Gie Knaeps/Getty ImagesRanking Roger, co-lead vocalist for the popular U.K. New Wave band The English Beat and its spinoff group General Public, died Tuesday at the age of 56, according to a post on TheBeatOfficial.com.
“‘He fought & fought & fought, Roger was a fighter,'” the message reads. “Sadly Roger [passed] away a few hours ago peacefully at his home surrounded by family. Roger’s family would like to thank everyone for their constant support during this tough time.”
In January, Roger revealed in a video interview posted on the official YouTube channel of his current incarnation of The Beat that he had lung cancer and two brain tumors, one of which he’d had an operation to remove.
The Beat Featuring Ranking Roger also released a new album titled Public Confidential in January, and earlier this month it was announced that Roger had completed a memoir called I Just Can’t Stop It that will be published soon.
Ranking Roger was born Roger Charlery in Birmingham, U.K., and in 1978, he co-founded The Beat — known as The English Beat in the U.S. The group, which combined elements of pop, ska, soul, reggae and punk, scored several top 10 hits in the U.K., including a cover of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles‘ “Tears of a Clown” in 1979 and “Mirror in the Bathroom” in 1980.
In the U.S., The English Beat probably is best known for their 1982 songs “Save It for Later” and “I Confess,” videos for which were played frequently on MTV.
After the band broke up in 1983, Roger and Beat singer/guitarist Dave Wakeling formed General Public, which scored a top 30 hits in 1984 and 1994, respectively, with “Tenderness” and a cover of the Staple Singers classic “I’ll Take You There.”
General Public split in 1995, and Ranking Roger formed a new U.K.-based version of The Beat during the mid-2000s, while Wakeling has led a U.S.-based edition of The English Beat for many years.
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