Maxi Jazz, lead singer of electronic band Faithless, dies at 65

Maxi Jazz, lead vocalist of British dance music band Faithless, has died. He was 65. 

His bandmates, Sister Bliss and Rollo, shared the news on the group's official Facebook and Twitter pages Saturday. 

"We are heartbroken to say Maxi Jazz died last night," their statement reads. "He was a man who changed our lives in so many ways. He gave proper meaning and message to our music. He was also a lovely human being with time for everyone and a wisdom that was both profound and accessible. It was an honour and, of course, a true pleasure to work with him."

They went on to describe him as "a brilliant lyricist, a DJ, a Buddhist, a magnificent stage presence, car lover, endless talker, beautiful person, moral compass and genius." 

Jazz died peacefully in his sleep, according to a representative for the band, although no official cause of death was given. 

Faithless formed in 1995 and released their first album, "Reverence," the following year. Together, the electronic band scored multiple hits in the U.K. with "God is a DJ," "We Come 1" and "One Step Too Far" featuring Dido. They found crossover success stateside with "Insomnia," which peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1997. 

Faithless split up in 2011 but reunited in 2015 to celebrate the group's 20th anniversary. In addition to his work with Faithless, Jazz also performed with his band, Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys, and collaborated with Tiësto on the Dutch DJ's 2006 single "dance4life." 

Tributes poured in on social media from across the music community, with reggae band UB40 remembering Jazz as "a lovely guy ... gone too soon." "A gamechanger" who "shone a light on everything and everyone he touched," wrote singer-songwriter John Newman, while journalist Stig Abell called "Insomnia" one of the "greatest dance songs ever."