Music database

Musician

King Curtis

King Curtis

born on 7/2/1934 in Fort Worth, TX, United States

died on 13/8/1971 in New York City, NY, United States

Alias Curtis Ousley

King Curtis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Curtis Ousley (February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971),[1] who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophonist known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, blues, funk and soul jazz. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer. Adept at tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, he was best known for his distinctive riffs and solos on such hit songs as "Respect", and "Yakety Yak", the latter of which later became the inspiration for Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax" and his own "Memphis Soul Stew".[2]

Early life

The son of Ethel Montgomery, he was born Curtis Montgomery in Fort Worth, Texas, and was adopted, with his sister Josephine Allen, by Josie and William Ousley.[1] Curtis Ousley attended I.M. Terrell High School, and studied and performed music with schoolmate Ornette Coleman.[3]

Career

Curtis started playing saxophone at the age of twelve in the Fort Worth area. He took interest in many musical genres including jazz, rhythm and blues, and popular music. As a student pursuing music, he turned down college scholarships in order to join the Lionel Hampton Band.[4] During his time with Hampton, he was able to write and arrange music and learn guitar.[4] In 1952 Curtis decided to move to New York and became a session musician, recording for such labels as Prestige, Enjoy, Capitol, and Atco. He recorded with Nat Adderley, Wynton Kelly,[4] Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings and Andy Williams.[5]

Stylistically, Curtis took inspiration from saxophonists Lester Young, Louis Jordan, Illinois Jacquet, Earl Bostic, and Gene Ammons.[4] Known for his syncopated and percussive style, he was both versatile and powerful as a musician. He put together a group during his time as a session musician that included Richard Tee, Cornell Dupree, Jerry Jemmott, and Bernard Purdie.[5]

Move into rock

Curtis enjoyed playing both jazz and rhythm and blues but decided he would make more money as a rhythm and blues musician. In a 1971 interview with Charlie Gillett he said: "I love the authentic rhythm and blues more than anything, and I also like to live well." From the 1950s until the mid-1960s, he worked as a session musician, recording under his own name and with others such as The Coasters, with whom he recorded "Yakety Yak" and "Charlie Brown", among others. Buddy Holly hired him for session work, during which they recorded "Reminiscing." Holly wrote this song, but gave Curtis the songwriting credit for flying down to the session. His best-known singles from this period are "Soul Twist"—his highest-charting single, reaching number one on the R&B chart and number 17 on the Billboard pop chart—and "Soul Serenade." He provided backing on a number of songs for LaVern Baker, including her 1958 hit single "I Cried a Tear", where his saxophone became "a second voice".[6]

In 1965 he moved to Atlantic Records and recorded his most successful singles, "Memphis Soul Stew" and "Ode to Billie Joe" (1967). In 1966 Curtis recorded 3 songs with Jimi Hendrix, "Linda Lou", "Baby How About You" and "I Can't Take It". Unissued the tapes were later destroyed in a fire at Atlantic's master tape library. He worked with The Coasters, and led Aretha Franklin's backing band the Kingpins. The Kingpins opened for the Beatles during their 1965 performance at Shea Stadium. Curtis produced records, often working with Jerry Wexler and recorded for Groove Records during this period, including the Joe South song "Games People Play" with guitarist Duane Allman.[7]

In March 1971 he appeared with Aretha Franklin and the Kingpins at the Fillmore West, which resulted in two live albums: Aretha Live at Fillmore West, and Curtis' own Live at Fillmore West. In July 1971, Curtis recorded saxophone solos on "It's So Hard" and "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" from John Lennon's Imagine.[8] Along with the Rimshots, he recorded the original theme song for the 1971 hit television show Soul Train, titled "Hot Potatoes".

