For a span of nearly 40 years the legendary Curtis Mayfield produced a body of work that today is not only listened to in its original form, but covered and sampled by countless mainstream, pop and Hip-Hop artists. He is among the most profound contributors to music history that only few earn a right of claim.
Transcending generations, class, race and culture, his music is and was listened to by all. Whether you are 15 or 85 years old, American, African, Asian, European, Black, Latino, Japanese or White you know the music of Curtis Mayfield.
(BBN Editor's Note: this story was first published on BBN November 1st, 2007. It's re-published in its entirety).
Still, and for reasons that escape us, we don’t know much about him. Why don’t we know or hear more about Curtis Mayfield in the way we know of other legendary artists of that time – Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway?
Musician, Social Commentator, the Peoples’ Voice
Curtis Mayfield created honest lyrics with depth, and with lush, timeless production value. He had a keen sense of observation during politically and socially chaotic times, and wrote songs that reflected that time. The United States was at war in Vietnam, the Nixon White House was neck-deep in the Watergate scandal, racial tensions were heightened, and drug dealing was taking over inner-cities. (Don’t Worry) If There Is A Hell Below, We’re All Going To Go captured that moment. He also wrote songs of love, pride, unity, beauty and so expressed it in So In Love, Miss Black America, Choice of Colors and Right On for the Darkness.
Message in the Music
On the Claudine (1974) soundtrack Mayfield wrote and produced lyrics for another legend Gladys Knight. Despite the film not getting mainstream recognition, it was an urban love story that resonated with Black film-goers – particularly women. And Mayfield’s lyrics gave voice to the humiliation, anger, frustration and pain of women trapped on the Welfare system…Keep away from me Mr. Welfare…I must divorce him cut off all my ties with him because his ways make me sick. Though I made some mistakes for goodness sake why should he mess up my life. He’s like a private eye or the FBI as insidious as the Ku Klux Klan.
On another track he wrote these profound lyrics…To Be Invisible would be my claim to fame, a girl with no name that way I won’t have to feel the pain. Indispensable just a plain old human being today who don’t mean a thing in a world that’s so mean. A world that seems not for me, so privately I’ll be invisible that way I won’t have to explain a thing.
And on Hold On he echoed the joy of love…I have my reasons, and they wonder why, so there’s a few tears sometimes I cry. I ain’t no different than any other girl, my man is the same as any man in the world, yet I’m not alone I’m going to hold on to what I’ve got. Now he’s so sweet and he’s so kind the gentlest man I could ever find, like everyone else we fuss and fight, but there’s nothing like making up all through the night. I love him so and I want everyone to know Claudine’s going to hold to this man.
For Black people Mayfield’s perceptive and thought provoking lyrics uplifted, empowered and revealed what was happening in our community; he echoed our shared experiences and sentiments during the Black Power Movement - a time when natural beauty was celebrated, and there was a real sense of community and connection. He was the peoples’ voice, a genuine lyricist, a social and political commentator, as heard in the anti-drug and anti-exploitation messages laced through his soundtrack for the 1972 film Superfly: Pusherman… I'm your mamma, I'm your daddy, I’m your doctor, want some coke, have some weed, I’m your pusherman.
Freddie’s Dead… Everybody's misused him ripped him up and abused him. Superfly…You're gonna make your fortune by and by But if you lose, don't ask no questions why the only game you know is Do or Die.
His music spoke for itself. Make no mistake, there is a signature Curtis Mayfield sound and you know it from his instrumentation, lyrical content and vocal arrangements. And you would never hear Mayfield announcing himself through shameless self-promotion on his own track or any of the tracks he produced for countless artists. That is what makes him and his music classics.
In 1990, while performing at an outdoor concert in Brooklyn, New York, Curtis Mayfield was struck by falling stage lighting. The tragedy left him paralyzed from the neck down. He died in 1999.
For insight into Curtis Mayfield’s life beyond being one of the great contributors to music history, BBN turned to his other legacy, Todd Mayfield - his son, confidante, business partner, friend and biggest fan. From Todd we learn about a son who loved, admired and respected his father, and more about the man behind the music.
BBN Let’s get the basics out of the way. Tell us where you live, your family, your work - all that good stuff people want to know.
TM I live in Chicago, where I was born and raised. I have nine siblings. I just got married. My wife and I are expecting our first child. We just bought a home, and I’m Vice President for a minority-owned Investment Banking firm.
BBN Did you have a good relationship with your father, Curtis Mayfield?
