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. 
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