Whenever Tony Roy reflects on his career, he is likely to pinpoint 2025 as the year he got the big breakthrough.

That came with I’d Love You to Want Me, which topped reggae charts in New York and South Florida.

A reggae cover of American singer Lobo’s 1972 hit, Tony Roy’s version topped the South Florida Reggae Chart and Foundation Radio Network Chart in August and July. Both tables are compiled by respected broadcaster Clinton Lindsay.

I’d Love You to Want Me, also made an appearance in the Jamaica Music Countdown Chart. That was significant for the Maryland-based singer.

“To have a presence on the Jamaica chart for Tony Roy means a lot. I am very happy to know that even though I am based overseas, I do have an impact in Jamaica, my home,” he said.

Interestingly, when he first heard I’d Love You to Want Me in 2021, it was not the original.  While on vacation in Las Vegas, a reggae version by John Holt caught his attention and he was instantly hooked.

Later, Tony Roy got acquainted with Lobo’s original which peaked at number two on the Billboard Magazine Hot 100 in 1972. Holt’s rendition, from his 1,000 Volts of Holt album, was a big hit in the United Kingdom one year later.

Tony Roy co-produced his version with Wayne Holness, who also played bass guitar and keyboards.

From St Thomas parish in eastern Jamaica, he migrated to the United States during the 1990s. For 30 years, Tony Roy has been a popular figure on the Baltimore/Washington DC reggae scene.

On My Mind, done for his Whylas Records, is the follow-up to I’d Love You to Want Me.

— Howard Campbell