Quotes by Jimmy Cliff

About Jimmy Cliff:

Jimmy Cliff is a Jamaican ska & reggae musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and actor. He is the only living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

In hindsight, I see the great value of family and how it moulded my life and kept me together. So now family means everything to me.

Jimmy Cliff

I have a career, which is important, but my family is the priority. First family, and then career. It's a delicate balance.

Jimmy Cliff

If you go out to Hollywood you'll find a lot of fantastic plastic people there in the business and a lot of people in life generally. They find it so hard to be themselves that they have to be plastic.

Jimmy Cliff

If I could change one thing about myself... I would try to control my generosity.

Jimmy Cliff

Christian values were important at home. Cleanliness. Don't steal. Don't lie. Those were the rules, and they were strictly enforced. Especially the stealing and lying. When you broke the rules, you got a beating. I always broke the rules a lot.

Jimmy Cliff

It was one of my dreams as a child, growing up in my little village with my cousins. We used to walk together, and I used to say, when you look at the world map, 'This town is there, that town is there, that river is there.' I used to say, 'One day, ...

Jimmy Cliff

Basically, I'm motivated to write about sociopolitical issues as well as relationships. I think those themes have stayed with me throughout my life.

Jimmy Cliff

I would love to see no more ghettos, but the things is, there's no diplomacy in the ghetto. They want to tell you something, they tell you straight! An upper class, more educated person - they find a diplomatic way to tell you the thing. I love it wh...

Jimmy Cliff

I used to do a little acting in school. It was my first love, and I really thought I would be doing it as a career. I really wanted to complete that part of my ambition.

Jimmy Cliff

People might say, 'Jimmy Cliff, you've done a lot, achieved a lot. What more can you want?'

Jimmy Cliff

People in the Hall of Fame tend to clap their hands and say, 'OK, I've done it all,' but for me, it was a new beginning.

Jimmy Cliff

I've abused myself a lot over the years. But my voice is still intact - really, it's better.

Jimmy Cliff

I have not become the artist I believe I am. I want to become a stadium act. I'm not done at all.

Jimmy Cliff

There are goals that I had set out for myself as an artist. I have accomplished some of them - becoming accepted all over the world - however, other parts of my goals have not been completed.

Jimmy Cliff

The first thing I wanted to be was an actor, even before I wanted to be a singer, before I discovered I could sing.

Jimmy Cliff

My most important relationships were with my father and grandmother.

Jimmy Cliff

I visit studios. Just to get the feel, the smell, and see what other people are doing. Not only listening to the radio, but going to studios, greeting musicians and artists, just getting a vibe.

Jimmy Cliff

I grew up twelve miles outside of Montego Bay. In my early teens, I went to Kingston. It was like a different planet for me. In the country, people are kind. In the city, people are hard an' cold, like the concrete and steel.

Jimmy Cliff

I grew up in the church and had always questioned what they were telling me.

Jimmy Cliff

With acting, you have to become someone else. That's the fun part of it for me - to step outside of yourself and become a character. I guess being Jimmy Cliff is a little bit of a character, too.

Jimmy Cliff

Author Bio

  • NameJimmy Cliff
  • DescriptionJamaican musician, singer and actor
  • AliasesJames Chambers
  • BornApril 1, 1948
  • CountryJamaica
  • ProfessionSinger; Actor