Unlike the deaths of musical icons like Elvis Presley, John Lennon or Michael Jackson, there was not much fanfare when soul brother Curtis Mayfield died—ten years ago on December 26, 1999 —at the North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia. At the age of fifty-seven, after more than four decades of songwriting, production and performance, the man whose friends nicknamed “the gentle genius” was gone.

Outside of old soul radio stations, not many seemed to care that the Mayfield was gone. Where were the distraught fans clutching photos of the bespectacled brown-skinned man while candles blew in the winter wind? Where were the urban troubadours strumming songs like “People Get Ready” or “Choice of Colors” on acoustic guitar? Where were the VH1 specials featuring neo-soulsters Lenny Kravitz, D’Angelo, John Legend, Joss Stone, Jill Scott and Maxwell talking how Mayfield’s musical magic and angelic voice had inspired their own creative spirits?

While Mayfield’s death and subsequent cremation a few days later became nothing more than a footnote in the national consciousness, I sat on the couch in my mom’s Baltimore living room and shed a few tears for the fallen artist.
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Nice article. I still miss Curtis.

So true. there will never be another Curtis. just about 90% of his music was inspirational. Curtis you made you feel proud. Curtis made you think. As smooth as his music was it funky as hell. people forget his influence spread from hendrix to saadiq. I talked about Curtis with some musicians around the time he died and on guy put it perfectly. "Curtis was a gift" his music always puts a smile on my face. he deserves a place on the Mt Rushmore of music.

Thanks a million for posting this. I get a lot of flak because I prefer Curtis to Marvin and Stevie.

Choice of Colors is my fave and Superfly is a masterpiece IMO.

Nice article. Enough of an excuse to post a couple of great Curtis performances from 1972, I think.....

This some sexy, sexy right here...

Yes ! We miss Curtis, a real genius.
You're right about the media silence about his death...a shame.
Nice post, thanks !

Listening to "Think" now.

Curtis is one of my all time favorite artists and definitely belongs with Stevie, Marvin & Smokey as one of the legends of Soul music.

thetimefan said:

babynoz said:

I was about to post this, my favorite song by Curtis. It's absolutely hypnotic.

Kara said:

Curtis don't get nearly enough love IMO.