Legendary Jamaican reggae singer, vocalist and dance hall innovator, U-Roy, is dead.
He was pronounced dead on Wednesday, at the age of 78/
Popularly known as the Originator, Ewart Beckford, Hugh Roy, the Jamaican popularized the vocal technique of toasting
He was known for performing conversational, rhythmic speech over a reggae or dancehall beat.
His longtime collaborator, Neil Fraser, aka Ariwa Sounds studio’s Mad Professor, confirmed the news of his death.
Throughout his career, U-Roy released some 20 records and contributed to Toots and Maytals’ Grammy-winning album True Love.
