Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield | |
---|---|
Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
Died | December 26, 1999 Roswell, Georgia, U.S. | (aged 57)
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
|
Instrument(s) |
|
Discography | Curtis Mayfield discography |
Years active | 1956–1999 |
Labels |
Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.[5][6] Dubbed the "Gentle Genius",[7][8] he first achieved success and recognition with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted group the Impressions during the civil rights movement of the late 1950s and the 1960s, and later worked as a solo artist.
Mayfield started his musical career in a
After leaving The Impressions in 1970 in the pursuit of a solo career, Mayfield released several albums, including the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film Super Fly in 1972. The soundtrack was noted for its socially conscious themes, mostly addressing problems surrounding inner city minorities such as crime, poverty and drug abuse. The album was ranked at no. 72 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[11]
Mayfield was paralyzed from the neck down after lighting equipment fell on him during a live performance at Wingate Field in
Early life
Curtis Lee Mayfield was born on Wednesday, June 3, 1942, in
Mayfield received his first guitar when he was ten, later recalling that he loved his guitar so much he used to sleep with it.[13] He was a self-taught musician, and he grew up admiring blues singer Muddy Waters and Spanish guitarist Andres Segovia.[13]
When he was 14 years old he formed the Alphatones when the Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers decided to try their luck in downtown Chicago and Mayfield stayed behind. Fellow group member Sam Gooden was quoted "It would have been nice to have him there with us, but of course, your parents have the first say."
Later in 1956, he joined his high school friend Jerry Butler's group The Roosters with brothers Arthur and Richard Brooks.[13] He wrote and composed songs for this group who would become The Impressions two years later.
Career
The Impressions
Mayfield's career began in 1956 when he joined the Roosters with Arthur and Richard Brooks and
Butler was replaced by
He formed his own label, Curtom Records in Chicago in 1968 and the Impressions joined him to continue their run of hits including "Fool For You," "This is My Country", "Choice Of Colors" and "Check Out Your Mind". Mayfield had written much of the soundtrack of the
Mayfield was a prolific songwriter in Chicago even outside his work for the Impressions, writing and producing scores of hits for many other artists. He also owned the Mayfield and Windy C labels which were distributed by
Among Mayfield's greatest songwriting successes were three hits that he wrote for Jerry Butler on Vee Jay ("He Will Break Your Heart", "Find Another Girl" and "I'm A-Tellin' You"). His harmony vocals are very prominent. He also had great success writing and arranging Jan Bradley's "Mama Didn't Lie". Starting in 1963, he was heavily involved in writing and arranging for OKeh Records (with Carl Davis producing), which included hits by Major Lance such as "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" and "The Monkey Time",[25] as well as Walter Jackson, Billy Butler and the Artistics. This arrangement ran through 1965.
Solo career
In 1970, Mayfield left the Impressions and began a solo career. Curtom released many of Mayfield's 1970s records, as well as records by the Impressions,
Mayfield's first solo album,
Along with What's Going On and
Super Fly brought success that resulted in Mayfield being tapped for additional soundtracks, some of which he wrote and produced while having others perform the vocals.
In 1973 Mayfield released the anti-war album
In 1982, Mayfield decided to move to Atlanta with his family, closing down his recording operation in Chicago.[13] The label had gradually reduced in size in its final two years or so with releases on the main RSO imprint and Curtom credited as the production company. Mayfield continued to record occasionally, keeping the Curtom name alive for a few more years, and to tour worldwide. Mayfield's song "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go" has been included as an entrance song on every episode of the drama series The Deuce. The Deuce tells of the germination of the sex-trade industry in the heart of New York's Times Square in the 1970s. Mayfield's career began to slow down during the 1980s.
In later years, Mayfield's music was included in the movies I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Hollywood Shuffle, Friday (though not on the soundtrack album), Bend It Like Beckham, The Hangover Part II and Short Eyes, where he had a cameo role as a prisoner.[33]
Social activism
"His most affecting songs carried the optimism and conviction of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s most celebrated sermons. His music was a major influence on many of today's most influential rap and hip-hop stars, from Lauryn Hill to Public Enemy."
— Los Angeles Times Pop Music Critic Robert Hilburn (1999)[13]
Mayfield sang openly about civil rights and black pride,[34] and was known for introducing social consciousness into African-American music.[13] Having been raised in the Cabrini-Green projects of Chicago, he witnessed many of the tragedies of the urban ghetto first hand, and was quoted saying "With everything I saw on the streets as a young black kid, it wasn't hard during the later fifties and sixties for me to write my heartfelt way of how I visualized things, how I thought things ought to be."
