U-Roy made his earthly transition

21 September 1942 – 17 February 2021 Ewart Beckford (OD Order of Distinction) known by the stage name U-Roy. He is a Jamaican vocalist, and pioneer of toasting which contributed to the development of DanceHall Reggae in Jamaica, and Rap Music in the United States. Both genres originated through the 70’s and 80’s with Daddy U-Roy in the spotlight grabbing the attention of many other artist who want to “compliment” his style that he made popular.

Among his list of achievements in 1978 Daddy U-Roy started his own sound system which he named Stur Gav after his sons. The mighty Stur Gav sound system launched the careers of a younger generation of toasters and singers including Ranking Joe, Jah Screw, Charlie Chaplin and Josey Wales.

Daddy U-Roy was awarded the Order of Distinction in 2007 by the Jamaican government for his contribution to music. The Order of Distinction is a national order in the Jamaican honors system. It is the sixth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honor, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament in 1968. The motto of the Order is “Distinction Through Service”.

As of 20 February, no cause of death has been made public, although he suffered from diabetes, hypertension, and problems with his kidneys prior to his death, and had been undergoing surgery at the hospital.