Max Romeo, reggae legend behind BBC-banned hit, dies aged 80

One of the most influential artists in Reggae history, Max Romeo has died aged 80 (Picture: Judith Burrows/Getty Images)

Max Romeo, an iconic Jamaican Reggae artist with a worldwide following, has died at the age of 80.

The news was first shared on his social media, with a statement confirming that he passed away from heart complications in Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica.

It reads: ‘It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Max. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and tributes, and kindly ask for privacy at this time. Legends never die.’

One of the most influential reggae artists in history, Romeo’s biggest hits include War Ina Babylon and Chase The Devil, the latter of which was famously sampled by The Prodigy and Jay Z.

His hit song Wet Dream exploded up UK charts in 1968, becoming a Top 10 single for a staggering 25 weeks despite being banned by the BBC.

Romeo repeatedly claimed that the song was merely about sleeping in a room with a leaky roof, despite the fact that it contained the lyric ‘give the fanny to me.’

‘To hear of his passing is quite shocking,’ said the artist’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 was born Maxwell Livingston Smith in 1944 and began his musical career in Kingston, in Jamaica in the mid-’60s. He was originally a part of the vocal group The Emotions, who had a major impact on the Jamaican music scene at the time.

In the 1970s Romeo’s music became synonymous with the Jamaican social democracy movement (Picture: Paul Natkin/Getty Images)

Upon embarking on his solo career, he began to use music as an outlet for his political frustrations.

In the 1970s his songs came to be closely associated with the Jamaican social democracy movement.

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In particular, his song Let the Power Fall on I became a ballad for Jamaica’s People’s National party during its successful 1972 election campaign.

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