Another legend gone, Rise In Powa Daddy Ewart Beckford, aka Hugh "U" Roy.

Dennis Alcapone wrote:
R I P Daddy Hugh Roy. King of All DJs Master of His Craft. My Inspiration to Enter into the DJ Arena. Really Sad News Coming out of Jamaica. Even though We Knew that the Teacher was not well for Quite awhile it is Still Hard to Hear of His Passing. This Man Changed The Course of Jamaica Music When He Wake The Town and Tell The People that There is a New Sound Coming Your Way. A New Genre of Music was Born. Hugh Roy Music Spread Like Wild Fire. You Could Hear it coming over the Radio and When you are Passing a Bar it would be Playing in the Duke Box and Kids would be Singing along with Hugh Roy Songs. Hugh Roy Dominated the Charts. He Had 1.2.3 On The Radio Charts. The Singers at the time could not get a look in. Some Singers Started to DJ. It was a Case of if you can't Beat Them Join Them. Hugh Roy Made His First Record for Producer Keith Hudson The Song was Called Dynamic Fashion way. But it was not until He Stepped Through The Doors of the Treasury Isle Studio When Everything Started. His First Song For Producer Duke Reid was Wake The Town. Followed by Rule The Nation and Wear You To The Ball. Hugh Roy His Our Hero in the DJ World. Travel Good King DJ Daddy Roy. Your work on Earth is Over. You Left us with a Legacy of Music to Enjoy For Generations to Come. Hits after Hits Too much to Mention. Check out Daddy Hugh Roy Music on YouTube. May your Soul Forever Rest in Perfect Peace Teacher. Gone But never will be Forgotten Ewart Beckford aka U Roy. Condolences to His Family and Friends. Salute to a King.


one love
jb

RiP

[www.youtube.com]

Can we get a separate RIP forum/thread for all the grim reapers here who post about every single person who dies?

Wake da town tell da people
Version galore .....

Safe journey RIP



ROCKMAN

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David 'Ram Jam' Rodigan wrote:
RIP Daddy U Roy the iconic toaster who changed the paradigm of Jamaican music when he voiced the ‘Version Galore’ album. I was always in awe of him; the tone of voice, the cadence, the lyrical shimmering and riddim riding made him ‘the soul adventurer’. Heartbroken. RIP

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Freddie Mcgregor wrote:
Im sadden to learn of the loss of Daddy
U-Roy
today. RIP Reggae Pioneer of Toasting you're unforgettable.
In this sorrowful time Team Big Ship extend deepest sympathies to the family and friends of U-Roy.

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Sly Dunbar wrote:

Daddy Roy so sad.My condolences goes out his family.Remembering when we went to England in 1976 to promote his lp for Virgin Records.The Mighty Diamonds were there on show promoting their lp for Virgin Records all concert were sold out.The concert were great URoy & The Diamonds rock the house,took the roof off.





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Tony Chin wrote:
Just heard the Sad news of the passing of The Godfather Of the DJs Daddy U Roy , my deepest condolences goes out to his family and friends . The last time I saw him was late 2018 in Jamaica , we were working on an album he did for Zak Starkey on The Trojan Jamaica label. Daddy U Roy and Soul Syndicate goes way back , the first time we went to Africa was with him and many many more tours all over the world. One of the most humblest , nicest artist we have ever work with always on time and dresses very sharp , so much fun to be around , I could go on and on but so sad right now we were very close friends , Daddy Roy we will miss you and all the great music you gave us , see you in heaven one day we will jam together again, R.I.P Daddy Roy your music will live on and on