Following the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, his group the Impressions produced music that became the soundtrack to a summer of revolution. It is even said that "Keep On Pushing" became the number one sing along during the Freedom Rides.[35] Black students sang their songs as they marched to jail or protested outside their universities, while King often used "Keep On Pushing", "People Get Ready" and "We're A Winner" because of their ability to motivate and inspire marchers. Mayfield had quickly become a civil rights hero with his ability to inspire hope and courage.[36]
Mayfield was unique in his ability to fuse relevant social commentary with melodies and lyrics that instilled a hopefulness for a better future in his listeners. He wrote and recorded the soundtrack to the 1972 blaxploitation film Super Fly with the help of producer Johnny Pate. The soundtrack for Super Fly is regarded as an all-time great body of work that captured the essence of life in the ghetto while criticizing the tendency of young people to glorify the "glamorous" lifestyles of drug dealers and pimps, and illuminating the dark realities of drugs, addiction, and exploitation.[37]
Mayfield, along with several other soul and funk musicians, spread messages of hope in the face of oppression, pride in being a member of the black race and gave courage to a generation of people who were demanding their human rights. He has been compared to Martin Luther King Jr. for making a lasting impact in the civil rights struggle with his inspirational music.[13][35] By the end of the decade Mayfield was a pioneering voice in the black pride movement, along with James Brown and Sly Stone. Paving the way for a future generation of rebel thinkers, Mayfield paid the price, artistically and commercially, for his politically charged music. Mayfield's "Keep On Pushing" was actually banned from several radio stations, including WLS in his hometown of Chicago.[38] Regardless of the persistent radio bans and loss of revenue, he continued his quest for equality right until his death.
Mayfield was also a descriptive social commentator. As the influx of drugs ravaged through black America in the late 1960s and 1970s his bittersweet descriptions of the ghetto would serve as warnings to the impressionable. "Freddie's Dead" is a graphic tale of street life,[36] while "Pusherman" revealed the role of drug dealers in the urban ghettos.
Personal life
Mayfield was married twice.[14] He had 10 children from different relationships. At the time of his death he was married to Altheida Mayfield. Together they had six children.[39]
Accident
On August 13, 1990, Mayfield became paralyzed from the neck down after stage lighting equipment fell on him while he was being introduced at an outdoor concert at Wingate Field in
Final years and death
Mayfield received the
Mayfield's last appearance on record was with the group Bran Van 3000 on the song "Astounded" for their 2000 album Discosis, recorded just before his death and released in 2001. However, his health had steadily declined following his paralysis, so his vocals were not new but were instead lifted from archive recordings, including "Move On Up".
Mayfield died from complications of type 2 diabetes at 7:20 EST (12:20 GMT) on Sunday, December 26, 1999, at the North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia.[43] He was survived by his wife, Altheida Mayfield; his mother, Mariam Jackson; 10 children; two sisters, Carolyn Falls and Judy Mayfield; a brother, Kenneth Mayfield; and seven grandchildren.[13][44][43]
Musical legacy
Influence
Mayfield was among the first of a new wave of mainstream black R&B performing artists and composers injecting social commentary into their work.[5] This "message music" proved immensely popular during the 1960s and 1970s.
Mayfield taught himself how to play guitar, tuning it to the black keys of the piano, giving the guitar an open F-sharp tuning that he used throughout his career.[45][46] He primarily sang in falsetto register. His guitar playing, singing, and socially aware song-writing influenced a range of artists, including Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Tracy Chapman, Sly Stone, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Sinéad O'Connor.[20][47][48][49]
In 2017, it was reported that Lionel Richie had secured the rights to produce a biographical film about Mayfield. Richie said, "I'm so grateful to be working closely with [Mayfield's widow] Altheida Mayfield, [son] Cheaa Mayfield and the Curtis Mayfield Estate and couldn't be happier to be moving forward on this amazing project about a one-of-a-kind music genius."[50]
Accolades
- The Impressions' 1965 hit song "People Get Ready," composed by Mayfield, has been chosen as one of the Top 10 Best Songs Of All Time by a panel of 20 top industry songwriters and producers, including Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Hal David, and others, as reported to Britain's Mojo music magazine.
