Ranking Roger of General Public and English Beat dies at 56, following battle with cancer
Co-founder of General Public and English Beat singer, Roger Charlery, widely known as Ranking Roger, died Tuesday, March 26, following a battle with cancer. The musician was 56. The news arrived from English Beat, who addressed the fans on their website, saying he had "sadly passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side earlier today.
Roger's family would like to thank everyone for their constant support during this tough time. Roger was a fighter." As per reports, Roger suffered a stroke last summer, following which he had been diagnosed with two brain tumors, and lung cancer. However, as of now, no cause of death has been released.
Born in Birmingham, England, the late musician took a keen interest in punk rock after he fell in love with the genre all the way back in his teenage years. Initially, he went on to play drums with a group called the Dum Dum Boys, and it was in the late 70s, that he joined English Beat.
The band broke up in the year 1983, after which Roger and his fellow Beat alum Dave Wakeling started a new group of their own called the General Public. The new group also included former members of The Clash and Dexys Midnight Runners and went on to record three albums. Their biggest hit in the U.S. was 'Tenderness.'
