Maxi Priest facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maxi Priest
Priest in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Max Alfred Elliott
Born	(1961-06-10) 10 June 1961 (age 64) Lewisham, London, England
Genres	Reggae, Roots Reggae, Dancehall, R & B, Reggae fusion, Soul, Lovers Rock, Dub, Sound System
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1984–present
Labels	Level Vibes Charisma Atlantic Virgin VP
Associated acts	Saxon Studio International, UB40

Max Alfred Elliott (born June 10, 1961), famous as Maxi Priest, is a British singer. He sings reggae music. His family comes from Jamaica. Maxi Priest is known for mixing reggae with R&B music. This style is called reggae fusion. He was one of the first singers to become famous worldwide with this sound. He is one of the most successful reggae fusion artists ever.

Maxi Priest's Early Life

Maxi Priest was born in Lewisham, London. He was the second youngest of nine children. His parents moved to England from Jamaica. They wanted to find more chances for their family. Maxi grew up listening to many types of music. These included gospel, reggae, R&B, funk, and soul music.

He first learned to sing in church. His mother, a Pentecostal missionary, encouraged him. Maxi listened to Jamaican artists like Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs. He also enjoyed singers like Marvin Gaye and the Beatles.

As a teenager, he helped with music systems. These were called sound-systems. He was a founding member of Saxon Studio International. With Saxon, Maxi started performing at youth clubs and parties.

His music often mixes R&B with reggae. Maxi Priest's cousin, Jacob Miller, was also a reggae star. Jacob died in a car crash in 1980.

Two of Maxi Priest's sons are also singers. They are Marvin Priest and Ryan Elliott. Ryan was in a 1990s boy band called Ultimate Kaos.

Maxi Priest's Music Career

Maxi Priest began his music journey singing on a soundsystem in South London. This was Saxon Studio International. After that, he released some songs on his own. One important song was "Sensi" with Papa Levi.

His first big album, Maxi, came out in 1988. He also covered Cat Stevens' song "Wild World". These songs made him one of the best British reggae singers.

Maxi Priest is one of only two British reggae acts to have a number one song in America. This was "Close to You" in 1990. The other act was UB40. In 1991, his duet with Roberta Flack, "Set the Night to Music", reached the top ten in America. His song with Shaggy in 1996, "That Girl", was also a hit.

Later in his career, Priest often worked with other artists. He sang with Sly and Robbie, Shaggy, and Roberta Flack.

In 2012, Priest sang a cover of a Japanese band's song. The band was L'Arc-en-Ciel. In 2013, he recorded a remix of a Hindi song. It was called "Kabhi Jo Baadal Barse".

His 2014 album, Easy to Love, was very popular. It reached number two on the Billboard Top Reggae Albums Chart.

Maxi Priest and Sports

Maxi Priest also played football. He played for a non-League club called Southall F.C.. This happened in March 2003. His son Marvin played for the same team. Maxi helped them out because they needed players. Southall lost that game 3–0 to Feltham.

Maxi Priest's Awards

Maxi Priest has been nominated for a Grammy Award several times. This award is one of the biggest in music.

Maxi Priest's Albums

Maxi Priest has released many studio albums and compilation albums. Some of his studio albums include:

• You're Safe (1985)
• Intentions (1986)
• Maxi / Maxi Priest (1988)
• Bonafide (1990)
• Fe Real (1992)
• Man with the Fun (1996)
• CombiNation (1999)
• 2 the Max (2005)
• Refused (2007)
• Easy to Love (2014)
• It All Comes Back to Love (2019)
• United State of Mind (2020)

His compilation albums include:

• Best of Me (1991)
• Collection (2000)
• Maximum Collection (2012)

See also

In Spanish: Maxi Priest para niños