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Line 4: {{Use Jamaican English\|date=June 2013}} {{Infobox musical artist \| name = U-Roy \| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals\|size=100\|list=[[Order of Distinction\|OD]]}} \| image = U-Roy.jpeg \| caption = \| image_size = \| landscape = yes \| birth_name = Ewart Beckford \| alias = The Originator<br/>Hugh Roy<br />The Teacher<br/> \| birth_date = {{Birth date\|df=yes\|1942\|9\|21}} \| birth_place = Jones Town, [[Colony of Jamaica\|Jamaica]] \| death_date = {{Death date and age\|df=yes\|2021\|2\|17\|1942\|9\|21}} \| death_place = [[Kingston, Jamaica]] \| origin = \| genre = {{hlist\|[[Reggae]]\|[[rocksteady]]\|[[dancehall]]\|[[Dub music\|dub]]}} \| occupation = Singer, songwriter \| instrument = \| years_active = 1961–2021 \| label = [[Treasure Isle]], Duke Reid, [[Virgin Records\|Virgin]] \| associated_acts = \| website = }} Line 29: ==Early life== Ewart Beckford was born in Jones Town, Saint ~~Andrews~~Andrew Parish, [[Kingston, Jamaica]], on 21 September 1942.<ref>{{Cite news\|last=Genzlinger\|first=Neil\|date=2021-02-19\|title=U-Roy, Whose 'Toasting' Transformed Jamaican Music, Dies at 78\|language=en-US\|work=The New York Times\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/19/arts/music/u-roy-dead.html\|access-date=2021-02-21\|issn=0362-4331\|archive-date=21 February 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221013627/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/19/arts/music/u-roy-dead.html\|url-status=live}}</ref> He was raised within a religious and musical family; his mother was an organist for the choir at a local [[Seventh-day Adventist]] church.<ref name="UnitedReggae">Angus Taylor, [http://unitedreggae.com/articles/n1195/122012/interview-u-roy U-Roy Interview] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115162635/http://unitedreggae.com/articles/n1195/122012/interview-u-roy \|date=15 January 2013 }}, United Reggae, 20 December 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2013.</ref> The [[sobriquet]] U-Roy originated from a younger member of his family who found it difficult to pronounce his first name.<ref name="Bogdanov2003">{{cite book\|author=Vladimir Bogdanov\|title=All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap & Hip-Hop\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wr1lmklsD8QC&pg=PT618\|access-date=9 April 2013\|year=2003\|publisher=Backbeat Books\|isbn=978-0-87930-759-2\|pages=618–\|archive-date=26 June 2014\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626224430/http://books.google.com/books?id=Wr1lmklsD8QC&pg=PT618\|url-status=live}}</ref> Beckford attended Denham Town High School in Kingston.<ref>Mel Cooke, [http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100509/ent/ent7.html "U-Roy Wakes The Town"] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202232440/http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100509/ent/ent7.html \|date=2 February 2014 }}, ''Jamaica Gleaner'', 9 May 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2013.</ref> As a young man Beckford listened to the music of [[Louis Prima]], [[James Brown]], [[Ruth Brown]], [[Fats Domino]], [[Rufus Thomas]], [[Smiley Lewis]] and was especially influenced by the vocal phrasing of [[Louis Jordan]].<ref name="Reggae France">Rougeot. [http://www.reggaefrance.com/interview-274-u-roy.html U-Roy Interview] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404121406/http://www.reggaefrance.com/interview-274-u-roy.html \|date=4 April 2013 }}, Reggae France. Published 22 October 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2013.</ref> ==Career== Inspired by [[Count Matchuki]] he started his professional career as a Deejay in 1961 on Dickie Wong's [[Sound system (Jamaican)\|sound system]] (originally called Doctor Dickies later changed to Dickies Dynamic) moving later to the Sir George the Atomic sound system. Beckford then worked on [[Sir Coxsone Dodd]]'s sound system where he ran the number two set while [[King Stitt]] "The Ugly One" ran the main set. This was followed by a period with Sir Percy before he moved to [[King Tubby]]'s Hometown Hi-Fi sound system.<ref>[http://www.snwmf.com/u-roy.html SNWMF site – U-Roy Biography] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501000154/http://www.snwmf.com/u-roy.html \|date=1 May 2013 }}. Retrieved 8 April 2013.</ref> Beckford's first single "Dynamic Fashion Way" (1969) was a [[Keith Hudson]] production.<ref name="Reggae France" /> It was followed by the [[Lee "Scratch" Perry]] production "Earth's Rightful Ruler" with [[Peter Tosh]].