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art by Matteo Anselmo

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Fabrizio Laganà wrote:
Today is another real sad day because the great unforgettable teacher of DJ Talk Over, the real one Ewart Beckford, better known in the world like DADDY U ROY is passed away.
My deep condolences to his family, friends, musicians, promoters, journalists, with all my love & affection for my entire life.
Known as the Originator, U Roy wasn't the first DJ, nor even the first to cut a record, but he was the first to shake the nation and he originated a style so distinctly unique that he single-handedly changed his homeland's music scene forever. Born Ewart Beckford in Jones Town, Jamaica, in 1942, he received his famous moniker from a young family member unable to correctly pronounce Ewart and the nickname stuck.
U Roy's rise to fame was slow, and took almost a decade. He began back in 1961, DJing at the Doctor Dickie's Dynamite sound system. Eventually, he moved onto the Sir Mike the Musical Thunderstorm outfit, and then in 1968 to the Sir George the Atomic sound system. The DJ was then lured away by Coxsone Dodd; however, soon tiring of playing second fiddle to longtime veteran King Stitt, he returned to Sir George. Around this same time, he met up with another royal figure, King Tubby, then working as a disc cutter at Duke Reid's studio. The mechanic was just beginning his musical experiments that eventually led him to develop dub, and at the moment he was giving his proto-dub experimental discs to a handful of his favorite DJs. The following year, King Tubby launched his own Hi-Fi sound system and brought in U Roy as his top DJ. By then, the DJ had established himself as one of the premier talents of the sound system scene. Producer Keith Hudson was the first to recognize the possibilities and took U Roy into the studio in late 1969 to cut the song "Dynamic Fashion Way." However, the tape lay in the studio while the producer went off on a trip to the U.S. and the DJ went off to try his luck elsewhere. Lee Perry paired U-Roy with Peter Tosh and recorded "Selassie" a version of Ras Michael & the Sons of Negus' "Ethiopian National Anthem." The single was originally credited to the Reggae Boys and on its subsequent reissue, under the title "(Earth's) Rightful Ruler," it was then credited to Peter Tosh and Hugh Roy, a spelling the DJ would adhere to for the next several years. U Roy cut one more single with Perry ("O.K. Corral"winking smiley then moved on to Keith Hudson, for whom he recorded "Dynamic Fashion Way," and Bunny Lee, with whom he cut "King of the Road." He next linked with producer Lloyd Daley for two singles, "Scandal" and "Sound of the Wise," which like their predecessors,created a stir amongst the grassroots sound system crowds, but barely registered beyond them.
John Holt would change all that. One night early in 1970, he attended a sound system party and caught U Roy DJing. The singer was blown away, not least of all because the chatterer was exhorting the enthusiastic crowd over Holt's own hit "Wear You to the Ball." The next day the singer went around to see Duke Reid and adamantly stated that the producer must record the DJ. Reid was convinced and U Roy was promptly put into the studio to cut two songs, over classic Treasure Isle singles, of course. The first release, "Wake the Town," did exactly that and an aroused Jamaica swiftly sent the single to the top of the charts. That song was a version of Alton Ellis' "Girl I've Got a Date"; the next, "Rule the Nation," was cut over the Techniques' "Love Is Not a Gamble," and that single was as prophetic as the first. It, too, slammed up the chart, as did its follow-up, "Wear You to the Ball." For a month and a half, all three singles boldly stood astride the top three spots in the Jamaican charts. U Roy went on to cut another 29 songs with Reid, all versions of Treasure Isle's most beloved singles. The Frontline label's 1970 compilation Version of Wisdom bundled up much of the DJ's classic work for Reid, bringing together two previous albums: Versions Galore, initially released by Trojan in 1971, and Frontline's own 1979 compilation With Words of Wisdom. The British Attack label also sports a slew of this material on 1974's U-Roy, while Trojan's Ace From Out of Space grabs up 30 of them. The definitive collection comes from France's Esoldun label and Super Boss boasts all the classic cuts the DJ recorded for Reid. "Versions galore, you can hear them by the score," U Roy exclaimed on "Versions Galore," and indeed you could.
Every producer in town was now vying to record DJs, pillaging through their back catalogs for appropriate rhythms. In U Roy's wake came a flood of young hopefuls, Dennis Alcapone, I- Roy, Big Youth, Scotty, Lizzy, U Roy Junior, and many, many others. Many of these early progenitors of the DJ scene, U Roy included, can by found on the Trojan label compilation With a Flick of My Musical Wrist. U Roy himself would never again place three singles at the top of the chart, but he continued to have smash hits and made his way happily around the studios. He recorded a number of notable songs for producer Alvin Ranglin, including "Way Down South" (a version of Billy Dyce's hit "Take Warning"winking smiley and "Nana Banana." Working with Glen Brown, he cut "Number One in the World" over the much-versioned "Dirty Harry" rhythm, while also recording intriguing offerings for Niney Holness and Lloyd Daley.
