Max Werner

Biography

Max Werner was born in 1953, the second of five children in a family of musicians. His father was a cellist, and his mother a pianist. Both of his grandfathers, as well as two of his aunts, made a living with classical music. When Max was three years old, his mother decided to teach him the secret of "getting some civilized noise" out of a huge thing called - of all things - a grand piano. Up to this point, young Max had shown a remarkable ability to create noise with common kitchen utensils. E...

Max Werner was born in 1953, the second of five children in a family of musicians. His father was a cellist, and his mother a pianist. Both of his grandfathers, as well as two of his aunts, made a living with classical music.

When Max was three years old, his mother decided to teach him the secret of "getting some civilized noise" out of a huge thing called - of all things - a grand piano. Up to this point, young Max had shown a remarkable ability to create noise with common kitchen utensils. Even at this young age, it was clear that Max would somehow end up a musician.

Max was six when his parents found a teacher who successfully taught him the basics of being a drummer. When Max's dad convinced the child's grandfather to craft a small cello for him, disappointment followed - Max really wanted to be a (classical?) percussionist. The strings just didn't cut it - and to this day, he's quite sure his dad never forgave him for that.

In 1971, he started his study at the Academy of Music in Hilversum, with percussion his primary study, and piano a secondary. However, he soon felt trapped by everything classical - in his own words, Max says "there were too many rules and restrictions. But that was just my opinion at that time." The young musician simply wanted total freedom, with no established boundaries to constrain his budding creativity. Soon, Max was creating his own style.

In 1972 Pim Koopman and Ton Scherpenzeel, both students at the same school, were interested in starting a band - but they lacked a singer. When asked to try, Max had some second thoughts, but finally gave in and decided to try it out. Just for fun, that's all. The style of music appealed to Max, and it seemed like a good thing to do to pass the time.

Little did he know then that it would be, as he puts it, "a point of no return."

Max Werner became lead singer, drummer and percussionist of the Dutch Progressive Rock band Kayak. Other members were keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel, guitarist Johan Slager and drummer Pim Koopman.

He sang lead vocals (and played mellotron) on the first 5 Kayak albums, later switching to drums until the band split up in 1982. In 1999, he returned as singer for the Kayak album "Close To The Fire". After a short tour 2000, he had to leave again due to health problems.

Max Werner recorded 4 solo albums. In may 1981, he scored a big hit in Holland (reaching #3) and Germany (#1), with his solo-single "Rain In May".

Discography:

Studio albums with Kayak

(as lead singer):
See See The Sun (1973)
Kayak II (1974)
Royal Bed Bouncer (1975)
The Last Encore (1976)
Starlight Dancer (1977)
Close To The Fire (2000)

(as drummer):
Phantom of the Night (1979)
Periscope Life (1980)
Merlin (1981)
Eyewitness (1981) ("Live" studio album)

Solo albums
Rainbow's End (1979)
Seasons (1981)
How Can It Be... Like This? (1988)
Not The Opera (1995)

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