For as long as he can remember, Max has always wanted to play music.
Max was born in Trinidad in 1929 and was one of 12 kids. His dad was a headmaster, and his mum was a teacher. They lived in a large house in the capital, Port of Spain. Neither of Max's parents were in the slightest bit musical. They, like the majority of Max's siblings, were academic people. The house had a piano, and one of Max's earliest memories is reaching up to 'tinkle away' on the keys trying to make tunes. Max could play by ear. If he heard a piece of music, he could work out how to replicate it on the piano. He didn't just love the piano. He tried every instrument he could lay his hands on, including the cornet, saxophone, and clarinet. He even had a few violin lessons.
As soon as he left school, he started a band, The Max Cherrie Quintet, where Max played the piano. The band did well and got work at functions and at local clubs.
However, Max always wanted to travel and had intended to go to New York. However, while walking in the town, he saw the Italian passenger liner, 'Ascania', docked in the harbour. It was due to set sail for England, and Max, impatient to travel, decided to go to England first and then on to New York after.
He packed his bags and, just before he boarded, decided to take a steel drum with him. It was an impulse thing. He was a pianist and had never played the steel drum before, but he thought it might be a bit of a novelty. It was certainly a lot more portable than a piano.
When he arrived in the UK, he couldn't believe the vastness of London. It was June, so at least the weather wasn't too much of a shock for him. He got a room in Maida Vale with a friend who had already settled in London.
Max started looking around for work as a pianist. The artist, musician and impresario Boscoe Holder was taking a dance troupe to Geneva and wanted something different to accompany them. Max told him that he had a steel drum and got the job.
The only problem was that Max hadn't yet learnt to play the drum. He hadn't even touched it since boarding the boat back in Trinidad. He had just a week to learn before the group left for Geneva. Fortunately, Max's ability to play by ear meant he had no problem getting acquainted with this new instrument.
Once they'd arrived in Geneva, they played in a nightclub called Maxime's. The dance troupe were a mixture of people from Nigeria, Jamaica and Trinidad. It was like a little family, and Max had a great time. He loved Switzerland. It was a beautiful place, and the people were so friendly.
Once back in England, Max often found gigs by going to 'The Harmony Inn' cafe in Archer Street, Soho.
The Harmony Inn was an all-night greasy spoon frequented by everyone in the London music scene, along with several Soho gangsters. It was next door to the Musicians Union and where one would find out on the musical grapevine who was looking for a pianist, a drummer, a horn player etc.
It was here that Max met up with Russel Henderson. He was a pianist and had come to London from Trinidad a year before. He told Max that there was a club in nearby Berwick Street called 'Heathers" that was looking for a pianist. It was run by a German woman (Heather), which was very unusual so soon after the war.
The clientele were mainly businessmen having a cocktail with their secretaries before they got the train home to their wives.
He enjoyed the work, and it was here that Max 'teamed up' with a German barmaid who worked at the club. She was a dancer. Towards the end of the war, the German high command sent dancers to Paris to try to keep up the soldiers' morale. When Paris was liberated, the Germans fled. Max's girlfriend stayed and hid with some French friends before eventually making her way to London.
By then, Max had moved in with his elder brother Ralph who also played the steel drum. He had just bought a house in Maida Vale. Houses back then were, according to Max, 'As cheap as chips.' His brother had only paid a couple of hundred pounds for a whole house, and he let Max live in the basement flat. Although wages were small back then, living was cheap. Coming from the West Indies meant that Max had the advantage of eating foods that English people didn't. He would go to the butchers and get things like pigs' tails and trotters for free. He would cook them Caribbean style, and they'd be delicious.
Max met up again with Russel Henderson. He was starting a steel band with Sterling Betancourt, and they needed a third member. Max agreed, and 'The Russ Henderson Trio' was formed. They travelled all over Britain playing the steel drums.
During this time, Max developed the technique of playing the drum with one hand and shaking maracas- or in Trinidadian parlance- 'shak-shak' with the other. This has since become a standard in the world of steel bands.
Things were going well, so Max got a small building society loan and following his brother's example, he bought his own house.
