Reggae Icon Max Romeo Gone at 80
Farewell to one of the greatest roots rockers in Jamaican culture
Lee “Scratch” Perry may largely be synonymous with the dub end of the reggae spectrum.
But his work with Max Romeo in the mid to late 70s also signified the late producer’s brilliance with roots reggae as well.
One of the finest voices in the culture, Romeo joins Scratch at the side of Jah in heaven on Friday April 11 at the age of 80, leaving behind a legacy of conscious songcraft that rendered albums like Revelation Time, War Ina Babylon and the recently reissued Every Man Ought to Know essential recordings of their time.
Romeo was born Maxwell Livingston Smith on Nov. 22, 1944 in the parish of St. Ann in Jamaica. His career began in the early 60s as a member of the harmony group The Emotions. In 1968, he got together with another genius Reggae producer, Bunny “Striker” Lee, to create the hit single “Wet Dream,” a song about a leaky roof but, due to its sexually provocative lyrics, was banned from airplay on the BBC.
VIDEO: Max Romeo “Chase The Devil”
But it was during the 1970s when Max Romeo attained his renown in the realm of roots reggae, The crucial, crucial 1999 compilation on the Mick Hucknall-co-owned Blood and Fire imprint, Open the Iron Gate: 1973-1977, is the ultimate entryway into his music — 54 minutes of his most essential platters.
When Romeo moved to New York in 1977, he started hanging out with the Rolling Stones, even appearing on the Emotional Rescue cut “Dance (Pt. 1).” Keith Richards co-produced Max’s 1981 LP Holding Out My Love to You and played guitar on it as well alongside Earl “Chinna” Smith.
Throughout the last 45 years, Max remained active in the reggae community, regularly releasing albums right up until his last studio LP, 2021’s World of Ghouls, and performing in concert as recently as this past February.
“He remained a vital and commanding presence onstage and a true icon of Jamaican music until the very end,” Romeo’s label, VP Records, wrote in a statement announcing his passing.
His official Facebook page announced his death on Saturday, April 12. “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Max,” the statement read. “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and tributes and kindly ask for privacy at this time. Legends never die.”
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