Maxi Priest
He fused smooth R&B with reggae rhythms, becoming one of the first artists to bring reggae fusion to a global pop audience.
Born 1961 (age 65)·British reggae singer·Birthday: June 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Maxi Priest, born Max Elliott in London to Jamaican parents, grew up with the sound systems of Lewisham. He began his career building speaker boxes before stepping to the mic, his voice a silky instrument perfectly suited for blending soulful melodies with dancehall rhythms. In the late 1980s and 1990s, he crafted a unique lane, taking reggae out of its traditional context and onto pop charts worldwide. His breakthrough came with a cover of Cat Stevens's 'Wild World,' but it was the sleek, infectious 'Close to You' that became a definitive hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100. Priest navigated collaborations with stars like Roberta Flack and Shaggy without losing his roots, proving that reggae could be both authentic and accessible on an international scale.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Maxi was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Maxi Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Maxi's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored a US number-one hit in 1990 with the reggae fusion ballad 'Close to You.'
- His 1988 album 'Maxi' spawned the international hit 'Wild World,' a reggae cover of the Cat Stevens song.
- Collaborated with Shaggy on the 1996 hit 'That Girl,' blending dancehall with mainstream pop.
- One of the best-selling reggae fusion artists of all time, with multiple platinum records.
Did You Know?
He is a trained carpenter and worked in that trade before his music career took off.
He is the brother of fellow reggae singer and sound system DJ, Trevor Elliott.
His son, Ryan Elliott, is a musician and producer known as Ryan PRIEST.
He once worked as a DJ on the Saxon Sound International sound system.
“Reggae is the foundation, but I like to build different kinds of houses on it.”
