Maxi Jazz, the lead singer of the British dance music band Faithless, has died. He was 65.
Sister Bliss and Rollo, his bandmates, announced the news on the group’s official Facebook and Twitter pages on Saturday.
“We are heartbroken to announce that Maxi Jazz died last night,” they said in a statement. “He was a man who influenced our lives in a variety of ways. He gave our music proper meaning and message. He was also a lovely human being with time for everyone and profound yet approachable wisdom. Working with him was an honour and, of course, a true pleasure.”
They continued, “a brilliant lyricist, a DJ, a Buddhist, a magnificent stage presence, car lover, endless talker, beautiful person, moral compass, and genius.”
According to a band representative, Jazz died peacefully in his sleep, though no official cause of death was given.
Faithless formed in 1995, and their debut album, “Reverence,” was released the following year. With “God is a DJ,” “We Come 1,” and “One Step Too Far” featuring Dido, the electronic band scored multiple UK hits. With “Insomnia,” which peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1997, they achieved crossover success in the United States.
Faithless disbanded in 2011, but reformed in 2015 to commemorate the band’s 20th anniversary. Jazz also performed with his band, Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys, and collaborated with Tisto on the Dutch DJ’s 2006 single “dance4life.”
Tributes poured in from across the music community on social media, with reggae band UB40 remembering Jazz as “a lovely guy… gone too soon.” Singer-songwriter John Newman called him a “gamechanger” who “shone a light on everything and everyone he touched,” while journalist Stig Abell called “Insomnia” one of the “greatest dance songs ever.”