TM We were very close when I was a child, and then later as adult we were closer having worked together. Things changed after the accident; it was more stressful, but we loved each other very much.
BBN Your father was an astute business man and socially-politically conscious and aware. What did you learn from him about life?
TM One of the biggest lessons I learned from my father is to own as much of yourself as possible. In the music business there are people that will get you to sign your rights away. My father was one of the first Blacks to own his own publishing and recordings. And, he became one of the first to own his own label Curtom Records, which was nationally distributed. That was very rare in the early 60’s. I am definitely influenced by him, and other family members who were conscious and knowledgeable about what was going on in the world.
BBN How involved-committed are you in preserving the legacy of your father’s music?
TM I am very committed, but not involved with the day-to-day administration of his music. I retain a small ownership percentage of his music, and I’m working on a book and film about my father.
BBN How old were you when you realized your father wasn’t just any ol’ dad?
TM I spent time with my father in the studio and would see him perform. At a very young age I saw how people responded to his music and him.
BBN Did your father involve you in his creative process?
TM He made me sing background on some of his records when I was about 13 years olds. My sister and I sang background on It’s all right, from the album Something to Believe In.
BBN Creative thinkers can be aloof. Was your father detached or was he gregarious?
TM He could be a little bit of both. He could be very engaging, but just wasn’t an open book to anyone he met. He was mindful of his position. To the people he worked with in the industry – promoters, booking agents – he was very engaging.
BBN What is the biggest misconception you believe the public has of your father and/or his music?
TM That his music wasn’t widely accepted. The truth is he reached a lot of people not just in America, but abroad.
BBN Do you have any specific memories of certain notable names whether they were from the civil rights and Black power movements or the music business?
TM My father was friends with Jessie Jackson and Muhammad Ali who were also living in Chicago. Jerry Butler and Sam Gooden of The Impressions were like family – they were always around.
BBN Do you feel a kinship with Layla Hathaway and Nona Gaye, two children from equally gifted and conscious artists of that time (Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye)?
TM Yes, I do. I remember Layla Hathaway’s mom babysitting us. Donny and my father worked together. I never met Layla (she is younger), but to the extent of being a child of an artist in that realm, yes I feel a kinship. I don’t know Nona.
BBN Do you listen to your father’s music? What kind of music do you listen to?
TM Yes. I listen to my father’s music pretty often. As I got older I really enjoyed and appreciated his music. Being around him in recording sessions I came to know his music well. I listen to a lot of ‘70’s music, Hip-Hop, but not music with a lot of foul language. I listen to good lyrics-music made by artists like Earth, Wind Fire, Blackstreet, Baby face, Musiqsoulchild.
BBN What are your favorite Curtis Mayfield songs?
TM People get Ready, Choice of Colors, Right On For Darkness.
BBN You went to an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). Was your father involved in that decision?
TM No - not really. He just wanted me to do whatever I wanted to do. He lived in Atlanta at the time and that influenced my decision to go to Morehouse College.
BBN How do feel about your Morehouse experience? Are Black colleges a thing of the past?
TM No. Certainly not. There is a significant role for Black colleges in developing leaders and fostering camaraderie. The reason why I’m in investment banking now is because of someone I met at Morehouse. That’s the kind of relationship building that going to an HBCU can do for you. I think we should do more of that.
BBN Did you ever want to get in the music business - either on the business or creative side?
TM A dream I was able to realize was working with my father. But first I worked in banking to get business experience, and then in 1990 I moved back to Atlanta and re-launched Curtom Records with my father. I managed the label and grew its catalogue. In 1997 we sold Curtom to Rhino Records.
BBN Where were you the day you learned that your father was critically injured while performing at an outdoor concert in Brooklyn, New York?
TM I was in Atlanta. It was a weird situation. I was supposed to drive from Atlanta to Brooklyn with the band. I ended up staying in Atlanta and coordinated business from there. My dad flew to New York. We talked by phone and I asked him if it was going to rain, and he said he didn’t think so. I reminded him that if it did rain, and he didn’t perform, he still got paid. He was scheduled as the final act, but because of the rain he was moved up in the line. The lighting scaffold wasn’t properly secured and when the wind blew, it fell on him. I got the call right after it happened.
BBN Was your father bitter about his injury?
TM I wouldn’t say he was bitter, but it was rough on him. The accident left him paralyzed which was the next thing worse to dying. Here you have someone who has been independent since 14-years old when he dropped out of school to start his career, and then he becomes totally dependent.
BBN How did the accident impact you as his son?
