Jimmy Cliff is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by musician Wyclef Jean, at a ceremony in New York City on Monday, March 15. Jimmy Cliff is only the second reggae artist, next to Bob Marley, to be inducted in to the Hall Of Fame.
He is best known among mainstream audiences for songs such as "You Can Get It If You Really Want" and "Many Rivers to Cross" from the soundtrack to the movie, "The Harder They Come," which helped popularize reggae across the world; and his covers of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" and Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now," from the film "Cool Runnings." Outside of the reggae world, Jimmy Cliff is probably best known for his film appearance in "The Harder They Come."
In 2007, Jimmy Cliff was the recipient of the University of the West Indies Bob Marley Award in recognition of his work in the development of Jamaica's popular culture.
680News showbiz editor Gloria Martin spoke with him in 2009 when he made a special appearance at the launch of the Mirvish Theatre season to promote a stage production of "The Harder They Come." (Photo courtesy of: www.jimmycliff.com)