Mayfield Remembered As R&b Pioneer

LOS ANGELES-R&B legend Curtis Mayfield-the man behind premier vocal group the Impressions and the seminal 1972 "Superfly" soundtrack-is being remembered as a musical giant.
"Curtis Mayfield is a great and tremendous loss," says Aretha Franklin, who worked with Mayfield on her "Sparkle" (1976) and "Almighty Fire" (1978) albums. "I fondly referred to him as the black Bach. He was very much his own musical giant. I was shocked to hear of his death."
Mayfield, 57, passed away Dec. 26 at Georgia's North Fulton Regional Hospital. The cause of death has not been released.
The pioneering singer, songwriter, self-taught guitarist, producer, and label executive had been a quadriplegic since August 1990, when a lighting rig fell on him while he was onstage at a Brooklyn, N.Y., park concert. He had undergone surgery in June 1998 as a result of a diabetic infection (The Rhythm & The Blues, Billboard, July 4, 1998).
Despite his paralysis, Mayfield continued to record, write, and produce. His last Warner Bros. album was released in 1996, the Grammy-nominated "New World Order."
Mayfield's sweet, soulful falsetto embraced such themes as love, inspiration, pride, and civil rights/social consciousness with equal fervor. His musical legacy-integrating gospel, R&B, Latin-influenced rhythms, pop, and funk-continues to resonate, influencing multiple generations of artists. Mayfield's work has been sampled and/or recorded by Coolio, Dr. Dre, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and UB40, among others.
Mayfield was also the focus of a 1994 tribute album, "All Men Are Brothers: A Tribute To Curtis Mayfield." The Warner Bros. project featured classic Mayfield tracks recorded by Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Franklin, Eric Clapton, and others.
Mayfield was born June 3, 1942, in Chicago and began singing with gospel groups at the age of 7. In 1957 he teamed with lifelong friend Jerry Butler as a member of the Impressions, known initially as the Roosters. The R&B crooners scored their first chart appearance with 1958's "For Your Precious Love."
Following Butler's exit for a solo career, the Impressions signed with ABC-Paramount and recorded a string of Mayfield-penned top 20 hits that became Chicago soul standard-bearers. They include "Gypsy Woman," "It's All Right," "I'm So Proud," "People Get Ready," and the civil rights-themed "Keep On Pushing." The group's 1968 black pride anthem "We're A Winner" prefaced Mayfield's launch as an acclaimed artist in his own right.
While still collaborating with the Impressions as a writer and producer, Mayfield left the group in 1970 and released his critically lauded debut album, "Curtis," the same year. Two years later came his landmark "Superfly" soundtrack, which spun off such top five singles as the title track and "Freddie's Dead," sold more than 4 million copies, held the No. 1 spot for four weeks on The Billboard 200, and earned four Grammy nominations.
During his career, Mayfield operated several labels, including Curtom, which he established in 1968 with Eddie Thomas. Distributed at that point by Buddah Records and later by Warner Bros., RSO, and Ichiban (as CRC), Curtom became home to such acts as the Five Stairsteps, Linda Clifford, Gene Chandler, and the Impressions. Along the way, Mayfield produced projects involving Major Lance, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Staple Singers, and others. He also recorded with singer Clifford and the Blow Monkeys and worked on the soundtrack to 1990's "Return Of Superfly."
Among the groups Mayfield signed and produced on Curtom was the San Francisco-based Natural Four, who hit the top 10 with the 1973 single "Can This Be Real." Group member Chris James calls Mayfield "a good friend whose music was very aware. It made people think because his music always carried thoughtful messages."
Two years ago, Rhino Records announced the purchase of the North American rights to Mayfield's Curtom Classics catalog and also secured a license from Warner Special Products for additional Curtom recordings owned by Warner Bros. The first release under the new deal was a two-CD deluxe reissue of the "Superfly" soundtrack, in celebration of the album's 25th anniversary. In 1996, Rhino released the three-CD, 51-track anthology "People Get Ready! The Curtis Mayfield Story."
Mayfield, who moved to Atlanta in 1982, was managed by business partner Marvin Heiman. He was a Grammy Legend Award winner in 1994 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in "95.
He is survived by wife Altheida, 11 children, his mother, two sisters, one brother, and seven grandchildren.
A private funeral service was held Dec. 28 in Atlanta; former Impressions Jerry Butler, Fred Cash, and Sam Gooden sang "Amen." A public memorial is also being planned.