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U-Roy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| U-Roy | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ewart Beckford |
| Also known as | The Originator |
| Born | 21 September 1942 |
| Origin | Jones Town, Jamaica |
| Genre(s) | Reggae Dancehall Dub |
| Years active | 1961 – present |
U-Roy (born Ewart Beckford, OD, 21 September 1942, Jones Town, Jamaica) is a Jamaican musician, also known as The Originator.
U-Roy's musical career began in 1961 when he began deejaying at various sound systems, eventually working in the late 1960s with King Tubby. Tubby was then experimenting with his equipment, in the process of inventing dub music. With U-Roy as his most prominent deejay, King Tubby's new sound became extraordinarily popular and U-Roy became a Jamaican celebrity. His first single was "Earth's Rightful Ruler", recorded with Peter Tosh for Lee Perry. He recorded Dynamic Fashion Way, his first successful recording, in 1969 for Keith Hudson and then worked with almost every producer on the island: Lee Perry, Peter Tosh, Bunny Lee, Phil Pratt, Sonia Pottinger, Rupie Edwards, Alvin Ranglin and Lloyd Daley.
In 1970, Jamaican singer John Holt became enamoured of U-Roy's technique. Working with Duke Reid, U-Roy's fame grew through a series of singles, including "Wake the Town" and "Wear You to the Ball".
U-Roy's success continued throughout the 1970s, perhaps most famously with the album Dread in a Babylon and its iconic picture of him disappearing in a thick cloud of cannabis smoke while holding a chalice. Indeed, there was also a song called "Chalice in the Palace", in which he fantasised about smoking with Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace. U-Roy had become one of the island's biggest stars by the early 1980s, also garnering significant acclaim in the United Kingdom.
His most recent album was 2000's Serious Matter [1].
U Roy was awarded the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer on October 15, 2007.[1]
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