American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer Curtis Lee Mayfield had a significant role in the evolution of the soul and politically charged African-American music.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s civil rights movement, Mayfield first gained notoriety as a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted group The Impressions, then as a solo performer.
Curtis Mayfield parents: Meet Marion Washington, Kenneth Mayfield.
One of Marion Washington and Kenneth Mayfield’s five children is Curtis Lee Mayfield. Curtis Mayfield’s mother moved the family to many Chicago public housing projects before landing in Cabrini-Green when he was a teenager after his father abandoned the family when he was five years old.
Continue reading to discover other facts about him.
In 1956, Mayfield joined the Roosters together with Arthur, Richard, and Jerry Brooks, launching his professional career. Sam Gooden joined the Roosters, who two years later changed their name to the Impressions. Before departing the band, Butler had two big singles: “For Your Precious Love” and “Come Back My Love.”
Before rejoining the Impressions and signing with ABC Records, Mayfield temporarily joined him, co-writing and playing on Butler’s subsequent success, “Mayfield Will Break Your Heart.” There, he collaborated with Johnny Pate, the label’s Chicago-based producer and A&R manager.
