Max Romeo released such influential tracks as “Let the Power Fall On I” and “Chase the Devil,” echoes of which found their way into dance music.
Another key figure in reggae and roots music has breathed his last as Max Romeo died of heart failure on Friday, April 11 at age 80.
A statement posted on the Instagram account belonging to Max Romeo (real name Maxwell Smith) broke the news. “It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Max,” it reads. “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and tributes, and kindly ask for privacy at this time. Legends never die.”
Further details of Smith’s passing were later shared by The Guardian. He reportedly died of heart complications in Saint Andrew, the parish of Jamaica surrounding Kingston to the north, west, and east.
Smith was born in Saint Ann, the largest parish in Jamaica. His recording career started in earnest in 1965, when he was the lead vocalist for a band called The Emotions.
Smith courted controversy for his 1969 single “Wet Dream,” whose suggestive lyrics earned it a ban from the BBC. In 1972, however, his song “Let The Power Fall On I” became an anthem of Jamaica’s People’s National party as it won a key election.
Smith’s album War Ina Babylon is widely regarded as a classic of roots and reggae music, not to mention that it influenced its fair share of dance music artists. Perhaps most notably, “Chase the Devil” was remixed by The Prodigy for their 1992 track “Out of Space.”
We here at EDM Identity express our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Max Romeo aka Max Smith during what can only be a difficult time.
