Faithless lead singer Maxi Jazz dies at 65

Maxi Jazz, who fronted the British dance band Faithless, has died aged 65.

The musician and DJ passed away at his home in south London, his fellow band members announced on Instagram on Saturday.

"He was a man who changed our lives in so many ways. He gave proper meaning and message to our music," they wrote.

"He was also a lovely human being with time for everyone and a wisdom that was both profound and accessible."

Faithless pioneers of the dance music scene

Jazz, whose real name was Maxwell Fraser, was born in south London, in 1957.

He helped form Faithless in 1995, the group which is best known for its club classic Insomnia.

The song, which topped the dance charts in many European countries, made Jazz quip in a 2020 interview, "If I had a quid for every time someone's come up going, 'I can't get no sleep', I'd be living on the space station."

Rollo and Sister Bliss were among the other main members of the group, which released six additional studio albums and several compilation albums throughout their long collaboration.

The group's most recent release was "All Blessed" in 2020.

However, Jazz, who also led a band called Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys, will likely be remembered most for Faithless's earlier hits, such as the 2001 club hit "We Come 1".

Crystal Palace to honor Jazz

Reggae band, UB40, described Jazz as a "lovely guy" and recalled touring with Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys in 2017.

Jazz was a lifelong fan of the Premier League football team Crystal Palace and was made an associate director of the club in 2012.

The team's official Twitter account referred to him as a "legendary musician" and announced that they would walk out to a Faithless track on Monday, a public holiday known as Boxing Day in the UK, in tribute.

lo/dj (AP, AFP, Reuters)