The Jamaican music icon Max Romeo has passed away at the age of 80.
He died in a hospital on April 11th, reportedly due to heart complications at a private medical facility in St. Andrew, Jamaica.
Romeo’s daughter, Azana Smith, shared with DancehallMag on Friday, “The family is heartbroken right now. My father, Maxie Smith, is no longer with us in this dimension. I cannot speak with him anymore, but his spirit lives on. We are grieving and request privacy during this time.”
Max Romeo’s career began in 1965 when he was a prominent member of The Emotions, a group that featured Lloyd Shakespeare, the older brother of reggae legend Robbie Shakespeare.
A key figure in the rise of reggae music, Max Romeo achieved massive success in 1968 with the hit single ‘Wet Dream’. The song serves as an ode to nocturnal emissions, marked by its clever double entendres, which contributed to its chart success.
Popular among the UK skinhead movement, Max Romeo toured extensively across the country, with subsequent singles maintaining this cheeky and provocative style.
In the 1970s, he shifted towards conscious reggae, blending political themes with spiritual aspirations.
His 1976 track ‘Chase The Devil’ stands as a pivotal moment in Jamaican music history; it has been widely sampled, laying the groundwork for songs by Jay-Z, Kanye West, and The Prodigy. Nevertheless, Max Romeo claimed that he never received any royalties from it.
Continuing to travel, work, and write until the end, Max Romeo leaves behind a rich legacy in Jamaican music. Rest in peace.
The passing of Jamaican music icon Max Romeo has been confirmed. The singer, who was 80 years old, died in the hospital yesterday (April 11th). It is
