On the eve of his 80th birthday, Max Romeo said he has none of the aches and pains many people experience at that age. His latest milestone, November 22, will be celebrated the following day with an all-white party at Skyrim Villa in Tower Isle, St Mary.

“Sometimes I don’t really feel I’m that old, because my body don’t tell mi dat. Mi still performing, mi do a series of shows last year, about 57 shows back-to-back, non-stop,” said the veteran singer. “Right now, I’m resting to head out on di road next year to do some festival, so I’m doing alright.”

Max Romeo described the party in St Mary as a private affair to be shared with family, close friends, and guest artistes.

To celebrate his birthday, VP Records have also re-released Every Man Ought to Know, the 1975 album Romeo recorded for producer Bunny Lee.

That set contains a blend of risque original songs and standards such as Stick By Me, originally done by American rhythm and blues group Shep & The Limelites and made popular in Jamaica by John Holt.

Lee, who died in 2020, produced some of Max Romeo’s biggest hit songs, including
Let The Power Fall and Macabee Version. Released in the early 1970s, they earned the artiste an enduring following throughout Europe where he has toured for over 50 years.

Max Romeo was born Maxwell Smith in St Ann. His recording career began in 1965 and gained traction late that decade as lead singer of The Emotions, a harmony group that included Lloyd Shakespeare, older brother of Robbie Shakespeare.

In 1968, he had a major hit in the United Kingdom with the suggestive Wet Dream. His base grew substantially during the 1970s when he recorded a series of hard-hitting songs for Bunny Lee and Lee “Scratch” Perry, including War Ina Babylon and One Step Forward.