Around this time, Max met his future wife, Margaret. She was from Leicester and was one of the dancers that worked at one of the many venues where Max performed. Max and Margaret married in 1956 in Westbourne Grove and went on to have 2 kids, Paul and Maxine.
It wasn't long before Max decided to set up his own band, 'The Cherry Pickers.'
This was a good decision because this was at the height of the variety scene in Britain, so there was lots of work all over the country. The Cherry Pickers performed in shows alongside comedians like Frankie Howard, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe. After the show, they'd all go drinking. Max said he'd never forget Spike Milligan having everyone in fits of laughter at one of the after-show parties. The upper classes also seemed to love the sound of the steel pan, and the trio did high-society events like hunt balls and debutante parties. At such events, Max met Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Margaret, both fans of steel bands.
As well as playing the steel drum, Max continued working as a pianist in nightclubs all over London. He also worked as a musician on P&O cruises in the '70s. Max has always loved to travel, so this was a great gig for him. It was also great for Margaret because performers were allowed to bring their partners, so she really enjoyed these cruise holidays.
When Max's son Paul grew up, he joined the band too. Paul still plays in the band and also works in artist management, looking after a wide range of performers.
When Max's daughter Maxine got into music college in Manchester. Max went to help her look for student digs. He didn't like the look of the places on offer, so he decided to buy a house for her to live in and rent out the other rooms to students. The one he bought was much nicer than the student digs and was only £25,000. Maxine is now a full-time music teacher but still performs in The Cherry Pickers.
Back in London, Max's marriage wasn't going so well, and he left the marital home. He moved to Manchester when a friend said he had an empty house that Max could rent for just £45 per week. Once the students had left the house he had bought, Max moved there, and he still lives in Manchester today.
Once they had parted, Max and his wife got on much better than when they were living together as a married couple. They often went on holiday together to places like Benidorm, Corfu, and Italy and remained good friends. Being Catholic, Max never considered divorce even though they were separated.
In 1998 Margaret was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. During this time, she and Max got much closer and had a big holiday planned in Trinidad. Sadly, the cancer was aggressive, and she passed away before they got to go.
For years Max had known a lady in Manchester named Val. Initially, It was never anything more than a friendship, but gradually they became romantically involved and married in 2003.
Val was 15 years younger than Max, who was in his 70s then. He often joked that Val would look after him when he got old. This wasn't to be because Val got Alzheimer's, and Max ended up looking after her. As the disease progressed, Val would get confused and sometimes walk out of the house and wander off. Max would follow her in the car to make sure she was safe and that she didn't get lost.
The couple had some great times together. They went on holiday all over Europe and Canada thanks to Max's love of travelling. She passed away in 2017.
Max is 92 now and lives in an assisted care apartment but is still very independent. He does his own cooking, shopping and cleaning, and he still loves to travel. After deciding not to go to New York over 70 years ago, he finally visited the city with his son Paul in 2014.
Arthritis has meant that Max now finds it very difficult to play the piano, but he still plays the drums. The Cherrie Pickers have been going for 50 years now, and Max still plays the drum with one hand and the 'Shak Shak' with his other.
Recently, Max has been travelling with Paul around Britain to schools where he gives talks about his eventful life as well as demonstrating his steel drum. He has also taken up singing in his daughter's choir. He really enjoys this new way of expressing himself musically.
One of the downsides of living so long is that you go to a lot of funerals. He's lost two wives and outlived all his brothers, sisters, and friends.
He says there's no particular secret to his longevity. He feels that there's no point in getting stressed about anything and never quarrels with anyone. He joked that his wives would quarrel with him, but he would never quarrel back.
He hasn't smoked for over 32 years. He gave up when he was 60. He likes pasta, rice, and spicy food but doesn't eat vegetables. He still enjoys a drink or two and always has 3 sugars in his coffee with full-fat milk.
He enjoys going to Trinidad on holiday but would never go back there to live. He's glad he decided to come to England over 70 years ago and has no regrets. He's also glad that he took that steel drum along with him. After all, it has shaped his and his whole family's life.
