Music icon hailed as 'next Prince' changed his name after ditching fame
The 1980s was a decade graced by music legends such as Prince, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston, but one contemporary star has since faded into obscurity.
Terence Trent D'Arby made a splash in the music world in 1987 following an intense publicity campaign for his tunes.
Previously an amateur boxer and a US army soldier, he catapulted to fame with the release of his debut album Introducing The Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, making headlines by claiming it rivalled The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in importance.
Despite gaining notoriety for his audacious remarks about his music, there's truth in the adage that all publicity is beneficial, and the album featured some of his most memorable songs like If You Let Me Stay, Sign Your Name, and Dance Little Sister, achieving success.
The album was a hit with critics, securing him a Grammy and a BRIT award, and drawing comparisons to greats from Prince to Michael Jackson to Sam Cooke, reports the Mirror US.
Reflecting on that era and his provocative claim, the singer confessed to The Guardian: "I said a lot of s***, but Muhammad Ali was one of my heroes, and I similarly realised that if you say outrageous things, it gets attention.
"As a young artist, you've got to get your work heard and to a degree, I hypnotised myself into believing I was a genius. It worked like a charm, but I didn't understand the degree I'd have to pay for that."
Yet just as he was gaining traction, his burgeoning commercial career abruptly crashed to a halt in 1989 with the release of his outlier second album Neither Fish nor Flesh, which diverged starkly from his debut. Failing to resonate with fans or critics, it stunted what had appeared to be a rising trajectory.
A move to LA and a new start awaited him, and in 1993, D'Arby brought out his third album Symphony or Damn. Displaying potential, it unfortunately didn't ascend to the success levels of his initial chart-toppers.
Over the ensuing period, the singer kept a low profile, cloistered away in his California mansion and steering clear of the public eye.
2001 witnessed D'Arby's return to the limelight when he declared his transformation into Sananda Maitreya, stating: "Terence Trent D'Arby was dead... he watched his suffering as he died a noble death. After intense pain, I meditated for a new spirit, a new will, a new identity."
Under his reborn persona, Maitreya offered fresh musical works, albeit without the clout of major record labels, and chose to leave the hustle of LA behind for a more serene existence.
His journey took him first to Munich, Germany, before he eventually took root in Milan in 2002; the following year saw him tie the knot with Italian architect and television host Francesca Francone. Continuing on his musical path from Italy, he consistently published new material directly via his website.
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