In 1975, U Roy teamed up once again with Bunny Lee, cutting a number of songs with the producer. In 1983, the Vista Sounds label released remixes of these cuts as DJ Masterpieces, which also boasts tracks by other DJs, U Roy amongst them, recorded for the producer. Now the reigning hero of the Jamaican DJ scene, U Roy would come to international attention via a totally unexpected source. The American soul-lite duo Hall & Oates surprisingly enough recorded a cover of the DJ's hit "Soldering" on their eponymous album. This prompted the Virgin label to sign him and, paired with producer Prince Tony Robinson, U Roy recorded his debut album (Dread Inna Babylon), backed by the Skin, Flesh & Bones Band. The following year's Natty Rebel, again with Robinson at the helm, found the DJ now backed by the rootsy rhythms of Lloyd Parks and Sly Dunbar, and accompanied by a pair of singers.
U Roy was now reaching the peak of his power. His toasts were utterly relaxed and conversational, yet always in perfect synchronicity with the rhythms. The DJ had now gained a significant following in the U.K., as well, and in August 1976, visited Britain for the first time. He performed at the London Lyceum, backed by the always excellent Revolutionaries, and the 1978 Live EP was drawn from this phenomenal show. Back in Jamaica, U Roy began recording his new album, Rasta Ambassador, filling the studio with musicians and singers, 15 strong in all. The Gladiators provided particularly sonorous backing vocals, while the band, led by the rhythm team of Sly & Robbie, created a deep roots sound appropriate to the album's title and accentuated by Robinson's deeply dubby production.
Somehow, U Roy found time in his busy schedule to launch his own sound system, Stur-Gav, that year. He also continued to run his own labels, Del-Ma and Mego-Ann, which the DJ had set up a few years back. 1978 brought a new album, Jah Son of Africa, arguably U- Roy's best. Again, a deeply rootsy outing; with a superb supporting cast (this time the Gladiators were joined by Ken Boothe), the album showcased the DJ at his cultural height. It was to be his final album for Virgin. In 1991, the label released the Natty Rebel -- Extra Version album, which pulled tracks from both Natty Rebel and Jah Son of Africa, and also included the Live EP. A limited edition three-CD box set Three From the Frontline appeared this same year, and bundled together Version of Wisdom, Rasta Ambassador, and Natty Rebel -- Extra Version.
In the runup to the 1980 election, Stur-Gav fell victim to the violence that swept Jamaica and the sound system was destroyed. Undeterred, U Roy relaunched it the following year and brought in new DJs, including up and coming stars Josey Wales and Charlie Chaplin. U Roy would collaborate with the former for the entertaining Teacher Meets the Student, whose tracks date from around this period. But perhaps the DJ was taking on too much between his sound system, labels, and live appearances, for his next album, Love Is Not a Gamble showed a sharp decline in standards. U Roy seemed to recognize this and subsequently his recorded output slowed to a trickle of singles. He did, however, continue to perform live and on-stage, and his power remained undiminished.
In 1982, he appeared at Reggae Sunsplash for the first time and a song from his powerful set can be heard on the Best of Festival -- Day One compilation. In 1983, the DJ was behind the superb King Stur-Gav Hi Fi Lee Unlimited album, a live session recorded at his own sound system that featured a clutch of crucial DJs from Dillinger to the young Beenie Man, his two favorite protégés Charlie Chaplin and Josey Wales, as well as U Roy himself. The follow-up, King Stur-Gav Sounds Live at Clarendon J.A., amazingly doesn't feature U Roy at all, except in the capacity of selector. The next year brought the excellent "Hustling" single, cut for producer Gussie Clarke, "Get Ready" recorded for Ossie Thomas, and a return engagement at Reggae Sunsplash that year, with a second appearance in 1985.
Silence then followed for two years; then as if to make up for lost time, in 1987 U Roy jumped back into recording with a vengeance. He teamed up with Tappa Zukie for the Line Up and Come album, a stunning return to form that cruelly gained little notice. He also released Music Addict, overseen by Prince Jazzbo, that same year. However, halfway through that latter album, the DJ seems to run out of steam. Afterwards, U Roy once again lapsed into a lengthy silence, at least in the studio; he found his voice for Reggae Sunsplash the next summer, though, and kept it well exercised for another appearance in 1990. The following year found him back in London, on-stage at London's Hammersmith Palais. But during all this time, the DJ continued steering clear of the recording studio. It was U.K. producer Mad Professor who coaxed him back in during 1991 for the True Born African album. Since then, U Roy has continued recording under the Professor's aegis. Smile Awhile appeared in 1993 and featured a number of guest stars, including Yabby You, Aisha, Sandra Cross, and lovers rock heroine Susan Cadogan. Incidentally, the album's title was inspired by a line from the DJ's old hit "Flashing My Whip" ("smile awhile and give your face a rest"winking smiley. Also in 1993, the DJ guested on Nolan Irie's album Work So Hard. In 1996, U Roy joined Cadogan for a remake of her classic hit "Hurt So Good," which the DJ had previously versioned on Smile Awhile. U Roy also released his own new album that year "Babylon Kingdom Must Fall". Four more years passed before its follow-up hit the shops. "Serious Matter" found the DJ toasting over an album's worth of classic songs, accompanied by a host of veteran vocalists, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, and Horace Andy amongst them. The latest two albums coming out in 2018 with "Talking Roots" produced by Neil Fraser "Mad Professor" and "Rebel In Styylle" in 2019 produced by himself.

