Jamaican reggae legend Max Romeo has died aged 80

Max Romeo, the iconic Jamaican reggae musician who rose to prominence in the 60’s and best known for classic such as ‘Chase The Devil’ and War Ina Babylon, has passed away at the age of 80.

The artist, born Maxie Smith, died after heart complications in Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica, on Friday.

He first rose to fame in the late 60’s with the hit ‘Wet Dream’, a provocative tune which was banned by the BBC. However, the song still became a UK Top 10 single and spent 25 weeks in the charts, making Romeo one of the world’s most recognisable reggae voices.

“To hear of his passing is quite shocking,” said Max Romeo’s lawyer, Errol Michael Henry. “He was a perfect gentleman, and a gentle soul. He had great love for his family, and he was a legend in his own right. You couldn’t meet a nicer person – which makes the loss more difficult.”

Romeo first came into the public eye in 1965 as the lead vocalist for the Emotions. In the 70’s, his music became synonymous with the Jamaican social democracy movement, with his song ‘Let the Power Fall’ on I becoming a ballad for Jamaica’s People’s National party during its 1972 election campaign.

His 1976 album War Ina Babylon is regarded as a classic of the roots reggae era and features the iconic single ‘Chase the Devil’, which has since been sampled by artists across genres, including the Prodigy and Kanye West.

After moving to New York in 1978, Romeo co-wrote and starred in the musical Reggae, and performed backing vocals on the Rolling Stones’ track ‘Dance’ on their Emotional Rescue album.