On June 17, 1971 Curtis played at the Montreux Jazz Festival, in the Casino Kursaal, with Champion Jack Dupree, backed by Cornell Dupree on guitar, Jerry Jemmott on bass and Oliver Jackson on drums. The recording of the concert was later released as the 1973 album King Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree – Blues at Montreux on the Atlantic label.[9]

Death

Curtis was killed on August 13, 1971, when he was stabbed during an argument with a pair of drug dealers he discovered on the steps outside his Manhattan apartment. Curtis was attempting to carry an air conditioner into his apartment when Juan Montanez refused to move from the entrance. A fight ensued and Montanez stabbed Curtis. Curtis later died at Roosevelt Hospital.[10][11] In March 1972, Montanez was sentenced to seven years for second-degree manslaughter, but was released in late 1977 for good behavior.[12]

On the day of Curtis's funeral Atlantic Records closed their offices.[13] Jesse Jackson administered the service and as the mourners filed in, Curtis's band, the Kingpins, played "Soul Serenade". Among those attending were Ousley's immediate family, including sister Josephine Ousley Allen, other family members, Aretha Franklin, Cissy Houston, Brook Benton and Duane Allman.[14] Franklin sang the closing spiritual "Never Grow Old" and Stevie Wonder performed "Abraham, Martin and John and now King Curtis".[15]

Curtis was buried in a red granite-fronted wall crypt in the 'West Gallery of Forsythia Court' mausoleum at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Farmingdale, New York, the same cemetery where Count Basie and John Coltrane are buried.[16]

Awards

In 1970, a year before his death, Curtis won the Best R&B Instrumental Performance Grammy for "Games People Play".[17] He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 6, 2000.[18]

Discography

Chart singles

Year Single Chart Positions
US Pop[19] US
R&B[20]
1962 "Soul Twist"
King Curtis and the Noble Knights
17 1
"Beach Party"
King Curtis and the Noble Knights
60 -
1963 "Do the Monkey"
King Curtis
92 -
1964 "Soul Serenade"
King Curtis
51 *
1965 "Spanish Harlem"
King Curtis
89 -
1967 "Something on Your Mind"
King Curtis
- 31
"Jump Back"
King Curtis
63 -
"Memphis Soul Stew"
King Curtis
33 6
"Ode to Billie Joe"
The Kingpins
28 6
"For What It's Worth"
King Curtis & the Kingpins
87 -
"I Was Made to Love Her"
King Curtis & the Kingpins
76 49
1968 "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay"
King Curtis & the Kingpins
84 -
"Valley of the Dolls"
King Curtis & the Kingpins
83 -
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine"
King Curtis & the Kingpins
83 -
"Harper Valley P.T.A."
King Curtis & the Kingpins
93 -
1969 "Instant Groove"
King Curtis & the Kingpins
- 35
1970 "Get Ready"
King Curtis & the Kingpins
- 46
1971 "Whole Lotta Love"
King Curtis & the Kingpins
64 43
  • Billboard did not publish an R&B chart during this period

Albums

King Curtis

  • The Good Old Fifties (1959)
  • Have Tenor Sax, Will Blow (1959)
  • Azure (1960)
  • King Soul (1960)
  • Soul Meeting (1960) Prestige: 7222
  • The New Scene of King Curtis (1960) New Jazz: NJLP 8237
  • Party Time (1961)
  • Trouble in Mind (1961)
  • Old Gold (1961)
  • Night Train (1961)
  • Music for Dancing – The Twist (1961)
  • Doin' the Dixie Twist (1962)
  • Country Soul (1962)
  • Soul Twist and other Golden Classics (1962)
  • It's Party Time (1962)
  • The Best of (1962)
  • Soul Serenade (1964)
  • Plays Hits made by Sam Cooke (1965)
  • That Lovin' Feeling (1966)
  • Live at Small's Paradise (1966)
  • Play Great Memphis Hits (1967)
  • Sweet Soul (1968)
  • Sax in Motion (1968)
  • Instant Groove (1969)
  • Everybody's Talkin (1970) (released 1972 posthumously)
  • Get Ready (1970)
  • Blues at Montreux (1971)
  • Live at Fillmore West (1971)
  • King Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree – Blues at Montreux (1973)
  • Wail Man Wail! – The Best of King Curtis 1952–1961 (2012, 3 CD, Fantastic Voyage-Future Noise)
  • Sax Scene (Compilation of The New Scene of King Curtis (1960) and Soul Meeting (1960)) (2013, 2 CD, Not Now Music)
  • The Complete Atco Singles" (2015, 3 CD, Real Gone Music/Rhino[21]

