Reggae

legend Daddy U Roy has died. He was 78.

Born

Ewart Beckford, U Roy was one of the pioneers of the genre, pushing both its

production through his sound system Stur Gav and creating memorable hits which include

Dread in a Babylon.

He

was born in Jones Town, St Andrew on September 21, 1942 where he was raised by

a religious and musical family.

He received the Order of Distinction from the Government of Jamaica in 2007 for his contribution to music.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shaggy Aka Mr Boombastic O.D (@direalshaggy)

Among those who have offered condolences at his passing are Shaggy, UB40 and British DJ David Rodigan.

Shaggy shared to Instagram, “Today we lost one of our hero’s !! A true legend in this game of dance hall/ Reggae if your a fan of sound system, then your a fan of Stur Gav sound. With such greats as Colonel Josey Whales and Charlie Chaplin, pioneers in this game … with a catalog of amazing recordings U Roy was a master at his craft. Rest Well daddy Roy!! R.I.P. walk goodâ€

RIP U ROY.— UB40 (@UB40OFFICIAL) Ewart Beckford better know by his stage name U Roy, passed away yesterday aged 78. He took deejay “toasting†to a new level in the late sixties with his melodic and rhythmic voice overs on versions (instrumentals) of existing hits, like the Paragons 1/2

RIP U ROY.— UB40 (@UB40OFFICIAL) Ewart Beckford better know by his stage name U Roy, passed away yesterday aged 78. He took deejay “toasting†to a new level in the late sixties with his melodic and rhythmic voice overs on versions (instrumentals) of existing hits, like the Paragons 1/2 pic.twitter.com/PnIXKC2Pi0February 18, 2021

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’ Ÿ™ — David Rodigan (@DavidRodigan)

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’ Ÿ™ — David Rodigan (@DavidRodigan) pic.twitter.com/t9n4SNkEzrFebruary 18, 2021