Ranking Roger

Roger Charlery (22 February 1963 – 26 March 2019), known professionally as Ranking Roger, was an English musician best known as a vocalist and frontman for the influential 2 Tone ska band the Beat (the English Beat in North America), and later the new wave group General Public. Born and raised in Birmingham to parents from Saint Lucia, he became involved in reggae sound system culture while still at school before playing drums in punk band the Dum Dum Boys. His energetic toasting style, rooted in Jamaican MC traditions, became a defining feature of the Beat’s sound and stage presence. Ranking Roger rose to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the Beat, whose albums I Just Can’t Stop It, Wha’ppen?, and Special Beat Service helped shape the ska revival movement. His call-and-response vocals and socially aware lyrics, alongside Dave Wakeling, set the band apart from their peers. After the Beat split in 1983, Roger co-founded General Public, achieving major success with the hit single “Tenderness.” Alongside band work, he released solo albums, collaborated with artists such as the Clash, Sting, Pato Banton, Smash Mouth, and Big Audio Dynamite, and remained a respected figure across ska, reggae, punk, and pop scenes. From the mid-2000s onward, Ranking Roger led a reformed version of the Beat, often performing with his son Ranking Junior and later involving his daughter Saffren. He continued recording and touring, releasing new material including Bounce (2016), praised for its political edge and classic 2 Tone spirit. In 2019, after battling brain tumours and lung cancer, he died at his home in Birmingham aged 56. His legacy lives on through his music, his influence on ska and reggae performance, and tributes from family, bandmates, and the wider music community.