My first meeting with U Roy took place during the 'Reggae Connection' 87 'review in Rome at Palazzo Civiltà del Lavoro, Eur area, on 17 July 1987 after an amazing concert supported by the “Undivided Roots Band “ I asked him for some clarifications at about the very sad Jamaican electoral period in the period 1979-1980, in which his "Stur-Gav Sound" sound system was completely destroyed and hundreds of people from opposing political sides, between JLP and PNP, were killed.
"In Jamaica at that time, the weight of politics, oppression, Czech police and military violence against Rastas was unbearable, several artists and singers suffered several death threats, see Bob Marley himself together with his wife Rita, with the attack on December 3, 1976, two days before the famous 'One Love Peace Concert', the disappearances of artists such as Jacob Miller, Hugh Mundell, Prince Far I, say a lot about the fact that rival of the two parties were too bloody. It must be said, however, that there were characters unrelated to Jamaica and its culture, there was talk of some well-hidden but well-organized representatives of the CIA yes, the American CIA, which stirred the streets in for the JLP and against the socialism of the PNP. These are too long speeches to tell, better to talk about music, love, harmony and faith, reggae music gives this message, against all kinds of violence, exploitation and oppression".
At this point the obligatory question arose: "Which of the albums produced together with Prince Tony Robinson did you find the best inspiration, the relationship with the musicians and with Tony himself?", "They are all excellent recordings, I am also happy by the fact that artists like Ken Boothe and the Gladiators have contributed to my records, enriching the sonority of the sound produced, and I must say that the records that remind me most of that period are 'Dread In A Babylon' and 'Jah Son Of Africa', but not let's forget about 'Natty Rebel' where I sing a song by the great Bob Marley 'I'm Soul Rebel' ".
With U Roy therefore we find a sweet and rebellious soul at the same time that it does usyou can still dance and dream.
Never forgotten & love forever.
September 21 1942 - February 18 2021


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Tony Chin wrote:
This was the First time we went on tour with U Roy in West Africa so many great memories . R.I.P Daddy Roy



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Papa Briggy wrote
JUST RECEIVED ONE OF THE SADDEST NEWS EVER: ONE OF MY MENTORS, OUR FRIEND, OUR DJ ICON, THE ORIGINAL TEACHER & GODFATHER DADDY U-ROY HAS DIED. I’M SO NUMB RIGHT NOW



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Robert Lyn wrote:
RIP King Daddy Roy.
— in
Kingston, Jamaica
.




