My Take
Maxi Priest is genuinely one of those artists who doesn't get nearly enough credit for what he actually pulled off — born in Lewisham to a Jamaican family, he grew up absorbing the Caribbean community's pulse in South London and turned it into something entirely his own. His whole thing was blending reggae's warm, unhurried groove with proper R&B smoothness before that fusion even had a name, and he made it feel effortless. "Close to You" is still one of those songs that just hits right no matter when you put it on, and the fact that he was charting internationally while most reggae acts stayed regional tells you how real his crossover instinct was. Oh, and the man also played football competitively — singer and footballer, somehow — which honestly just adds to the mystique. A quietly underrated legend.
Overview
Max Alfred Elliott (born 10 June 1961), known by his stage name Maxi Priest, is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with an R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion. He was one of the first international artists to have success in this genre, and one of the most successful reggae fusion acts of all time.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Maxi Priest
- Name (Japanese)
- マキシ・プリースト
- Reading
- まきし・ぷりーすと
- Born
- June 10, 1961 (age 64)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Ox
- Origin
- Lewisham, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / association football player / songwriter / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.