Johnny Nash, who was best known for his 1972 hit song “I Can See Clearly Now,” has died at the age of 80. The news was confirmed to TMZ by his son John Nash III, who told the platform that his father passed away from natural causes at his home in Houston.
Nash’s music career began in 1957 with his major-label debut single, “A Teenager Sings the Blues.” The following year, the pop and reggae singer would land his first Billboard hit thanks to a cover of Doris Day’s “A Very Special Love.” In 1965, Nash released his highest-charting single to date with “Let’s Move and Groove Together,” which entered the top five on the BillboardUS R&B charts. He later moved to Jamaica with Arthur Jenkins and manager Danny Sims to form the JAD Records in 1967. Five years later, Nash released his most successful single, “I Can See Clearly Now.”
Aside from his musical career, Nash also had had a successful sideline as an actor. One of his major acting roles came in 1959 when he took the lead role as Spencer Scott in Take a Giant Step. The film, which was directed by Philip Leacock, was one of the first films about a black family written by a black writer.
(via TMZ)