From The Specials - Neville Staple

"Too Much Too Young", “Gangsters”, "Ghost Town", "Enjoy Yourself", "Nite Klub", "A Message To You Rudy".

Neville Staple, the Legendary multi-award-winning Front Man from The Specials, Fun Boy Three and Special Beat, also known as The Original Rude Boy, celebrates over 40 years of his super music career, and of the beginning of the 2-Tone movement. He continues to carry the flag for The Specials and Fun Boy Three, with honour and pride, performing hits and classics from his career.

Awarded with an Honorary Doctorate by Arden University in July 2019, Dr Neville Staple is credited with changing the face of popular music not only once but twice. His UK and International career in the music industry, is well documented and started out from the early days with Ray King, Pete Waterman (OBE), The Coventry Automatics and his Jah Baddis Sound System, before taking to the stage as a frontman of The Specials for the famous tour with ‘The Clash’ and Bernie Rhodes.

Neville has performed, written or produced, highly acclaimed and hit albums and singles, along with TV and film soundtracks, including performing on songs for blockbusters and independent films. His musical awards also include MOJO, NME, several Gold, Silver & Platinum Discs and a lifetime achievement award from a school in his home City of Coventry (birthplace of the 2-Tone Movement). He is celebrated as a living legend. Neville continues to write and produce new material, with his recent album being the highly celebrated ‘From The Specials & Beyond’. Neville was chosen to be one of the UK’s ‘National Treasures’ for Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant list, along with his wife Sugary Staple, to represent the 2-Tone era.

Neville states, “We have lost a lot of my music buddies in recent times, so I will continue to perform in honour of them all. I love to see the massive reactions to the hit songs like Ghost Town, Too Much Too Young and Gangsters, and fans continue to write to me about my rugged, energetic and fun stage presence from back in the day. The way we bring ska to the mainstream is by mixing Jamaican music with the English punky style. I love performing live and always include my Specials hits, along with other classics and career favourites.

Every show is like a massive party, where the brilliant fans of all ages love to dance, stomp or sing along. I was so proud to become an official Doctor of Music recently too. Dr Rude Boy! How cool is that!”

Neville writes, performs, collaborates and produces new music, alongside his wife, Christine ‘Sugary Staple’ and friends, and his 2-Tone legacy is huge. The music that fused traditional Jamaican ska and reggae music and style, with punk rock attitude, energy, and musical edge.

The movement helped to transcend and defuse racial tensions in Thatcher-era Britain and still resonates in today’s Brexit uncertainties. The actual black and white checkered imagery of 2 Tone has become almost as famous as the music itself. Neville has worked with other top International and mainstream artists too and his work is regularly shared on mainstream TV, Films, Radio, and exhibitions, reflecting his highly successful career. His best-selling autobiography, THE ORIGINAL RUDE BOY, was published by Aurum Press in 2009. Neville and the band are currently promoting racial unity and anti-knife crime, during their UK and International tours, which follows the highly publicised and recent fatal stabbing of Neville’s 21-year-old grandson. Neville Staple and Sugary also work with schools, charities, and youth groups, providing awareness talks, performance tips, music lessons, guest-tuition and fund raising activities. He is also a patron of the Coventry Music Museum at the 2Tone Village, Cefovid Uganda and is an ambassador for various charities including Musicians Against Homelessness.

In 2022 Neville Staple and 2-Tone colleagues starred in a documentary called ‘2-Tone – The Sound of Coventry’ which went on to win the Best Documentary for a Royal Television Society Award. In 2023 Neville received a ‘Roots’ award from Vive Le Rock magazine and has also been nominated for a 2025 Royal Airforce B.L.A.C Award for ‘Lifetime Achievement’ in music/arts.