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Reggae legend Max Romeo passed away today (April 11) at age 80.
DancehallMag understands that the singer, whose real name was Maxwell Livingston Smith, succumbed to heart complications at a private medical facility in St. Andrew, Jamaica, between 3 and 4 p.m.
“The family is devastated right now,” Romeo’s daughter Azana Smith told DancehallMag on Friday. “My father Maxie Smith is not in this dimension anymore, he is not here for me to speak with but he lives on. The family is mourning and asking for privacy at this time.”
Ms. Smith, who is herself a recording artist performing under the name Xana Romeo, revealed that her father had been set for discharge today but passed away unexpectedly.
Max Romeo’s career began in 1965 as the lead singer of The Emotions, a harmony group that included Lloyd Shakespeare, the elder brother of reggae icon Robbie Shakespeare. His breakthrough came in 1968 with the provocative single Wet Dream, which reached the UK Top 10 despite its controversial lyrics.
During the 1970s, Romeo collaborated with producers Bunny Lee and Lee “Scratch” Perry, releasing seminal works that cemented his legacy. One of his most celebrated achievements came in 1976 with the album War Ina Babylon, produced by Perry and backed by The Upsetters. Released on Chris Blackwell’s Island Records, the album featured Chase the Devil, the biggest hit of Romeo’s career.
Despite Chase the Devil being featured in various Hollywood films, the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, and sampled by artists like Jay-Z, Kanye West, and The Prodigy, Romeo claimed he never received royalties for the track or the War Ina Babylon album.
In 2022, Romeo filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), which now owns Island Records, citing almost 50 years of unpaid royalties, racial bias, breach of contract, and other grievances.
“After 47 years, I have exhausted every resource available to me to get this matter rectified,” Romeo said in 2023 statement after DancehallMag broke news of the lawsuit. “I had to sit to the side as my most eminent piece of work was exploited without proper compensation. I have seen and heard my music and voice being used in numerous commercial ventures and have only reaped from the opportunity to perform these songs for my fans live in concert.”
Romeo clarified that his late collaborator Lee “Scratch” Perry was not implicated in the lawsuit and had no role in the alleged exploitation of his works.
He added at the time: “At 78 years old, I cannot enter this new phase of my life being docile and silent, I have to speak up, I have to fight for what is rightfully mine with whatever strength left in me. I have to do this for the new generation to come, to raise awareness as I am often addressed as “legend” or a “veteran” a title I take with great pride.”
The New York Supreme Court has yet to rule on UMG’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
The music company has argued, among other things, that Romeo’s claims, which span nearly five decades, are time-barred under New York’s six-year statute of limitations.
English (US) ·