Musician and DJ real name Maxwell Fraser died at his home in south London.
Patrick Seeger
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Maxi Jazz, lead singer of British electronic band Faithless, has died at the age of 65, the group announced Saturday.
The dance music act behind 1990s hits like ‘Insomnia’ and ‘God is a DJ’, whose real name was Maxwell Fraser, died at his home in South London.
Details about his cause of death have not been released.
Paying tribute to one of the legendary founding members of 1995, Faithless said, “We are heartbroken to say that Maxi Jazz passed away peacefully last night in his sleep.
“He was a man who changed our lives in many ways. He gave our music the right meaning and message.
“He was a wonderful human being with time and profound and relatable wisdom for everyone.”
Faithless first appeared in the mid-1990s and gained widespread recognition and critical acclaim with the album Insomnia.
They were considered pioneers of the emerging dance music genre at the time.
With other core members including Rollo and Sister Bliss, the group released six more studio albums and several compilation albums in their decades-long collaboration.
Their most recent release was 2020’s “All Blessed.”
But Jazz, who also fronted a band of musicians named Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys, will be best remembered for Faithless’ early tracks, including the 2001 club classic “We Come 1.” .
The band are also well known for their live performances and have headlined some of the world’s biggest festivals, including Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage in 2002.
Sister Bliss paid tribute to her bandmate by sharing a black and white photo of him on Twitter.
“Sending love to everyone who has shared our musical journey,” she wrote in the post.
Reggae band UB40 also praised Jazz as a “nice guy”, recalling a 2017 tour with Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys.
Originally from Brixton, south London, Jazz is a lifelong supporter of Premier League football team Crystal Palace, becoming the club’s Associate Director in 2012.
The company’s official Twitter account described him as a “legendary musician” and said the team would head out to the Faceless track on Monday (a public holiday known as Boxing Day in the UK) to pay tribute.