Roger Charlery, a.k.a. Ranking Roger, a key is part of the ’8 0s ska party The English Beat and the poppier group General Public, died Tuesday at the age of 56.

The Beat, as The English Beat is known in its native Britain, announced Charlery’s death on its Facebook page TAGEND

“He fought& fought& pushed, Roger was a fighter.“
Sadly Roger past apart a few hours ago calmly at his home surrounded by house.
Roger’s family would like to thank everyone for their constant endorsement during this tough time. More to follow in the coming epoches. RIP ROGER! [?]

Charlery announced in September that he’d suffered a stroke that pressured him to cancel tours of the U.S. and the U.K. with his band.

While he was in the hospital, physicians detected Charlery had two mentality tumors and lung cancer, but he still planned to get back onstage, according to SlicingUpEyeBalls.com.

Born in Birmingham, England, in 1963, Charlery became a musician in his teenages when he joined The Beat. He sang and rapped on the band’s three recordings before leaving the group with fellow singer Dave Wakeling to start General Public, which made the U.S. Top 40 in 1984 with “Tenderness.”

General Public liberated three albums between 1984 and 1995 before Charlery split with Wakeling and they each organized their own account of The Beat that toured regularly.

Charlery likewise collaborated with other craftsmen, including Sting and the Special Beat, the working group peculiarity members of The Beat and The Specials.