Reggae Icon Jimmy Cliff Receives ‘Official Passport’ From Gov’t Of Jamaica

Reggae icon Jimmy Cliff has been issued an Official Passport by the Government of Jamaica.  These types of passports are typically given to government officials or those who represent Jamaica’s interests overseas in an official capacity, according to the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).

The Many Rivers to Cross singer was presented with the passport by Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange at her Ministry’s offices in New Kingston on Wednesday (January 20).

Cliff, whose real name is James Chambers, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 and is best known for songs such as Wonderful World, Beautiful People, Many Rivers to Cross, You Can Get It If You Really Want, The Harder They Come, Reggae Night, and Hakuna Matata, and his covers of Cat Stevens’s Wild World and Johnny Nash’s I Can See Clearly Now from the film Cool Runnings.

He also appeared in the movie The Harder They Come, which is credited with helping to popularize reggae across the world, and the 1985 comedy Club Paradise, which starred Robin Williams.

Cliff has said that his “role has always been as the shepherd of reggae music. When they wanted to bring reggae to America, they sent Jimmy Cliff. When they wanted to bring reggae to England, they sent Jimmy Cliff. When they wanted to bring reggae to Africa, they sent Jimmy Cliff.”

The Grammy Award-winning singer, now 72-years-old, is the only living musician to receive Jamaica’s Order of Merit, the island’s highest honor for achievement in the Arts & Sciences. In 2007, he was also honored with a doctorate from The University of the West Indies.

In 2019, Grange’s Ministry had honored Cliff by renaming Gloucester Avenue (also known as the “hip strip”) in Montego Bay to Jimmy Cliff Boulevard, according to the Jamaica Gleaner.