312:, primarily as a songwriter. Mayfield wrote "Hide nor Hair", "At the Club", "Danger Zone", and "But on the Other Hand, Baby" for Tangerine, and Charles, who had him signed to a five-year contract as his private songwriter, recorded at least 15 of his songs. He also had a series of single releases as a vocalist on Tangerine, produced by Charles, including a remake of "River's Invitation", which crept into the Billboard Hot 100 but reached number 25 on the R&B chart in 1963. Two albums were also released, largely compilations of his singles.
281:-driven car. The vehicle hit the back of an unseen stationary truck, and Mayfield was hit by debris. Though pronounced dead at the scene, he eventually recovered but spent two years convalescing. The accident left him with a facial disfigurement that eventually ended his career as a performer but did not halt his prolific songwriting. He continued to write and record for Specialty, and after 1954 he recorded for
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in late 1950, described by the reviewer Bill Dahl as "a multi-layered universal lament", was widely influential and recorded by many other singers. His career flourished as a string of six Top 10 R&B hits followed, like "Lost Love" and "The Big
Question", confirming his status as a leading blues
355:
Mayfield married three times. The identity of his first wife is unknown. His second wife was Willie Mae Atlas
Mayfield. His third wife was Tina Mayfield. He began working with Tina, also a blues musician, when she moved to Los Angeles in 1972; they became married in 1984, and he died later that
189:, in the northwestern part of the state. As a youth, he had a talent for poetry, which led him to songwriting and singing. He began his performing career in Texas and then moved to Los Angeles in 1942, but without success as a singer until 1947, when a small record label,
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discovered that
Mayfield was living in the East Bay area and invited him to collaborate in recordings and to live performances in several Marin County and East Bay clubs. The exposure led to a 1982 studio date for the Dutch company
343:, which was released in 1983. Naftalin later produced the videodocumentary "Percy Mayfield: Poet Laureate of the Blues" featuring Mayfield's performances and testimonies from
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In 1952, at the height of his popularity, Mayfield was severely injured in an automobile crash, when he was returning from a performance in
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Percy
Mayfield died of a heart attack while at home in Los Angeles on August 11, 1984, one day before his 64th birthday. At his funeral,
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and Ray
Charles. Recordings of some performances with Naftalin were also released post-humously in the 1992 album "Percy Mayfield Live".
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produced a minor R&B hit for him, "I Don't Want to Be the
President", which spent 5 weeks on the charts in 1974, peaking at 64.
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ballad singer and "a true master at expressing his innermost feelings, laced with vulnerability and pathos".
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1018:"Percy Mayfield -- Poet Laureate Of The Blues videodocumentary with Mark Naftalin"
289:. Mayfield and his Orchestra did appear for his 2nd appearance at the 11th annual
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singer with a smooth vocal style. He was also a songwriter, known for the songs "
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Percy
Mayfield With The Phillip Walker Blues Band – Hit The Road Again
822:"All-Star Show for 7th Annual Cavalcade of Jazz July 8th" Headliner
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157:(August 12, 1920 – August 11, 1984) was an American
1061:"Tina Mayfield, 77; blues fan aided artists and produced shows"
205:. The record sold steadily over the next few years, prompting
780:(2nd ed.). New York: Da Capo Press. pp. 144–146.
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Mayfield's vocal style was influenced by such stylists as
1258:. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. p.
1227:. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. p.
951:"Hall of Famer Mark Naftalin talks a life in the blues"
1087:"CD: Percy Mayfield, His Tangerine and Atlantic Sides"
835:"Biggest Jazz Cavalcade Crowd Due Sunday" Headliner
925:"Percy Mayfield - I Don't Want To Be The President"
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700:. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 306.
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993:"PERCY MAYFIELD: "POET LAUREATE OF THE BLUES""
326:In the early 1980s, the Bay Area keyboardist
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1321:"Strange Things Happen: Percy Mayfield".
1405:20th-century American singer-songwriters
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1085:Williams, Richard (December 19, 2003).
857:"Percy Mayfield: The poet of the Blues"
655:
1288:Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995
1224:Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954
1059:Stewart, Jocelyn (December 22, 2006).
