Reggae superstar “Maxi Priest” nominated for a Grammy in early 2021

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

“It All Comes Back to Love” is the name of Maxi Priest’s latest album and this album has gained him a Grammy nomination for best Reggae album at the Grammys in 2021.

The album, which was executive produced by Reggae Superstar “Shaggy” has numerous stars collaborating with Priest. Stars like dancehall (Badman) , Bounty Killer, Shaggy, Estelle and Anthony Hamilton. This album like anything else that Priest touches, it is on fire and is lighting up the airways in a big way.

Here is a brief history of the legendary singer. Priest was born Max Elliott on June 10^th, in the early sixties in the Lewisham area of London. He is the eighth of nine children born to Jamaican parents who migrated to England before he was born.

Priest’s mother was active in the Pentecostal church where he and his siblings all sang gospel songs together. He would later convert to Rastafarianism, at which time he changed his name to Maxi Priest.

Priest at a young age worked as a carpenter, at which point he was contracted by the famous Saxon Sound System to build speaker boxes for them.

Besides building fine speaker boxes for Saxons, it was discovered that he could also sing and this led him to participate in live dance hall shows conducted by Saxon Sound System.

By 1984, Priest and Paul “Barry Boom” Robinson co-produced Phillip Levi’s “Mi God Mi King,” the first U.K.-born reggae single to hit number one in Jamaica.

Priest released his first single on the Virgin Records label in 1985 called “You Are Safe” and like the story says the rest is history. in 1986 he followed with Intentions, which featured two, more U.K. successes in “Strollin’ on” and the Van Morrison cover “Crazy Love.”

All things considered it was the “drum and bass Gods of Reggae” Sly Dumber and Robbie Shakespeare that really created a serious opening for Priest. Priest’s top 30 cover of Cat Stevens‘ “Wild World” gave him his first American hit, and another cover, Robert Palmer‘s “Some Guys Have All the Luck,” kept him rolling as a hit maker in the UK.

Things just kept getting better for Priest who in 1990 recorded what would become his biggest hit album “Bonafide.” Never one to confine himself to one genre, Priest has collaborated with dancehall DJs like Shabba Ranks making “House Calls” and American artists like Roberta Flack who always made sure that he “Set the Night to Music.”

If one were to change Maxi Priest’s name the only befitting name that would go well would be “Versatile.” Priest once said in an interview with Reggae Lover podcast, “I love music. I love all kinds of music. I have such an appreciation for the art of singing the art of playing music I hate being pigeonholed in anything.”

When you suppress it and say well this is the genre it only must be like this. We hold ourselves back while others take our culture and manipulate it.” 

Christened “The king of lover’s rock” by his fans, Priest is one of the most recognized faces in the business since Bob Marley His charisma and stylish vocals know no limit.

All the best is what friends and fans alike wish Maxi Priest at the 2021 Grammys.