On June 3, 1942, Curtis Lee Mayfield, son to Maria Washington and Kennedy Mayfield was born in our windy city.
At age 5, Mayfield’s father left the family, forcing his mother to raise Curtis and his siblings by herself.
Two years later, Curtis had his first gig as a singer, when he performed at a local church.
Discovering his love for music, he went on to teach himself how to play bass, drums, saxophone, piano and guitar.
At age 16, he decided to drop out of high school and focus his efforts on his musical career.
He first gained public attention with “For Your Precious Love,” which he recorded with The Roosters, his first group.
Eventually, the group decided to change its name to The Impressions; Mayfield decided to go solo shortly thereafter.
He went on to write and produce the song Keep on Pushing, which corresponded with Martin Luther King’s social and civil rights movement.
In 1972, his hard work was rewarded with the breakthrough Superfly, the soundtrack to Gordon Parks Jr.’s motion picture.
Most notable songs on this record were the title track and “Freddie’s Dead.”
The movie depicts the life of a low level drug dealer in New York City, who has to overcome obstacles when he decides to get out of the business.
Composing the soundtrack to this film was part of Mayfield’s effort to raise awareness about racism, stereotypes and equality.
Mayfield continued composing soundtracks, such as Claudine, Sparkle, A Piece of the Action and Short Eyes.
Aside from these endeavors, Mayfield continued to push himself in new directions.
Besides performing, arranging, writing and producing his own songs, he also founded Curtom, his own label.
On Aug. 13,1990, while he conducted a sound check at Wingate Field in Flatbush, Brooklyn, stormy weather brought down a lighting rig, burying Mayfield underneath.
Although he survived the incident, he was paralyzed and disabled from playing any instrument. In 1995, his work was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
He continued singing and mentoring other artists until his death on Dec. 26,1999.
To this day, Mayfield’s music is an incredible legacy of a single artist’s power and talent.