Roy Shirley

Infobox musical artist

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Name = Roy Shirley
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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Ainsworth Roy Rushton Shirley
Alias = King Roy Shirley, The High Priest
Born = July 18 1944
Origin = Kingston, Jamaica
Died = July 2008 (aged 63)
Thamesmead, London, United Kingdom
Instrument =
Genre = Ska, rocksteady, reggae
Occupation =
Years_active = early 1960s - 2008
Label = Amalgamated, Public, Weed Beat, Trojan
Associated_acts = The Uniques
URL = http://www.kingroyshirley.net/
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Roy Shirley also known as King Roy Shirley and The High Priest (born Ainsworth Roy Rushton Shirley, July 18 1944, Kingston, Jamaica, died July 2008) was a Jamaican singer whose career spanned the ska, rocksteady and reggae eras, and whose "Hold Them" is regarded by some as the first ever rocksteady song. He was also one of the original members of The Uniques.

Career

Shirley was born on July 18 1944,Katz, David (2008) "Obituary: Roy Shirley", The Guardian, August 28, 2008] and grew up in Trench Town, and began his career performing in talent contests.Katz, David (2003) "Solid Foundation - an Oral History of Reggae", Bllomsbury, ISBN 0 7475 6847 2] After early recordings for producer Simeon L. Smith went unreleased, he moved on to work with Leslie Kong, who released his debut single "Oh Shirley", co-arranged with his friend Jimmy Cliff, giving him a hit in 1965. Shirley then formed The Leaders along with Ken Boothe, Joe White, and Chuck Josephs. This group was unsuccessful, but Shirley went on to join Slim Smith and Franklyn White in the original line-up of The Uniques. When this line-up folded, Shirley recorded "Hold Them" in 1966, credited as one of the first rocksteady songs,O'Brien Chang, Kevin & Chen, Wayne (1998) "Reggae Routes", Ian Randle Publishers, ISBN 976-8100-67-2] and inspired by the beat from a Salvation Army band. Shirley attempted to perform "Hold Them" to a ska beat, but unable to make it work, slowed down the rhythm. He initially attempted to record the song with Slim Smith and Ken Boothe for producer Joe Gibbs, but it didn't work out, with the other singers struggling to break away from the ska style, and Gladstone Anderson suggested to Gibbs that Shirley perform the song solo. The song became a massive hit in Jamaica, and Shirley recorded several more singles for Gibbs, including "Dance The Arena", "The World Needs Love", and "Music Is The Key", but these failed to match the success of the first single. Shirley moved on to work with Bunny Lee giving the producer his first hit with "Music Field", which was followed by others such as "Get on the Ball".Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, ISBN 0 7535 0242 9] Shirley's style draws heavily from American soul singers such as Solomon Burke. He became renowned for his ecstatic stage performances, often performing wearing a long silver cape with a high collar. In late 1968, Shirley set up his own "Public" label and began self-production, releasing tracks such as "Prophecy Fulfilling", "Flying Reggae", and "On Board".

Shirley had another big hit in 1971 with "A Sugar" for Randy's. He toured the United Kingdom in 1972 with U-Roy and Max Romeo, and became based in the UK from 1973, setting up his "All Stars Artistic Federated Union" in 1976, with the aim of helping other artists to avoid some of the pitfalls of the music business. He released his first album in 1976, with "The Winner". He performed at Reggae Sunsplash in 1982, and was included on the album of performances from the festival.Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6] Shirley opened a record shop in Dalston, London, and in his later years he set up the British Universal Talent Development Association, with the aim of supporting talented but underprivileged youngsters." [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article4662803.ece Roy Shirley: Reggae Singer] ", The Times, September 3, 2008] He continued to perform occasionally, and his last show was at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in June 2008.

Roy Shirley died at his home in Thamesmead, London in July 2008, aged 63. A memorial concert was held on 30th August, featuring performances from the likes of Derrick Morgan, Dennis Alcapone, BB Seaton, and Michael Prophet.

Albums

*"The Winner" (1976) Trenchtown
*"The Return Of The High Priest" (1982) Weed Beat
*"Control Them Volume One" (1995) Della International
*"Black Lion Negus Rastafari" (1996) Lion Roots
*"Get In The Groove" (1997) Rocky One
*"Music Is The Key" (2003) Trojan
*"Nice Up The City" (2003) King Roy
*"Your Musical Priest" (2004) Westside/Demon
*"The High Priest: The Great Roy Shirley" Rhino

References

External links

* [http://www.kingroyshirley.net/ Official website]
* [http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/339 Roy Shirley at Roots Archives]