Maxwell

b. 23 May 1973, Brooklyn, New York, USA.

Of mixed West Indian and Puerto Rican parentage, soul singer Maxwell (his middle name) had to suffer the ignominy of his record company sitting on his debut album for a year, ignoring his traditional soul style in favour of the hip-hop-influenced singers dominating the R&B charts. Finally released in April 1996, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite was a concept album about monogamy that eschewed male braggadocio to explore old-fashioned, romantic love. Featuring a collaboration with Leon Ware, co-writer of Marvin Gaye's I Want You, the album proved to be an unexpected critical and commercial success. Maxwell was voted Best R&B Artist by Rolling Stone magazine, and Urban Hang Suite was nominated for a Grammy. At the 11th Annual Soul Train Awards in March 1997, Maxwell won both Best Male R&B/Soul Album and Single (for "Ascension"), and Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist. The same month, Urban Hang Suite went platinum. Maxwell collaborated with guitarist Stuart Matthewman again for the 1998 follow-up, Embrya, slowing the pace down to create a wonderfully sensual and dreamlike record. The album debuted at US number 3 in July. The following year Maxwell enjoyed a huge US hit single with "Fortunate", taken from the soundtrack of Life. His third album, Now, provided the singer with his first US chart-topper in August 2001.

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