Born April 30, 1941 in Christchurch, New Zealand, rock and R&B pioneer Max Merritt began his music career as a teenager. The initial line-up for his band, The Meteors, came together in the mid-50s, playing in a style inspired by early rockers like Elvis Presley. In 1959 they released their first single, “Get a Haircut”, while Merritt constantly shuffled the band’s line-up. Their debut album came in 1960 with C’mon Let’s Go. They built up their national exposure playing on hit songs for Dinah Lee. By 1965 they relocated to Sydney, and released their second album, Max Merritt’s Meteors. They opened for the Rolling Stones and others, and Merritt started to bring a stronger soul music influence into his sound. A 1967 tour bus accident caused severe injuries for Merritt, and resulted in a two-year layoff. Merritt returned with another new Meteors line-up in 1969 and released “Hey, Western Union Man”, a top 20 single in Australia. They reached the top in in Australia with 1975’s A Little Easier, and its second single, “Slippin’ Away”, would become Merritt’s defining moment, going to number 2 in Australia and number 5 in his home country. They capitalized on that success with 1976’s Out of the Blue, which got to number 17 in Australia thanks in to the top 40 single “Let It Slide”. An attempted solo career fizzled, but Merritt toured Australia regularly, and he became a popular oldies act. Australia’s affection for him was made clear at a 2007 benefit gig organized on his behalf after he was diagnosed with Goodpasture syndrome. Merritt passed away on September 24, 2020.
