The reggae legend Jimmy Cliff is 80 this week.

He was born James Chambers in Jamaica and began writing songs when he was at school. He pedalled his songs to a number of producers around many of the legendary recording studios on the island, but he wasn’t successful. One of the earliest songs he wrote, King Of Kings, became the first reggae song to chart in the UK in a cover version by Ezz Reco & the Launchers.

In the late 60s, he got signed to Island records and moved to the UK and his career took off with songs like Wonderful World, Beautiful People, Vietnam, which missed the top 50, but Bob Dylan later claimed was the best protest song he’d ever heard. In 1970, a cover of Cat Stevens’ Wild World put him back in the top 10 but also gave him his last hit for over 24 years when he made a comeback with a cover of Johnny Nash’s I Can See Clearly Now which had been featured in the film Cool Runnings.

One of his most popular songs is Many Rivers to Cross which he wrote in 1970 but was never a hit for him. Many have covered it including Percy Sledge, Desmond Dekker, Martha Reeves, Harry Nilsson, Linda Ronstadt, The Animals, Joe Cocker, UB40, Elvis Costello, Crowded House, Cher and, in 2010, Sharleen Spiteri or Texas.

Let’s enjoy Jimmy singing his own song on Jools Holland TV show Later With…. with Jools on piano.