Maxi Priest’s velvety voice helped make him one of the world’s biggest reggae stars in the 1980s and ’90s. Veering away from the politically inclined roots sound of Bob Marley, Priest’s R&B-leaning lovers rock—exemplified by hits like 1990’s U.S. chart topper “Close to You”—leveraged reggae’s easygoing syncopation for maximum knee-wobbling effect as he made audiences swoon across the UK, Europe, and the United States. Born Max Elliott in 1961 to Jamaican immigrant parents in southeast London, he grew up singing gospel with his family in a Pentecostal church before making his debut in 1981 at live dancehall performances as a member of the famed Saxon Studio International sound system. His commercial breakthrough came in 1988 with a breezy, Sly and Robbie-produced cover of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World” (a single from his third album, Maxi), and over the next decade he increasingly embraced elements of R&B and pop in collaborations with artists like Shaggy and Roberta Flack. He kept busy throughout the 2000s and 2010s, and his bluesy 2020 effort United State of Mind (recorded with Robin Trower and Livingstone Brown) shows Priest’s lovely voice only growing richer with time.
Hi. We are Jay Siegan Presents. We are the talent liaisons that curate, ideate, and connect you to the right artists to transform special events into experiences of a lifetime. Our roots are those of musicologists and culture hawks, deeply embedded in the living performing arts. This is the foundation of our work, the soul of our business, and what we've been doing for over 25 years. We have the capacity and capability to bring any artist from anywhere in the world to your event.
Hi. We are Jay Siegan Presents. We are the talent liaisons that curate, ideate, and connect you to the right artists to transform special events into experiences of a lifetime. Our roots are those of musicologists and culture hawks, deeply embedded in the living performing arts. This is the foundation of our work, the soul of our business, and what we've been doing for over 25 years. We have the capacity and capability to bring any artist from anywhere in the world to your event.
The cost associated with booking Maxi Priest is influenced by several factors. These include the interest and availability of the talent, the date and location, the nature of the event, and the schedule of the talent involved. To receive an accurate quote to book Maxi Priest for your event, we will need to gather some specific information. Reach out to us to dig in more and we can discuss an offer with the agent for Maxi Priest.
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