LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — Roger Charlery, AKA Ranking Roger, the frontman of the two-tone band The Beat (also known as the English Beat in the US) and General Public, has reportedly died. He was 56.
A spokesperson for The Beat announced his passing on the band’s social media on Tuesday, writing: “Sadly Roger past away a few hours ago peacefully at his home surrounded by family. Roger’s family would like to thank everyone for their constant support during this tough time. More to follow in the coming days. RIP ROGER!”
In August, Roger was hospitalized after suffering a suspected stroke and canceled all of his upcoming live events. In January, he revealed that he had undergone multiple brain surgeries for cancer, and was receiving additional treatment for lung cancer.
A native of Birmingham, Roger started his career as a professional musician with the Nam Nam Boys before he joined the ska/two-tone band The Beat, helping to define the band’s early sound with his unique toasting style.
The band scored early hits with “Can’t Get Used to Losing You”, “Tears of a Clown”, “Mirror In the Bathroom”, “Hands Off She’s Mine” and “Best Friend” before parting ways in 1983.
Following the dissolution of The Beat, Roger and bandmate Dave Wakeling formed General Public and while they scored some early success with their debut album “All the Rage” their sophomore followup failed to gain traction and the group split.
In the 1990s, Rogers performed with the Specials and then, in the he rejoined his former The Beat bandmates as well as his son Ranking Junior for new music and live performances, including a gig at Glastonbury in 2005. He continued to perform with The Beats until falling ill in 2018 and was featured on the band’s 2019 release “Public Confidential” via DMF Records.
