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Jimmy Cliff music biography continued...

as a youngster and his career took off after his tune "Hurricane Hattie" became a hit, while he was aged 14. In 1964, Cliff was chosen as one of the Jamaican representatives at the World's Fair and he soon signed to Island Records, where he became "ska's" leader under the wing of producer Leslie Kong, with such hits as "Miss Jamaica," "King of Kings," "One Eyed Jacks," and "Pride and Passion." Cliff moved to the UK, where he recorded his international debut album, 1968's Hard Road to Travel, which received critical raves. The following year, "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" proved to be his international breakthrough. The single soared to number six on the British charts, and climbed into the Top 25 in the US. In 1971, Kong died and Cliff released one of the last albums he had recorded with the producer, Another Cycle, which showed even greater artistry. At this point, Cliff took a detour into movies, appearing in the leading role of the underground cult classic, The Harder They Come. The soundtrack to the movie, which boasted a bevy of songs from Cliff, became a classic and helped to popularize reggae around the world when it was released internationally in 1975. Cliff followed up with a live album that was critically acclaimed as some of his most "ferocious" music to date, and cemented his status as leading ambassador of reggae.



Cliff continued to record and perform throughout the 80s and 90s and into the new millennium, but he never broke into the mainstream the way his friendly rival Bob Marley did. Today, he remains best known among middle-of-the road audiences for songs such as "Sittin' in Limbo", "You Can Get It If You Really Want" and "Many Rivers to Cross" from the soundtrack to The Harder They Come, as well as his cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World," and his cover of "I Can See Clearly Now" from the film, Cool Runnings. Though Cliff has had difficulty gaining a broad audience his work, his talent, from the start, has been undeniable.