FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, October 28, 2019 — Thanks to David Mackey, the well-known musician and public relations executive based in Freeport, Grand Bahama, I am able to share these photos of British reggae star Maxi Priest in Freeport, Grand Bahama, for a couple days of “promotional activities to let the world know that Grand Bahama Island is open for business” in the aftermath of the devastating damages Hurricane Dorian caused to Grand Bahama and Abaco the first week of September.
Mackey posted these two photos on his Facebook page with the following caption: “Ain’t it amazing, the people you meet at Zorbas when hangin’ with Carmel Churchill, consultant to the Grand Bahama Island Promotion Board? Here we are with the legendary Maxi Priest! First stop of a couple days for promotional activities to let the world know that Grand Bahama Island is open for business. Special thanks to Davina Rutherford for making it happen.🙌🏾 Just so you are aware, Maxi is on island delivering supplies and letting the world know to COME TO GRAND BAHAMA because we’re open for business!”
According to information on Wikipedia, Max Alfred “Maxi” Elliott, known by his stage name Maxi Priest, is an English reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent, who was born in Lewisham, London on June 10, 1961,
“He is best known for singing reggae music with an R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion,” according to Wikipedia. “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.”
His parents moved to England from Jamaica “to provide more opportunity for their family and he grew up listening to gospel, reggae, R&B, and pop music,” Wikipedia notes. “He first learned to sing in church, encouraged by his mother who was a Pentecostal missionary. Maxi grew up listening to Jamaican greats such as Dennis Brown, John Holt, Ken Boothe and Gregory Isaacs as well as singers like Marvin Gaye, Al Green, the Beatles, Phil Collins and Frank Sinatra.”
Wikipedia adds: “As a teenager, he lifted speaker boxes for the Jah Shaka and Negus Negast sound-systems. He was a founder-member of Saxon Studio International, and it was with Saxon that Maxi began performing at neighbourhood youth clubs and house parties. His music is sometimes closer to R&B and pop than to reggae. His cousin, Jacob Miller, a reggae icon, was the frontman in the popular reggae group Inner Circle.”
