Singer Roy Shirley, whose seminal hit song Hold Them, is recognised as the first rock steady song, died in England last week.

Shirley, known for his dramatic stage costumes and performances, was 64.

The British company, Trojan Records which reissued several of Shirley's music in Europe, announced his death on its website.

"Truly unique, Roy was not only one of the true greats of Jamaican music's first golden age, but also a gentleman in every sense of the word, and he will be sadly missed by all those who knew him, either personally or through his music," the posting read, in part.

Born Ainsworth Roy Rushton Shirley, he grew up in Trench Town, an area that produced several pioneers of Jamaica's popular music.

Hold Them, recorded in 1967, was his biggest hit. It was reportedly the first song funded by a young producer named Joe Gibbs who would go on to find fame in the 1970s with Dennis Brown, Culture and George Nooks.

Hold Them's loping beat was considerably slower than ska and is often cited by musicologists as the first rock steady song.

Shirley had been living in England since 1973.