YEAR
2010
INDUCTED BY
Wyclef Jean
CATEGORY
Performers
Reggae’s first champion.
Jimmy Cliff was instrumental in spreading reggae beyond Jamaica. A self-proclaimed shepherd of reggae, Cliff has gone all over the globe to pass on the mellow, sun-drenched sound.
Jimmy Cliff
Wyclef Jean Inducts Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff Acceptance Speech
"You Can Get It If You Really Want It"
HALL OF FAME
ESSAY
By Rob Bowman
Jimmy Cliff had done nothing but star in the 1972 film The Harder They Come, he would merit induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Masterfully playing the role of Ivan, a country boy trying to break into the thoroughly corrupt Jamaican music industry, Cliff embodied the hopes, aspirations, and sounds of roots reggae at its best.
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