‘I Can See Clearly Now’ singer Johnny Nash dead at 80

Johnny Nash, a pop and reggae singer whose “I Can See Clearly Now” was No. 1 in 1972, died Tuesday, his son said. He was 80.

Nash’s son, Johnny Nash Jr., confirmed his father’s death to The Associated Press. The younger Nash said his father died of natural causes, Variety reported.

A Houston native, the elder Nash began singing during the 1950s and made his major-label debut in 1957 with “A Teenager Sings the Blues,” Entertainment Weekly reported.

Nash’s other notable songs included covers of Doris Day’s “A Very Special Love” and Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World,” “Let’s Go Dancing,” and “Rock Me, Baby.” Nash also scored a minor hit with Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up,” which was included on the “I Can See Clearly Now” album.

Nash was among the first artists to bring reggae to American audiences, Billboard reported. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Nash peaked with hits such as “Hold Me Tight,” and “You Got Soul.”

Nash’s signature song, “I Can See Clearly Now,” was reportedly composed by the singer while recovering from cataract surgery, Billboard reported. The song, which combined pop and reggae, promised listeners a “bright, sunshiny day” as he urged listeners to “Look straight ahead, nothing but blue skies.”

Nash had 11 songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100. “Hold Me Tight” was a top-10 hit in 1968, and “I Can See Clearly Now” spent four weeks atop the Billboard charts in 1972.

“I Can See Clearly Now” became a hit again in 1993 when Jimmy Cliff recorded it for the soundtrack of “Cool Runnings,” Variety reported. It reached No. 18 on the Billboard charts.

“Johnny loved reggae,” Nash’s business partner, Danny Sims, told the Houston Chronicle in 2012. “And he loved Bob (Marley) and the guys. He taught Bob how to sing on the mic, and they taught Johnny how to play the reggae rhythm.”

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