Maxwell James Merritt[1] (30 April 1941[2] – 24 September 2020) was a New Zealand-born singer-songwriter and guitarist who was renowned as an interpreter of soul music and R&B.
This was evident at the 2007 Concert for Max[7] which was organised to provide financial support for him after it was announced he had Goodpasture's syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease.
After leaving school in 1956, aged 15, Merritt formed the Meteors with friends Ross Clancy (sax), Peter Patonai (piano), Ian Glass (bass) and Pete Sowden (drums).
[3][5] Initially a part-time group, they played dances and local charity concerts, Merritt continuing his day job as an apprentice bricklayer in his father's business.
[3][14] When his parents, together with local Odeon theatre manager Trevor King, developed the Christchurch Railway Hall into a music venue, The Teenage Club, they hired Merritt and the Meteors.
[3][14] The Teenage Club drew hundreds of locals and increased their popularity in the city when most businesses and public venues closed until late on Sunday afternoon.
[8] From their US connections, both the Meteors and the Invaders were able to equip themselves with Fender guitars and basses, which were still rare in Australia and the UK due to import restrictions.
[3] By 1959 the line-up for the Meteors had become Rod Gibson (saxophone), Ian Glass (bass guitar), Bernie Jones (drums) and Billy Kristian (piano).
[3][8] In an effort to break into the more lucrative North Island market, both Max Merritt & The Meteors and Ray Columbus & the Invaders relocated to Auckland in November 1962.
[5] By April 1965, the second Meteors' album was finally released on RCA Records and contained a range of styles, including the single "So Long Babe".
[5] Other singles followed but Toi and Dick left to join Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs and were eventually replaced by former member Kristian on bass and Bruno Lawrence on drums.
[3][5] During February 1966, visiting UK acts the Rolling Stones and the Searchers were supported on tour by Max Merritt and The Meteors.
[3][5] After a cruise ship gig to New Zealand (during which Lawrence abruptly left the group), Merritt heard Otis Redding's version of "Try a Little Tenderness" and recorded his own cover in 1967.
[3][5] Turmoil within the Meteors saw a rapid turnover of members and by May, Merritt with Bob Bertles on saxophone, Stewart "Stewie" Speer on drums and John "Yuk" Harrison on bass guitar, decided to relocate to Melbourne.
[14] In Melbourne, Merritt and his band initially found it difficult obtaining regular gigs and so travelled widely through the state.
[3][5][14] In 1969 the group were re-signed by RCA and they released their first single for over two years, a cover of Jerry Butler's "Hey, Western Union Man", which reached No.
[5] In London from early 1971, the group played the UK pub circuit, initially with little success but their popularity slowly grew and they supported Slade and the Moody Blues on their tours.
[3][5] Merritt relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1977 and signed as a solo artist with Polydor Records, which released Keeping in Touch in 1979.
[5] Merritt toured Australia on a short club circuit in April 2001 along with Doug Parkinson, a fellow veteran rocker from the 1960s.
[9] Merritt was struggling with his health and finances, so his manager Wal Bishop and Australian music industry friends, organised a Concert for Max benefit held at the Palais Theatre, St Kilda, Victoria, on 21 October 2007 which raised $200,000.
[18] The lively appearance of New Zealand-born veteran Max Merritt, who has been struggling with illness at his home in Los Angeles, was another highlight ...