Max Merritt & the Meteors
| Max Merritt | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Maxwell James Merritt |
| Born |
30 April 1941 Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Genres | Soul, R&B, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, guitarist |
| Years active | 1956-present |
| Labels | HMV, Zodiac, Viking, RCA, Parlophone, Arista, Polydor, Raven |
| Associated acts | Ray Columbus & the Invaders, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs |
| Website | Official website |
Max Merritt (born Maxwell James Merritt, 30 April 1941 in Christchurch, New Zealand) is a New Zealand-born singer-songwriter and guitarist who is renowned as an interpreter of soul music and R&B. As leader of Max Merritt & The Meteors his best known hits are "Slippin' Away", which reached #2 on the 1976 Australian singles charts, and "Hey, Western Union Man" which reached #13. Merritt rose to prominence in New Zealand from 1958 and relocated to Sydney Australia in December 1964. Merritt was acknowledged as one of the best local performers of the 1960s and 1970s and his influence did much to popularise soul music / R&B and rock in New Zealand and Australia.
Merritt is a venerable pioneer of rock in Australasia who produced crowd pleasing shows for over 50 years. He has engendered respect and affection over generations of performers which was evident at the 2007 Concert for Max to provide financial support after it was announced he had Goodpasture's syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recognised Merritt's iconic status on 1 July 2008 when he was inducted into their Hall of Fame.
Merritt was interested in music from an early age and started guitar lessons at twelve. By 1955 he encountered the rock'n'roll of Bill Haley and Elvis Presley; 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). Initially a part-time group, they played dances and local charity concerts, Merritt continued his day job as apprentice bricklayer in his father's business. 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 & The Meteors. 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.
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