Ray King, roots of 2 Tone music scene, dies
The passing of Ray King removes a foundational figure from the UK music scene whose groundwork helped launch bands that became household names.
Ray King, a singer whose early career laid the groundwork for the 2 Tone music movement, has died. Born Vibert Cornwall in St Vincent and the Grenadines, he moved to the UK in 1961, settling in Coventry two years later.
King formed the Ray King Soul Band, launching their run at The Walsgrave Club in Coventry. The group's reputation for professionalism quickly grew, earning them a six-month residency at the Playboy Club in London. During that period, his stage became a hub visited by figures like Jimi Hendrix and Paul McCartney, who joined the band on an ad-hoc basis.
While King's own fame was rooted in live performance, his broadest impact came through mentoring the next generation. He directly influenced Lynval Golding and Jerry Dammers, who formed The Specials, as well as Charley Anderson and Neol Davies of The Selecter. Both bands evolved from Coventry's underground into household names, driving the commercial success of the 2 Tone genre across Europe.
"Ray King is such an amazing foundation for all of us musically, he's the roots. He's the guy we learn from," Golding said in a 2019 documentary. Pete Chambers, founder of the Coventry Music Museum, noted King had a stage presence "like James Brown".
"He was the kind of guy who controlled the stage with just one look, one little movement of the arm or whatever. He was a real professional and such a lovely guy and an influential guy," Chambers said. King told the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in 2010 that his influences ranged from Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, and Elvis Presley to Pat Boone and Doris Day.
In 2012, his role in bringing together the musicians who would define the 2 Tone sound was recognised with a plaque on the Wall of Fame at Coventry's 2 Tone village. Chambers noted that King's legacy remains visible throughout the city's current music scene. "His legacy would be as a prime Coventry musician who did so much and cared so much about his home city," Chambers said.