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319:, for which the soul and blues artist
949:Carr Jr, Francis (February 4, 2016).
883:"Percy Mayfield - River's Invitation"
696:Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013).
242:Mayfield performed at the 7th Annual
7:
1043:Percy Mayfield – Percy Mayfield Live
753:. Home.earthlink/net. Archived from
637:"I Don't Want to Be the President"
443:Percy Mayfield Sings Percy Mayfield
1400:Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery
366:performed "Thank You, Jesus" and "
304:" brought him to the attention of
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1410:Singer-songwriters from Louisiana
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727:Percy Mayfield: Artist Biography
666:Talevski, Nick (April 7, 2010).
339:Blues Band, recording the album
209:to sign Mayfield to his label,
1395:Blues musicians from Louisiana
1390:Writers from Minden, Louisiana
1290:. Record Research. p. 38.
1146:Weakness Is A Thing Called Man
672:. Omnibus Press. p. 403.
526:Please Send Me Someone to Love
431:Weakness Is a Thing Called Man
226:Please Send Me Someone to Love
163:Please Send Me Someone to Love
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737:. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
359:Percy had one child, Pamela.
698:Blues: A Regional Experience
530:"Strange Things Happening"
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1255:Top Pop Singles 1955–2002
778:The Rise of Rock and Roll
776:Gillett, Charlie (1996).
733:November 4, 2016, at the
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308:, who signed him to his
270:and his Honey Drippers.
1252:Whitburn, Joel (2003).
1221:Whitburn, Joel (1986).
75:Los Angeles, California
1131:Walking On A Tightrope
453:Blues... and Then Some
416:Walking on a Tightrope
321:Johnny "Guitar" Watson
40:Background information
1375:Urban blues musicians
1360:Chess Records artists
1176:Blues - And Then Some
804:. History-of-rock.com
609:"River's Invitation"
181:Mayfield was born in
1161:Sings Percy Mayfield
837:Los Angeles Sentinel
824:Los Angeles Sentinel
559:"What a Fool I Was"
997:Library of Congress
757:on January 28, 2007
623:"To Live the Past"
595:"The Big Question"
1206:Hit the Road Again
1022:www.bluespower.com
473:Hit the Road Again
464:Tangerine Records
341:Hit the Road Again
201:, and the pianist
191:Swing Time Records
95:Singer, songwriter
1325:, vol 2, issue 33
1065:Los Angeles Times
863:. August 11, 2018
861:JazzBluesNews.com
679:978-0-85712-117-2
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421:Brunswick Records
406:Tangerine Records
310:Tangerine Records
302:Hit the Road Jack
291:Cavalcade of Jazz
260:Jimmy Witherspoon
244:Cavalcade of Jazz
211:Specialty Records
183:Minden, Louisiana
167:Hit the Road Jack
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1099:. Retrieved
1095:the original
1091:The Guardian
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755:the original
729:. AllMusic.
725:Dahl, Bill.
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460:Bought Blues
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109:Years active
70:(1984-08-11)
18:
1345:1984 deaths
1340:1920 births
808:November 6,
761:November 6,
584:"Cry Baby"
479:Blues Band)
374:Discography
306:Ray Charles
264:Joe Liggins
213:, in 1950.
171:Ray Charles
144:Ray Charles
140:Formerly of
1334:Categories
650:References
515:US R&B
475:(with the
436:RCA Victor
345:B. B. King
236:hit single
230:number one
113:1947–1960s
100:Instrument
51:1920-08-12
1101:April 16,
1070:August 8,
1027:August 9,
1002:August 9,
960:August 9,
934:August 9,
892:August 9,
867:August 9,
335:with the
279:chauffeur
275:Las Vegas
268:Roy Brown
134:Tangerine
122:Specialty
1286:(1996).
1210:AllMusic
1195:AllMusic
1180:AllMusic
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1135:AllMusic
1120:AllMusic
955:The Hour
731:Archived
293:held at
207:Art Rupe
130:Imperial
1323:JammUpp
1048:Discogs
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491:Singles
233:R&B
165:" and "
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510:US Pop
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177:Career
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60:, U.S.
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45:Born
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