“The Voice of Jamaica”: Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger Pays Tribute to Jimmy Cliff

The reggae icon shared decades of musical ties with British rock giants The Rolling Stones, from studio sessions to personal friendships, as frontman Mick Jagger and guitarist Ronnie Wood expressed deep sadness.

Jimmy Cliff and Mick Jagger at the Ritz, NYC in June 1981 (Photo: Bob Gruen)

Reggae legend, songwriter, and film icon Jimmy Cliff, who passed away on Monday, is being hailed worldwide as a cultural giant who helped define the global identity of Jamaican music. Alongside Bob Marley, Cliff is widely regarded as one of the artists most responsible for bringing reggae to the world.

His death sparked an international wave of tributes, with Jamaican leaders, local and global musicians, and fans expressing deep sadness. Major publications, including CNN, The New York Post, BBC, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and almost every renowned media outlet worldwide-reported extensively on his passing, underscoring the magnitude of his influence.

Global rock icon Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones also honoured Cliff, writing on his X account. “So sad to lose the beautiful voice of Jamaica, Jimmy Cliff.”

Cliff, who spent years living in London, once revealed that he and Jagger were neighbours during the period when he ventured into acting and landed the lead role in the classic film The Harder They Come, for which he also wrote the title track.

Over the years, Cliff developed several notable connections with members of The Rolling Stones. He contributed backing vocals to the band’s 1986 album Dirty Work (on the track “Too Rude”). Co-founder Keith Richards famously covered Cliff’s classic “The Harder They Come” in 1978.

Meanwhile, guitarist Ronnie Wood played guitar on Cliff’s song “Peace Officer,” featured on his 1982 album Special. The Rolling Stones bandmate also shared a tribute on social media, calling Cliff’s passing “very sad news. I made an album with him, Jimmy, in Kingston, Jamaica - a song called ‘Peace Officer’ among others,” he wrote, adding a photo of himself with Cliff and Keith Richards.