Ainsworth Roy Rushton Shirley, better known simply as Roy Shirley, and known as King Roy Shirley and The High Priest, 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.
16 Facts About Roy Shirley
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Roy Shirley was one of the original members of Slim Smith's band, The Uniques.
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Roy Shirley then formed The Leaders along with Ken Boothe, Joe White, and Chuck Josephs.
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When this line-up folded, Roy Shirley recorded "Hold Them" in 1966, credited as one of the first rocksteady songs, and inspired by the beat from a Salvation Army band.
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Roy Shirley attempted to perform "Hold Them" to a ska beat, but unable to make it work, slowed down the rhythm.
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Roy Shirley 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.
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Roy 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".
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Roy Shirley became renowned for his ecstatic stage performances, often performing wearing a long silver cape with a high collar, and was described by the Jamaica Observer as "perhaps the most comedic performer to evolve out of Jamaican popular music".
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Roy Shirley had another big hit in 1971 with "A Sugar" for Randy's.
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Roy Shirley 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.
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Roy Shirley released his first album in 1976, with The Winner.
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Roy Shirley recorded a single, "Love Your Mother" backed with "I Am The Merciful" which was released on Raymond Morrison's Hawk label in 1979.
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Roy Shirley performed at Reggae Sunsplash in 1982, and was included on the album of performances from the festival.
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Roy 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.
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Roy Shirley continued to perform occasionally, and his last show was at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in June 2008.
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Roy Shirley died at his home in Thamesmead, London, in July 2008, aged 63.