King Curtis and The Kingpins

  • Soul Twist (1962) with The Noble Knights
  • The Shirelles & King Curtis Give A Twist Party (1962) with The Shirelles a/k/a Eternally, Soul (1968)
  • King Size Soul (1967)
  • Live at Fillmore West (1971)

As sideman

With Ruth Brown

  • Miss Rhythm (Atlantic, 1959)

With Ray Bryant

  • MCMLXX (Atlantic, 1970) – guest on 1 track

With Sam Cooke

  • Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963

With Jimmy Forrest

With Herbie Mann

  • Our Mann Flute (Atlantic , 1966)
  • The Beat Goes On (Atlantic, 1967)

With Oliver Nelson

  • Soul Battle (Prestige, 1960) – with Jimmy Forrest

With Shirley Scott

  • Shirley Scott & the Soul Saxes (Atlantic, 1969)

With Sunnyland Slim

  • Slim’s Shout (Bluesville, 1961)

With Roosevelt Sykes

  • The Honeydripper (Bluesville, 1961)

References

  1. ^ a b Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. pp. 344–345. ISBN 978-0313344237. 
  2. ^ Porter, Bob. "King Curtis". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-05-21. 
  3. ^ Litweiler, John (1994) [1992]. "1". Ornette Coleman: A Harmolodic Life (paperback ed.). New York: Da Capo. pp. 27–28. ISBN 0-306-80580-4. 
  4. ^ a b c d Theroux, Gary; Howard Rye (February 15, 2010). "Curtis, King". Oxford Music Online. Retrieved 2010-02-16. 
  5. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (February 15, 2010). "King Curtis". Oxford Music Online. Retrieved 2010-02-16. 
  6. ^ "The saxophone holds a special place in rock 'n' roll". NY Daily News. 2011-06-19. Retrieved 2016-01-20. 
  7. ^ Shaw, Arnold. Honkers and Shouters. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 460–466. 
  8. ^ "Imagine". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-05-21. 
  9. ^ "King Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree – Blues at Montreux". Discogs. Retrieved September 22, 2017. 
  10. ^ Kernfield, Barry Dean. New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Grove's Dictionaries. p. 544. 
  11. ^ "Tortorici, Frank, "King Curtis", VH1". Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2017. 
  12. ^ Band, Hittin' The Web with The Allman Brothers. "Hittin' The Web with The Allman Brothers Band :: Where Music Plus Friends Equals Family". Allmanbrothersband.com. Retrieved June 6, 2016. 
  13. ^ Poe Randy; Gibbons, Billy F. Sky Dog. Backbeat Books. p. 195. 
  14. ^ John Tobler (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years. Reed International Books Ltd. p. 229. CN 5585. 
  15. ^ Jet, Vol. 40, No. 23. Johnson Publishing Company. September 2, 1971. pp. 54, 55, 56. 
  16. ^ "Curtis "King" Ousley (1934 - 1971) - Find A Grave Memorial". Findagrave.com. Retrieved 2016-01-20. 
  17. ^ Clifford, Mike; John Futrell. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Black music. Harmony Books. p. 36. 
  18. ^ "King Curtis (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)". Rockhall.com. Retrieved 2009-05-21. 
  19. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. pp. 384–385. ISBN 0-89820-155-1. 
  20. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. p. 248. 
  21. ^ "King Curtis". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-05-21. 

Bibliography

  • Clifford, Mike: Futrell, John and Bonds, Ray. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Black music. Harmony Books (1982). Digitized December 29, 2006.
  • Kernfield, Barry Dean. New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Grove's Dictionaries (2002). Digitized December 21, 2006. ISBN 978-1-56159-284-5
  • Shaw, Arnold. Honkers and Shouters. Macmillan Publishing Company (1978). ISBN 0-02-061740-2
  • Poe, Randy and Gibbons, Billy F. Sky Dog. Backbeat Books (2006). ISBN 978-0-87930-891-9

External links

This page was last modified 19.08.2018 21:55:53

This article uses material from the article King Curtis from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.