Kevin Max

Often regarded as the flamboyant and spotlight-loving figure within the CCM trio DC Talk, Kevin Max spent his childhood beyond the city limits of Grand Rapids, MI. Previously identified as Kevin Smith, he found music essential during his early development. At four years old he began to sing and recalls “being carted around to schools, churches, and radio programs.” He enrolled at Liberty University in Virginia, where he encountered future DC Talk colleagues Toby McKeehan and Michael Tait. The three launched the group in 1987, blending rock, pop, and rap into a distinctive style. Once the members relocated to Nashville, TN, they issued their debut album in 1989. Subsequent releases included Nu Thang in 1990, Free at Last in 1992, and Jesus Freak in 1995. During 1997 Max wed Alayna and soon afterward published his debut poetry collection, At the Foot of Heaven. Alongside these milestones he adopted his new surname and met his birth parents for the first time. In a CCM interview he remarked of the reunion, “I personally feel like it was the best thing for me to do because I’ve always wondered about my roots.” The following year DC Talk joined Virgin Records and delivered Supernatural. In the summer of 1999 Max informed his bandmates of his intention to depart, yet after extended reflection, prayer, and conversation he chose to stay. The trio’s EP Solo appeared in 2001, offering early glimpses of each member’s solo work. Max’s own effort, Stereotype B, reached stores that August, and his second poetry volume also came out that year.