Charlery died March 26, 2019 in … Charlery, who was a member of both The Beat and General Public, died on Tuesday (March 26) surrounded by his family, a statement on The Beat's website confirmed. Roger Charlery, aka Ranking Roger, the singer and toaster from the English Beat, General Public and Special Beat, died today after a battle with cancer, a rep for the band confirmed to Variety… One of the lead vocalists of influential Birmingham 2 tone band The Beat has died at the age of fifty-six. “The beat goes on,” say countless headlines heralding the arrival of General Public, the new band led by former Beat frontman Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger. The English vocalist Ranking Roger (Roger Charlery) performing in New York in 1984 with General Public, the band he and Dave Wakeling formed after … We're sad to report that Roger Charlery, aka The (English) Beat and General Public vocalist Ranking Roger, died Tuesday, March 26 at age 56.He had been fighting cancer for a while. Fans of the seminal 1980s band the English Beat are paying tribute after hearing the news that Yet, despite enjoying extensive chart success at the height of the ska/punky reggae revival in the late 70s/early 80s, they are not quite the pop household names they ought to be, supplanted in the retro-mindset by The Specials, Madness, even The Selecter. Ranking Roger, centre, and Dave Wakeling of the Beat being interviewed in Gateshead by Jools Holland for the TV show The Tube in 1982. Ranking Roger, born Roger Charlery, performs with The English Beat in San Bernardino, California, on May 28, 1983. Photograph: ITV/Rex/Shutterstock It should hardly be necessary to introduce Wakeling, or his toasting sidekick Ranking Roger. While the … Singer Roger Charlery, best known as Ranking Roger, has died at the age of 56. The Beat pictured in 1981: Left to right are (back) Andy Cox, Ranking Roger, David Steele and Everett Morton (front) Dave Wakeling and Saxa Credit: 1981 Fin Costello 8 Ranking Roger of The Beat and General Public has died at 56.