Stanley was born February 17, 1942 in the parish of Portland (he died 30 March 2007, Riverdale, Jamaica). He began singing in church, and then gained prominence by winning on the Vere Johns radio talent competition. Stanley recorded reggae as Stanley & The Turbines and in The Starlites. Although clearly reggae, his music had a tinge of mento, displaying a country sound, especially due to Stanley's mento style vocals, his recordings could best be described as "mento-reggae".