Throughout October to celebrate Black History Month the Lewisham Local History Archive Centre will post our chosen 15 truly remarkable residents. People who were born in the borough or lived within its borders
14/15: Maxi Priest
Max Alfred "Maxi" Elliott (born 10 June 1961),
known by his stage name Maxi Priest, is an English reggae vocalist of Jamaican
descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with an R&B influence,
otherwise known as reggae fusion. He was one of the first international artists
to have success in this genre, and one of the most successful reggae fusion
acts of all time.
Maxi Priest was born in Lewisham, the second youngest of
nine brothers and sisters. His parents had moved to England from Jamaica to
provide more opportunity for their family. His father was a steelworker in a
factory, while his mother devoted her life to Christianity; she was a
missionary at a Pentecostal Church and lead singer for the church choir, and as
a youngster. Maxi grew up listening to
Jamaican greats such as Dennis Brown, John Holt, Ken Boothe and Gregory Isaacs
as well as singers like Marvin Gaye, Al Green, the Beatles, Phil Collins and
Frank Sinatra.
He was working as a carpenter when he was invited to
build speaker boxes for the prominent Saxon International sound system. It
wasn't long before his contacts there discovered that he could sing as well,
and soon he was participating in live dancehall shows; in 1984, he and Paul
"Barry Boom" Robinson also co-produced Phillip Levi's "Mi God Mi
King," the first U.K.- born reggae single to hit number one.
His first major album was the self-titled
Maxi Priest (1988) which established him as one of the top British reggae singers.
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