Roy Shirley | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ainsworth Roy Rushton Shirley |
| Also known as | King Roy Shirley, The High Priest |
| Born | 18 July 1944 |
| Origin | Kingston, Jamaica |
| Died | July 2008 (aged 63) Thamesmead, London, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Ska, rocksteady, reggae |
| Years active | early 1960s – 2008 |
| Labels | Amalgamated, Public, Weed Beat, Trojan, Hawk Records |
| Website | kingroyshirley |
Ainsworth Roy Rushton Shirley (18 July 1944 – July 2008), better known simply as Roy Shirley, and also known as King Roy Shirley and The High Priest, was a Jamaican singer whose career spanned the ska, rocksteady and reggae eras, and whose "Hold Them" is regarded by some as the first ever rocksteady song. He was also one of the original members of Slim Smith's band, The Uniques.