Why was Max Romeo banned by BBC? Details explored as singer dies aged 80

Max Romeo, the singer of the reggae song Chase the Devil, died on Friday, April 11, 2025. He was best known for his songs that influenced a new style of reggae. As per People, the news of Romeo's death was announced through his official Facebook page on April 12, 2025.

Max began his musical career in the 1960s, and he dropped his first release, Wet Dream, in 1968. Although the song was a hit and topped many charts, some networks like BBC thought the lyrics of the song were too s*xual, and hence ended up banning the song.

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Why BBC banned Max Romeo: Explained

Maxwell Livingston Smith, known as Max Romeo, breathed his last on Friday. According to The Guardian, he died of heart complications in a hospital in Jamaica's Saint Andrew Parish.

The Facebook post that announced his death read:

''It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Max. We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and tributes and kindly ask for privacy at this time. Legends never die."

Max Romeo's daughter, Azana Smith, also shared a post on her Instagram account, announcing the death of her father, and captioned it:

Love you Dad🤍

Max Romeo's attorney also talked to The Guardian about his death. He said that Max's death was shocking. He mentioned how Max was a gentleman and had great love for his family. He also said that Max was one of the nicest people one could come across and a legend.

Max began his musical career in Jamaica in 1965 when he joined the vocal group The Emotions. Then in 1968, he dropped his first hit Wet Dream. The song was loved and well-received; it peaked at 10th position in the UK charts and 11th position in the Netherlands.

The song was produced by Junior Smith and Harry Robinson. The song was controversial because the lyrics of the song were s*xual in nature, and networks like BBC had banned it.

Even though the song had spurred controversy, it didn't stop Max from producing more songs with bold titles. In fact, in an interview back in 2023, Max admitted that the controversy encouraged him to create more songs of such nature. In 1969, he released songs with titles such as Wine Her Goosie, Mini-Skirt Vision, and Belly Woman.

When the news of Max Romeo's passing came out, fans poured their tributes on social media, expressing their love, adoration, and respect for Max and the songs he made. Max is survived by his wife and children.