Reclusive star hailed 'next Prince' vanished from spotlight and changed name

Daily Mirror

17 hours ago

Terence Trent D'Arby shot to fame in the 1980s after releasing his debut studio album, but after just a few years, his music career came to an abrupt halt and he disappeared from the limelight
The 1980s was a decade that produced some iconic music legends, including Prince, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston. However, one name that was once mentioned alongside these stars has largely faded into obscurity.
Terence Trent D'Arby exploded onto the scene in 1987, following a whirlwind of publicity surrounding his music. Just a few years prior, he had been an amateur boxer and a soldier in the US army.
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His debut studio album, Introducing The Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby, generated significant buzz after he claimed it was as groundbreaking as The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
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Although his bold statements about his work earned him a reputation, the album proved to be a hit, featuring some of his most popular tracks, including If You Let Me Stay, Sign Your Name, and Dance Little Sister. Critics praised the album, which won him a Grammy and a BRIT award, drawing comparisons to music legends like Prince, Michael Jackson, and Sam Cooke.
Reflecting on that time and his provocative statement, the singer told 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."
However, just as he gained momentum, his commercial success abruptly ended with the release of his second album Neither Fish nor Flesh in 1989. The album's different sound failed to resonate with fans and critics, halting his promising career.
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Four years later, after moving to Los Angeles, D'Arby released his third album, Symphony or Damn, which showed promise but couldn't match his original hits. He then became a recluse, rarely leaving his California mansion, as per the Mirror US.
In 2001, he made headlines again by changing his name to 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."
Maitreya released new music under his new name, without big-label backing, and left Los Angeles for a quieter life. He moved to Munich, then Milan in 2002, and married Italian architect and television host Francesca Francone the following year.
From Italy, he continued to release new music, uploading it to his website.