Jimmy Cliff passed away on Sunday, November 24th after a battle with pneumonia which followed a seizure. He was 81.

In a post to his official social media pages, his wife Latifa Chambers confirmed his death.

“I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists and coworkers who have shared his journey with him. 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 said.

Cliff, whose birth name was James Chambers, was instrumental in introducing reggae to an international audience, largely through his performance in the landmark film Harder They Come.

A few years ago, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced that the soundtrack for seminal Jamaican film The Harder They Come, which stars Cliff, has been added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, making it only the second reggae album to be so recognized. Six tracks are from Cliff.