty Work."

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Further Music Career

In 1992, Cliff released the album "Breakout," and in 1993 he had one of his greatest career successes with his cover of Johnny Nash's song "I Can See Clearly Now." Featured on the soundtrack to the film "Cool Runnings," a comedy about the Jamaican bobsleigh team at the 1988 Winter Olympics, the song charted in multiple countries and became Cliff's biggest hit in the United States, reaching number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. He had another hit with his cover of "Hakuna Matata" from "The Lion King," which he performed with Lebo M. In the latter half of the 1990s, Cliff released the albums "Higher & Higher," "Journey of a Lifetime," and "Humanitarian," the first of which was a hit in France. His albums in the 21st century include "Fantastic Plastic People" (2002), "Black Magic" (2004), "Rebirth" (2012), and "Refugees" (2022). For "Rebirth," Cliff won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. Meanwhile, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Acting Career

In 1972, Cliff starred in the Jamaican crime film "The Harder They Come," playing a poor man who resorts to a life of crime after failing to make it in the music business. The film was a massive hit in Jamaica and found success in many other countries, helping to expose reggae to audiences around the world. Cliff's other big film was the 1986 American comedy "Club Paradise," directed by Harold Ramis and starring Robin Williams as a former Chicago firefighter who moves to a small Caribbean island. In the film, Cliff plays a financially-struggling reggae musician.

Personal Life

With his wife, Cliff has a daughter named Lilty and a son named Aken. He also has a daughter from another relationship named Nabiyah Be, who is a Brazilian actress and singer.

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