What happened to Terence Trent D'Arby?

Editor Stephen Hill   25th /11/2022

In the 1980s, Terence Trent D'Arby was compared to the likes of Michael Jackson and Prince

. He won the hearts of many fans around the world, and his hits received massive airplay. However, he went through a tumultuous period and decided to change his name. 

So, what happened to Terence Trent D'Arby, and what is he doing now?

Terence Trent D'Arby started his music profession in 1984. He became famous through his first collection titled Love on Time. 

 Unfortunately, he became a recluse after nearly a decade in showbiz, dropped his name and embarked on a new route away from the limelight.

The American singer and songwriter first came to fame with his debut studio album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby in 1987.

The album included the hit singles 'If You Let Me Stay', 'Sign Your Name', 'Dance Little Sister', and the number one hit 'Wishing Well'.  

At the time, he claimed that it was the most important album since the Beatles' Sgt Pepper. He later said that most of what he said was exaggerated.  

The album won him a Grammy Award in for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male and a BRIT Award for International Breakthrough Act.  

Three more albums followed under the Terence Trent D'Arby name, but he was never able to match the success of his first LP. 

The singer legally changed his name to Sananda Maitreya on October 4, 2001.  He explained: "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 has said that his name change came about after a series of dreams he had in 1995. While the name does not have any religious significance, the singer said that he understood it to mean "rebirth" in Sanskrit. 

 From 2001 to 2021, Maitreya has released nine studio albums and four live albums.  In 2021, he released his 12th studio album, Pandora's PlayHouse