TM My father owned his own label so it was incumbent on me to rise to the occasion and handle the business of the label, and build up its value.
BBN How old were you when you took over the business part of Curtom?
TM 24.
BBN When did your father begin his career?
TM When my father was young he lived in Chicago’s Cabrini Green Housing Project, and used to practice music in Seward Park with Jerry Butler, Sam Gooden and Fred Cash. Together, they started the group, The Impressions. When Jerry Butler parted ways with the Impressions, my father led the group in vocals. He saved his money and re-launched the Impressions.
BBN Your father played guitar. What other instruments did he play, and did he teach himself?
TM Yeah, he taught himself and he also played keyboards.
BBN Who are some of the artist that have covered and sampled Curtis Mayfield’s music?
TM Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Ron Isley, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, Snoop, Dr. Dre, Kanye West.
BBN Your father wrote and produced many artists and soundtracks. Name a few of them for us.
TM He produced Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Gene Chandler, Major Lance and the group the Five Stair Steps. The soundtracks he scored were Let’s Do It Again (Directed by Sidney Poitier, 1975), Claudine (Directed by John Berry, 1974), Piece of the Action (Directed by Sidney Poiter, 1977), Superfly (Directed by Gordon Parks, Jr., 1972) , Sparkle (Directed by Sam O’Steen, 1976), Short Eyes (Directed by Robert Young, 1977). He also acted in Short Eyes. <
BBN Music listeners around the globe know about his music, his talent, but why haven’t we heard more about Curtis Mayfield the man?
TM Because he was a very private person and because he was on a private label. He made a choice to stay in Chicago and not live on either coast. He was a very family oriented guy especially in the late part of his life. He did his own thing, danced to his own beat, and had a lot of success.
BBN Why do you think your father wrote so much about the times?
TM He was very conscious and observant about what was going on. He wanted to give people something to think about, “food for thought” he would always say but not in a preachy way. He wanted people to see what he was seeing.
BBN As a writer-lyricist and performer of content with depth, how would Curtis Mayfield feel about the current state of music today – particularly R&B and Rap?
TM I don’t think he would think there is good lyrical content, and not really care for what’s out there today in music.
BBN Children – even as adults – don’t necessarily view their parents as people who experience the raw emotions of love. Your father expressed in his music the splendor and sorrow of love. Do you ever wonder what he was going through when you hear songs like Suffer, So In Love, The Makings of You, Fool For You?
TM I do think about what he was going through. I don’t think he was necessarily talking about a particular relationship, but about how men and women relate to each other, and how men can and do treat their women in relationships.
BBN How would your father feel about the current state of Black America?
TM I think he would say there are a lot of good things happening, but a lot of bad things happening too. But it’s the bad that will always be reported in news. It’s up to individual people to get it together so that the collective can do better and help those that want to be better.
BBN Who would your father be supporting for President of the United States in 2008?
TM He’d give Barack Obama a good, hard look.
BBN Your father achieved success at a time when his music and message where necessary. In many ways we are living in similar times. Do you think he and his music would be received the same way today?
TM I think so. But a lot of people don’t have the mindset to listen to message music today. That’s not the stuff that sells 10 million albums. It’s getting hard for message music to have an outlet. It’s hard to see how an artist like my father would get played in today’s music business.
BBN Which artist(s) today would you put in the same league as your father?
TM India Arie writes about important things. She is someone with a consciousness. Common is a great artist, and definitely makes good commentary about what’s going on in the community and in the world. Kanye West, in his own way, also makes social commentary.
BBN What do you miss most about your father?
TM I miss his guidance, support and presence in my life. I used to bounce things off of him. He was very much my rock.
BBN BBN likes to know what our guests are thinking about. Tell us the first thing that comes to mind when we say:
1. R. Kelly – Talented, but not reaching his potential.
2. Hip Hop – Multifaceted, but too much garbage.
3. Barack Obama – Inspiring, energetic, new.
4. Katrina – Devastating, changed lives, city and culture.
5. War in Iraq – A waste of lives.
6. Black America – we are doing a lot of good things, but we need to look at ourselves in the mirror.
7. BBN – Exiting, fresh and new. Looking forward to what you guys do with it.
Journalist Jim Harney and music aficionado Sean Allison contributed their editing and knowledge to To Be Invisible: BBN’s Tribute to Curtis Mayfield and Interview with Todd Mayfield. BBN thanks them and Todd Mayfield for their part in helping to document-preserve history.
copyright blackandbrownnews.com 2008