- In 2019, Super Fly was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[51]
Rolling Stone rankings
- The Impressions hits, "People Get Ready" and "For Your Precious Love" are both ranked on Rolling Stone′s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, as No. 24 and No. 327 respectively.
- Mayfield is ranked No. 34 on Rolling Stone′s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.[52]
- Mayfield is ranked no. 38 on Rolling Stone′s list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[53]
- Mayfield is ranked No. 40 on Rolling Stone′s list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.[47]
- Mayfield is ranked No. 48 on Rolling Stone's list of the 275 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.[54]
- Mayfield's album Super Fly is ranked No. 72 on Rolling Stone′s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
- Mayfield is ranked No. 78 on Rolling Stone′s list of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.[55]
- In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Mayfield No. 98 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[56]
- The Impressions' album/CD The Anthology 1961–1977 is ranked at No. 179 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
- Mayfield's eponymous album Curtis is ranked No. 275 on Rolling Stone′s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Awards and nominations
In 1972, the French Academy of Jazz awarded Mayfield's debut solo album Curtis the Prix Otis Redding for best R&B record.[57]
Hall of Fame
- 1991: Along with his group the Impressions, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- 1999: Mayfield was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist making him one of the few artists to become double inductees.
- 1999: Mayfield was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame just prior to his death.[58]
- 2003: As a member of the Impressions, he was posthumously inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Grammy Awards
Mayfield was nominated for eight
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1964 | "Keep On Pushing" | Best R&B Performance | Nominated |
1972 | "Freddie's Dead" | Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male | Nominated |
1972 | "Freddie's Dead" | Best R&B Song | Nominated |
1972 | "Junkie Chase" | Best R&B Instrumental Performance | Nominated |
1972 | Super Fly | Best Score Written for Motion Picture or Television Special | Nominated |
1994 | Himself | Legend Award | Won |
1995 | Himself | Lifetime Achievement Award | Won |
1996 | New World Order | Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male | Nominated |
1997 | "New World Order" | Best R&B Song | Nominated |
1997 | "Back to Living Again" | Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male | Nominated |
Grammy Hall of Fame
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | "People Get Ready" (with the Impressions) | Hall of Fame (Single) | Inducted |
1998 | Super Fly | Hall of Fame (Album) | Inducted |
2019 | "Move On Up" | Hall of Fame (Single) | Inducted |
Discography
|
|
Filmography
- Super Fly (1972) as himself
- Save the Children (1973) as himself
- Short Eyes (1977) as Pappy
- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) as Guest
References
- ^ Unterberger, Richie (n.d.). "Curtis Mayfield: Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ISBN 9780743201698.
- ISBN 9780132343053.
... it was not until the mid-1960s that the social consciousness of folk music was linked to the popular appeal of the gospel/r&b fusion. The center for this innovation was Chicago and the often underappreciated Curtis Mayfield.
- ^ "Psychedelic Soul Music Genre Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Curtis Mayfield Archived November 23, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. "…significant for the forthright way in which he addressed issues of black identity and self-awareness. …left his imprint on the Seventies by couching social commentary and keenly observed black-culture archetypes in funky, danceable rhythms. …sounded urgent pleas for peace and brotherhood overextended, cinematic soul-funk tracks that laid out a fresh musical agenda for the new decade." Accessed November 28, 2006.
- ^ "Soul icon Curtis Mayfield dies", BBC News, December 27, 1999: "Credited with introducing social comment to soul music". Accessed November 28, 2006.
- ^ Mitchell, Gall (March 30, 2015). "Curtis Mayfield Estate Gears Up for Soul Icon's 60th Anniversary". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ Crandall, Bill (February 23, 2000). "Wonder, Hill, Clapton Praise Mayfield". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ^ "500 Songs That Shaped Rock". Infoplease. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ^ a b Phillips, Chuck (August 15, 1990). "Curtis Mayfield Injured in Stage Accident". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Thurber, Jon (December 27, 1999). "Curtis Mayfield; R&B; Songwriter, Singer, Guitarist With Gospel Roots". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- ^ a b Leigh, Spencer (December 28, 1999). "Obituary: Curtis Mayfield". The Independent. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- ^ The Guardian - March 11, 1995
- ISBN 9780810126497.
- ISBN 9780307420879.
- ^ "When everything Was a Song". The Canberra Times. March 6, 1994. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
- ^ a b "Soul icon Curtis Mayfield dies". BBC News. December 27, 1999.
