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Curtis Mayfield
One of the first African Americans to write social commentaries, Curtis Mayfield
was brought up in relative poverty in Chicago by a single mother. He taught
himself guitar, developing his distinctive falsetto vocals and launched his
music career in 1956 with The Roosters, which also featured Jerry Butler and
evolved into The Impressions. They had one big hit with For Your Precious Love
and, when Butler quit, Mayfield took over as lead singer and songwriter, writing
a string of classic hits through the 1960s such as People Get Ready, Keep On
Pushing and It's All Right. He was one ...
