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Curtis Mayfield

Profile via TMDB · Courtesy of TMDB

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Curtis Mayfield

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Also known as Curtis Lee Mayfield

American singer-songwriter (1942–1999)

Person · Open Library

Works
7

Top works

  • Best of Curtis Mayfield
  • Best of Curtis Mayfield Songbook
  • It's All Right
  • Curtis Mayfield Guitar Songbook
  • Millennium funk party

via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Acting · Chicago, Illinois, USA

Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

Known for

  • The Makings of Curtis Mayfield2025
  • One-Hit Wonders at the BBC: Volume Two — Self (archive footage)2024
  • 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything — Self (archive footage)2021
  • Kings of Soul — Self (archive footage)2015
  • Movin' on Up: The Music and Message of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions — Self (archive footage)2008
  • Classic Soul at the BBC — Self (archive footage)2007
  • Curtis Mayfield - Live at Montreux 1987 — Self2004
  • Guitar Heroes: In Concert — Self2003
  • BaadAsssss Cinema — Self2002
  • Curtis Mayfield: Live at Ronnie Scott's — Self2001

via TMDB

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners
1,469,708
Total plays
20,888,285

Tags

soulfunk70srhythm and bluesrnb

Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, funk and rhythm and blues, singer-songwriter and guitarist from Chicago, Illinois. Mayfield is probably best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and for the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly. Perhaps because he didn't cross over to the pop audience as heavily as Motown's stars, it may be that the scope of Curtis Mayfield's talents and contributions have yet to be fully recognized. <a href="https

via Last.fm · Curtis Mayfield

Academic profile · OpenAlex

1h-index
Works
4
Cited by
2

Research areas

BusinessComputer scienceArt

Most cited works

  • MOVIN' ON UP: THE MUSIC AND MESSAGE OF CURTIS MAYFIELD AND THE2011 · 1 cit
  • This Is My Country2013 · 1 cit
  • Move On Up2011 · 0 cit
  • People Get Ready2011 · 0 cit

via OpenAlex · CC0

Quotes

  • Our purpose is to educate as well as to entertain. Painless preaching is as good a term as any for what we do. If you're going to come away from a party singing the lyrics of a song, it is better that you sing of self-pride like 'We're a Winner' instead of 'Do the Boo-ga-loo!'
  • He don't love you like I love youIf he did, he wouldn't break your heartHe don't love you like I love youHe's try-in' to tear us apart.
  • People get ready there's a train comin';You don't need no baggage, just get on board.All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin';You don't need no ticket, just thank the lord.
  • He says don't worry, worry, worry, worry.But they don't know,There can be no show.And if there's a hell below,We're all gonna go, go, go, go, go.
  • Hush now child and don't you cry;Your folks might understand you by and by.Move on up towards your destination;You may find from time to time,Complications.
  • We'll all turn blackSo who's to know?As a matter of fact,Color, creed and breed must go.There will be no light,So there can be no sight.And you'll judge your fellow man;Understand bout what is right.A million music, a million soundThere's neutral thoughtsFor the underground.

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

Key facts

Born
Curtis Lee Mayfield , ( 1942-06-03 ) June 3, 1942, Chicago, Illinois , U.S.
Died
December 26, 1999 (1999-12-26) (aged 57), Roswell, Georgia , U.S.
Genres
Soul R&B funk progressive soul gospel psychedelic soul
Occupations
Singer-songwriter guitarist record producer
Instruments
Vocals guitar piano keyboards
Works
Curtis Mayfield discography
Years active
1956–1999
Labels
Curtom Warner Bros. Rhino
Formerly of
The Impressions
Website
https://www.curtismayfield.com/

via Wikipedia infobox

Official website

The Official Website | Curtis Mayfield

Welcome to the Official Curtis Mayfield Website.

curtismayfield.com

Link to the official site · 1,445 chars · not written by Vinony

~22 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the Gentle Genius, he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious African-American music. Mayfield first achieved success and recognition with the vocal 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 gospel choir. Moving to the North Side of Chicago, he met Jerry Butler in 1956 at the age of 14 and joined the Impressions. The group's lead singer and primary songwriter, Mayfield became noted as one of the first musicians to bring more prevalent themes of social awareness into soul music. In 1965, he wrote "People Get Ready" for the Impressions, which was ranked No. 24 in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004. The song received numerous other awards; it was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll", and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Curtis Mayfield” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (2)