- ^ a b Scaggs, Boz (December 3, 2010). "100 Greatest Artists: 98 Curtis Mayfield". Rolling Stone.
- ISBN 9780801882753.
- ^ "Impressions' Tune, 'We're A Winner' Stirs Racial Fuss". Jet. Vol. 33, no. 19. February 15, 1968. pp. 58–59.
- ^ Curtis Mayfield biography, Internet Movie Database (IMDB). "…1968 hit 'We're A Winner,' became a civil rights anthem". Accessed November 28, 2006.
- ^ Phillipsn, Richard (January 24, 2000), Curtis Mayfield dies: A modest man of great musical talent and sensitivity, World Socialist Web Site (International Committee of the Fourth International). Retrieved November 28, 2006.
- ^ "Major Lance | Billboard". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
- ^ Curtis (Media notes). Sequel Records. 1998. NEM CD 965.
- ^ Donat, Bob (November 9, 1972). "Super Fly". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- ^ "Curtis Mayfield injected his own cultural commentary into Super Fly". Wax Poetics. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
- ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ Robertson, Regina R. (April 22, 2010). "Flashback Fridays: 'Claudine'". Essence. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- ^ Reeves, Mosi (August 20, 2018). "Aretha's Greatest Albums: 'Sparkle' (1976)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- ^ "Curtis Mayfield Page". Soulwalking.co.uk. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ISBN 0253217040. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
- ^ Romig, Rollo (July 22, 2013). ""Dancing in the Street": Detroit's Radical Anthem". New Yorker. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ a b "Curtis Mayfield :: Civil Rights | Curtis Mayfield". www.curtismayfield.com. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
- ^ S2CID 144486183.
- ^ Chick, Stevie (August 5, 2015). "Curtis Mayfield – 10 of the best". The Guardian. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
- ^ Scruggs, Afi-Odelia (February 22, 2018). "In 1968, Curtis Mayfield was the voice of victory for civil rights". USA Today.
- ^ Friedman, Roger (March 25, 2015). "Superfly Widow, Family in Legal, Financial Mess". Fox News. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). Reed International Books Ltd. p. 473. CN 5585.
- ^ "Read Excerpt From Curtis Mayfield Bio Detailing Tragic Accident". Rolling Stone. October 3, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Music World Mourns Death of Curtis Mayfield". Jet. Vol. 97, no. 6. January 17, 2000. pp. 55–59. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
- ^ Weil, Martin (December 27, 1999). "Singer, Songwriter Curtis Mayfield Dies". The Washington Post.
- ^ Hill, Ian (March 25, 2013). "Curtis Mayfield (1942–1999)". New Georgia Encyclopedia.
- ISBN 0879308419. Accessed November 20, 2008.
- ^ a b "100 Greatest Singers No 40 Curtis Mayfield". Rolling Stone.
- ISBN 9780313340444.
- ^ "Sinead O'Connor: Nothing compares to Curtis Mayfield's Fool For You". The Guardian. June 7, 2007. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (October 11, 2017). "Lionel Richie to Produce Curtis Mayfield Biopic". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- ^ Andrews, Travis M. (March 20, 2019). "Jay-Z, a speech by Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and 'Schoolhouse Rock!' among recordings deemed classics by Library of Congress". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ "100 Greatest Guitarists: Curtis Mayfield". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
- ^ "The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. January 2023.
- ^ Stone, Rolling (October 13, 2023). "The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
- ^ "The Immortals: The First Fifty". Rolling Stone. No. 946. December 3, 2010.
- ^ "Special French Award to Satchmo" (PDF). Billboard. April 8, 1972. p. 49.
- ^ "Curtis Mayfield Biography". The Songwriters Hall of Fame. 2002–2013. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
- ^ "Curtis Mayfield". Recording Academy Grammy Awards.
External links
- Official Curtis Mayfield Website
- Curtis Mayfield at IMDb
- Curtis Mayfield at AllMusic
- "Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions perform 'We're a Winner' " for the WGBH series, Say Brother
- Obituary from Socialist Action
- BBC Obituary
- RBMA Radio On Demand – Across 135th Street – Volume 10 – Curtis Mayfield Tribute – Chairman Mao (RBMA, Egotrip)
- Curtis Mayfield and the Impact of His Music on the Civil Rights Movement A Conversation with Mr. Howard Dodson and Dr. Portia K. Maultsby at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
- Curtis Mayfield and the Super Fly legacy – Wax Poetics Archived February 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine