He was recognised for hit tracks including ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ and ‘Many Rivers To Cross’, as well as his role in the 1972 film ‘The Harder They Come’.
Richards, who has a long history with Cliff, shared a photo of them in the studio alongside a handwritten note, which reads, “Farewell Jimmy, I was in Jamaica when The Harder They Come was in every cinema on the island.”
The guitarist added, “You could feel the pride and and the love for Jimmy everywhere. The sweetest voice, the sweetest soul. His music will live with us forever! Heartfelt condolences to his family!”
Farewell Jimmy, I was in Jamaica when “The Harder They Come" was in every cinema on the island. You could feel the pride and and the love for Jimmy everywhere. The sweetest voice, the sweetest soul. His music will live with us forever! Heartfelt condolences to his family!
One… pic.twitter.com/GOH8YwfiHw— Keith Richards (@officialKeef) November 25, 2025
Notably, the two musicians have a long history which dates back to the 1970s when Richards first started to frequent Jamaica on a regular basis. Then, in the 1980s, Cliff provided backing vocals on The Rolling Stones’ song, ‘Too Rude’, from 1986’s Dirty Work.
“He wrote some of the most beautiful ballads that ever came out of Jamaica,” Richards previously said when talking about the influence of the reggae star. “Unbeatable songs, and the voice of an angel, you know?
Richards’ comments come after Mick Jagger took to social media on November 25th to write, “So sad to lose the beautiful voice of Jamaica, Jimmy Cliff.”
I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists and coworkers who have shared his journey with him,” his wife wrote. “To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career. He really appreciated each and every fan for their love.”
She also went on to thank the doctors and medical staff who helped Cliff during his poor health, and shared that she and the rest of the family were grateful for everyone who has been “extremely supportive and helpful during this difficult process.”
“Jimmy, my darling, may you rest in peace. I will follow your wishes,” she added. “I hope you all can respect our privacy during these hard times. Further information will be provided at a later date. See you and we see you, Legend.”
The Jamaican singer, actor and multi-instrumentalist is widely credited with helping bring reggae music to the global stage, and is best recognised for his tracks including ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want’ and ‘Many Rivers To Cross’.
He also shared a massively popular cover of Johnny Nash’s ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ for the soundtrack to 1993’s Disney film Cool Runnings, and took on an integral role in the classic 1972 film The Harder They Come.
Already, numerous fans have taken to social media to share their tributes for the late singer and remember how he helped shape the reggae genre throughout his career.
One paid their respects on X and called Cliff “the First King of Reggae,” while another agreed and added that his death comes as a “huge loss to the Music World”.