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Mikey Jarrett
Rip Daddy u Roy

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Chris lane Flyer:

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Steve Barrow wrote:
“Love the life you live
And live the life you love”
Ewart Beckford OD (September 1942 –February 2021
The great Jamaican deejay U Roy has died, but he certainly lived up to the epigram above, in a career lasting nearly 60 years. Starting out on sound systems in the mid-1960s, by 1969 he had came to define the art of talking over rhythm tracks with hits like “Wake The Town”. There had been others who deejayed on sound systems before, but U Roy took that style to an entirely higher level, setting the pattern for all subsequent deejays.
When Dom Sotgiu and I ran the Blood & Fire sessions during 1998-2007, we had no idea that one day we would be in Japan, standing behind U Roy onstage while he thrilled the Japanese reggae lovers in three cities – Tokyo, Osaka and Shizuoka. I had been a bit nervous about the sessions – after all, this was U Roy, the deejay originator, but when we all met up in the hotel in Tokyo, he soon put us at ease. We explained that we wanted to do the sessions in the old way,, a bit of the A-side vocal, then flipping the record over for him to toast over.
I had mentioned before the first show that as U Roy’s contract called for him to do 45 minutes per session, we would play a few specials and some roots and ska tunes, before starting with rock steady. I said that when he heard us starting to play rock steady, he should make his way to the stage. So after a couple of ska tunes, I selected the Wailers “Bend Down Low”, and Dom played it. At that point, U Roy came up on stage and began deejaying “Bob Marley and the Wailing Wailers say” and the vocal came in “Bend down low, let me tell you what I know” Instant pull up - Dom rewound the tune and we started again. From then on, everything was magic; we went through our selections in chronological order – we had Treasure Isle vocals [and the dub LPs] and some early reggae that hadn’t, to my knowledge, been done with U Roy before - - Night Owl, Soul Shakedown Party, Freedom Street, and on through the Aquarius Dub cut of ‘Song My Mother Used to Sing” [new lyrics, completely different to “Linger You Linger”], then various Bunny Lee productions, Channel One rockers , and finishing with rub a dub style. U Roy handled it all perfectly - that voice tone - , and that first night stays engraved in my memory as perhaps the high point of my involvement in reggae music.
As a man, U Roy was what we would call a proper gent – always good humoured, never any hint of prima donna business. He was warm and kind, and I wish we could have done it all again. He said to us after that first night that “you guys make me feel young again”. We all ate our evening meals together, in various restaurants in the three cities, enjoying good company and interesting conversation. We moved around in Japan by bullet train, a fact that Daddy Roy incorporated into his lyric over the version of the Prince Tony cut of “Jah Jah Train”.
The following year, 2007, Dom and me went to Kingston, staying in Bunny Lee’s old house in Meadowbrook. U Roy was off the island until the day before we left, but Trinity drove me, Dom and Jah Stitch down to Cling Cling Avenue - we were delighted to meet up again.
I know that he will never be forgotten as long as Jamaican music plays, and I will certainly never forget; I am privileged to have known him.
U.ROY, O.D., 1942- 2021
"WAKE THE TOWN" — with
Huford Brown
and
Ranking Joe
.

Sad news, he was an important part of rock steady and a big influence on later styles.
Pick up “Dread in a Babylon” if you don’t have it already.

I remember one day I was walking down the street in Echo Park, Los Angeles, right near the Dub Club where daddy u roy was to hold forth later in the evening, and there he was, ambling down the street, the DJ daddy of them all, looking neat and nappy in a three piece suit with a beaver hat on his head. We all hailed him up and he was surprised anyone recognized him down inna babylon, but we all assured him he was famous even here in Hell A.

jb