<ref>{{cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=de-aAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT233\|title=Bob Marley: The Complete Guide to his Music\|publisher=Omnibus Press\|date=12 December 2011\|last1=McCann\|first1=Ian\|last2=Hawke\|first2=Harry\|page=1975\|isbn=9780857127358\|access-date=19 February 2021\|archive-date=21 February 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221195416/https://books.google.ca/books?id=de-aAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT233\|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1970, Jamaican singer [[John Holt (singer)\|John Holt]] (lead vocalist of [[the Paragons]]) heard Beckford toasting over a [[Duke Reid]] track at a dance. Holt told Reid about the performance and on his recommendation Reid asked Beckford to come and see him and an informal recording deal was arranged.<ref name="UnitedReggae" /> Beckford's first two singles released on Duke Reid's [[Treasure Isle]] label, "[[Wake the Town]]" (1970) and "Wear You to the Ball" (1970), were Jamaican hits and established his reputation as one of Jamaica's most popular toasters. Beckford then went on to work with other major producers on the island including [[Lee "Scratch" Perry]], [[Bunny Lee]], [[Phil Pratt]], [[Sonia Pottinger]], [[Rupie Edwards]], [[Alvin Ranglin]] and [[Lloyd Daley]]. 1971 saw the release of Beckford's Deejay version of The Paragons' "[[The Tide Is High]]". Beckford first toured the UK in 1972 with the artists [[Roy Shirley]] and [[Max Romeo]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/aug/28/worldmusic Roy Shirley Notice] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201210516/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/aug/28/worldmusic \|date=1 December 2016 }}. ''The Guardian'' (UK), 28 August 2008. Retrieved 3 May 2013.</ref> The tour was organized by Rita and Benny King; the owners of R & B Records based in [[Stamford Hill]], London.<ref>Peter I, [http://www.reggae-vibes.com/concert/bunnylee/bunnylee1.htm Bunny Lee Interview] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503082338/http://www.reggae-vibes.com/concert/bunnylee/bunnylee1.htm \|date=3 May 2013 }}, ''Reggae Vibes'' (no date). Retrieved 3 May 2013.</ref> Beckford's album ''Dread in a Babylon'' was released in the US, Europe and Jamaica by [[Virgin Records]] in 1975.<ref name="Inc.1977.TonyRobinson">{{cite book\|author=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.\|title=Billboard\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N0UEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA59\|access-date=23 April 2013\|date=12 November 1977\|pages=59–\|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> The album achieved significant sales in the UK which was due in part to the ongoing expansion of the Virgin label and stores. The track "Runaway Girl" from the album was released as a single in Europe that same year. The success of ''Dread in a Babylon'' led to a series of Tony Robinson produced albums: ''Natty Rebel'' (1976), ''Rasta Ambassador'' (1977) and ''Jah Son of Africa'' (1978).<ref name=AllMusic/> Beckford's international popularity led to the album ''Natty Rebel'' being released in 1976 on Virgin's imprint Front Line label in Nigeria as well as in France on Virgin and [[Polydor]].<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/natty-rebel-mw0000264885/releases\|title=Natty Rebel (U-Roy) – Releases\|work=[[AllMusic]]\|accessdate=18 February 2021\|archive-date=21 February 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221195433/https://www.allmusic.com/album/natty-rebel-mw0000264885/releases\|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news\|title=Quella volta che in Giamaica il Dj afferrò il microfono\|url=https://xl.repubblica.it/articoli/quella-volta-che-in-giamaica-il-dj-afferro-il-microfono/77310/\|first=Massimiliano\|last=Guerrieri\|date=18 June 2018\|access-date=15 February 2021\|newspaper=la Repubblica\|location=Rome\|archive-date=3 December 2019\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203184847/http://xl.repubblica.it/articoli/quella-volta-che-in-giamaica-il-dj-afferro-il-microfono/77310/\|url-status=live}} {{in lang\|it}}</ref> Line 43: Beckford was awarded the [[Order of Distinction]] in 2007 by the Jamaican government for his contribution to music.<ref>[http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080408/ent/ent4.html U-Roy Order of Distinction Award] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114031438/http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080408/ent/ent4.html \|date=14 January 2009 }}, ''Jamaica Gleaner'', 8 April 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2013.</ref> His last recording was the song "The Coming of Jah Jah" for the project "The Deejay Battle: Sly & Robbie vs Roots Radics" released in April 2023 produced by the Grammy nominated musician and producer Hernan "Don Camel" Sforzini. ===U-Roy's music and Rastafari=== Line 99 ⟶ 101: ''Solid Gold U-Roy'' (2021) <ref name=AllMusic/> ''Dread In A Africa U-Roy'' (2022) Jamaican Art Records *''The Deejay Battle: Sly & Robbie vs. Roots Radics feat. Big Youth'' (2023) Serious Reggae {{div col end}} Line 125 ⟶ 128: [[Category:Recipients of the Order of Distinction]] [[Category:Trojan Records artists]] [[Category:Treasure Isle (record label) artists]] [[Category:Former Seventh-day Adventists]] [[Category:Converts to the Rastafari movement]]