The official funeral service for the Hon. Dr. Jimmy Cliff OM will be held at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at 10 a.m. The reggae icon was accorded an official funeral in recognition of his immense contribution to Jamaica’s culture and entertainment.
I recently caught up with New York media executive Louis “Lou Lou” Grant to reflect on the life and legacy of reggae icon Jimmy Cliff. Grant is a walking encyclopedia of Jamaican music and sports, widely respected across business, broadcast media, and entertainment circles. He remains integral to the growth of the Caribbean media landscape in New York. With nearly 30 years in media, Grant currently serves as executive vice president and executive producer at Irie Jam Media.
The passing of Jimmy Cliff struck Grant with a profound sense of disbelief and reflection. It came at a time when Jamaica had just endured the devastation of Hurricane Melissa and a year marked by loss and hardship.
“As I often do on Sundays, I found myself quietly reflecting on November 24 on some of the more recent events and happenings — this time mostly relating to our island home, Jamaica,” Grant recalled. “The devastating Hurricane Melissa on October 28, our Reggae Boyz missing out on automatic World Cup qualification on November 18, and our beautiful Miss Universe representative Dr. Gabrielle Henry’s accident in Thailand, along with the untimely passing of our beloved Consul General to New York, Alsion Wilson. I thought these must be the last of the ‘bad luck afflictions’ for the country for 2025.”
“Then the world woke up to the tragic news that our cultural icon Jimmy Cliff had transitioned overnight … sigh,” Grant shared.
Grant’s memories of Cliff span decades and continents, tracing a career that helped define not only reggae music, but Jamaica’s cultural footprint on the world.
“From performing at the 1964 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens, to appearing as the musical guest in the inaugural year of NBC’s Saturday Night Live in 1976, Jimmy Cliff always stood at the intersection of history and culture.”
For Grant, Cliff’s starring role as Ivan in The Harder They Come remains one of the most pivotal moments in global music history.
“Starring as Ivan in Trevor Rhone and Perry Henzell’s epic 1972 Jamaican film The Harder They Come, showcasing ‘the rebel in him,’ and contributing six of the film’s 12 classic soundtrack songs — that movie was widely credited as a major vehicle that fast-tracked the introduction and popularity of reggae to the world at large.”
Grant recalled guitarist Andy Bassford’s assessment of the film’s impact.
“Andy referred to the movie as ‘the gateway drug to the reggae addiction phenomenon of white American teens in the ’70s,’ and that always stuck with me.”
Jimmy Cliff’s accolades, Grant noted, reflected both his global reach and national importance.
“Grammy Awards in 1986 and 2013; being conferred with the Order of Merit by the Jamaican government in 2003; collaborations with Sting and Kool & the Gang; covering Johnny Nash’s ‘I Can See Clearly Now’; and his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 — those are just highlights of an extraordinary journey.”
Yet it was Cliff’s presence in New York, and especially his quiet moments away from the stage, that left the deepest impression on Grant.
“Back here in New York, I particularly remember his epic concert and almost out-of-body stage performance at the Nassau Coliseum some years ago,” Grant said. “But it was our close encounters with Dr. Cliff when he stopped by the Irie Jam studios that truly revealed the man behind the masterful art.”
Grant described Cliff as introspective and disciplined.
“Jimmy Cliff was a relatively private and quiet soul,” Grant shared. “He was spiritual, disciplined, strict with his diet, passionate, focused, confident, and intense.”
Those studio visits often came with rare musical privileges.
“He usually brought pre-released tracks that we at Irie Jam Radio were very privileged to hear before the masses,” Grant recalled. “I vividly remember Dub Master Chris premiering ‘Blessed Love’ from his Rebirth album even before the final commercial mix was done.”
Grant also spoke of personal connections with Cliff’s family and moments that felt almost prophetic in hindsight.
“I knew some of his kids — his daughter Odessa Chambers through my affiliation with the Adonai Sound System, and his sons Luqman and Sayeed through one of our studio engineers. I happened to be at their Bronx home one day when a limo pulled up. Daddy Cliff was in town.”
That visit came with another unforgettable listening session.
“I had the good fortune to hear a pre-released and still relatively obscure track from his Black Magic album called ‘Fantastic Plastic People,’ and since the advent of AI, I often find myself reliving that first time hearing the song and Dr. Cliff’s enthusiasm in sharing it.”
“Jimmy Cliff’s passing marks the end of an era — not just for reggae, but for global music, and more poignantly, the spirit and essence of resilience that define Jamaica and the wider Caribbean experience.”
Grant reflected on the enduring power of Cliff’s message.
“Through timeless classics like ‘Many Rivers to Cross,’ ‘Vietnam,’ ‘Bongo Man,’ ‘Miss Jamaica,’ ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want,’ and ‘The Harder They Come,’ his music carried themes of courage, resilience, and hope — values that feel especially urgent today as our nation faces the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.”
Grant found symbolism in Cliff’s roots and life journey.
“How ironic that Dr. Cliff hailed from St. James in western Jamaica. Just as his lyrics reminded us that we can overcome ‘many rivers,’ his life example reminds us that even through horrid storms, once we try and try, we can always summon the strength to rise again.”
Even cosmic coincidences felt meaningful.
“Is it a cosmic event that ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ was featured in Cool Runnings, and that on the very day Dr. Cliff transitioned, a Jamaican bobsled team won the country’s first international gold medal in the sport in Canada? Wow — just wow. One can only wonder.”
Grant noted that Cliff’s voice remains woven into Irie Jam Radio’s identity.
“At the start of our daily Irie Jam theme are the words, ‘If the feeling is good, I want you to say IRIE!’ That recording is the voice of Jimmy Cliff from his appearance at Rebel Salute in Jamaica.”
He recalled Cliff’s reaction upon hearing it.
“When DJ Roy played it for him in our studio, he was so excited that we chose to use it. How gracious of the man — what humility.”
Grant ended his tribute with reverence and gratitude.
“A little country boy from Somerton, St. James, he crossed many rivers as a child and later crossed all the world’s oceans, carrying the soul, culture, and undeniable energy of Jamaica for more than 60 years. Maestro, we are indebted to you.”
“During this season of gift-giving, we are truly thankful and forever grateful to this giant — a national treasure who lived well and left a solid legacy etched in our collective history.”
“Walk good, Dr. Cliff.”
