Tag: Ranking Roger

Vintage Video: ‘Dance Craze: The Best of British Ska… Live!’ celebrates the 2-Tone era

Vintage Video: ‘Dance Craze: The Best of British Ska… Live!’ celebrates the 2-Tone era

For this latest installment of our Vintage Video series, we honor the life and music of The Beat’s Ranking Roger — who died Monday — with the single best document of the 2 Tone era, the criminally out-of-print concert film “Dance Craze: The Best of British Ska… Live!” Watch the whole film right here.

Ranking Roger, of The English Beat and General Public, 1963-2019

Ranking Roger, of The English Beat and General Public, 1963-2019

Ranking Roger, the beloved vocalist and toaster for 2 Tone-era ska legends The Beat and spin-off group General Public, died on Monday, just two months after he publicly revealed he’d been diagnosed with two brain tumors and lung cancer. He was 56. Read more about his life and music.

Ranking Roger reveals brain-tumor removal, lung cancer as he releases new Beat album

Ranking Roger reveals brain-tumor removal, lung cancer as he releases new Beat album

Just days before he’s set to release a new album recorded with his version of legendary 2 Tone-era ska act The Beat, frontman Ranking Roger on Monday revealed that, after suffering a stroke last summer, he was diagnosed with two brain tumors and lung cancer. Roger disclosed his medical issues via a nearly 9-minute video.

Saxa, The English Beat’s saxophonist and Jamaican-born ska player, 1930-2017

Saxa, The English Beat’s saxophonist and Jamaican-born ska player, 1930-2017

Lionel Augustus Martin, the Jamaican-born saxophone player better known as Saxa, who played with ska legends Prince Buster and Desmond Dekker before helping lead the second wave with The Beat, died on Wednesday at the age of 87, his former band announced.

Dave Wakeling’s English Beat, Fishbone to tour U.S. clubs in February, March

Dave Wakeling’s English Beat, Fishbone to tour U.S. clubs in February, March

Tweet The Dave Wakeling-led reincarnation of 2 Tone-era ska act The English Beat and ska-punk survivors Fishbone will co-headline a month-long string of U.S. club […]