More Info on King CurtisSimilar Urban/R&B MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
For|the professional wrestler|King Curtis IaukeaInfobox musical artist| name = King Curtis| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| image = King Curtis.jpg| caption = King Curtis| birth_name = Curtis Ousley| birth_date = birth date|1934|2|7|birth_place = Fort Worth, Texas | death_date = death date|1971|8|13 (aged 37)|death_place = New York, New York |instrument= Saxophone | genre = Soul music|Soul , Rhythm and Blues|R& B , Rock music|rock , funk , jazz | occupation = Musician , bandleader , Record Producer|producer | years_active = 1950–1971| label = King Records (USA)|King , Prestige Records|Prestige , True Sound, Capitol Records|Capitol , Atlantic Records|Atlantic , Groove Records|Groove | associated_acts = Aretha Franklin , The Coasters , The King Pins, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie , The Shirelles , The Noble Band, Cornell Dupree | notable_instruments = Curtis Ousley (February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), who performed under the stage name King Curtis , was an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues , rock and roll , Soul music|soul , funk and soul jazz . He was adopted, alongside with his adopted sister, Josephine Ousley Allen. They both grew up in Texas, together. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician , he was also a musical director and record producer . Adept at tenor saxophone|tenor , alto saxophone|alto , and soprano saxophone|soprano saxophone, he was best known for his distinctive riffs and solos such as on " Yakety Yak ", which later became the inspiration for Boots Randolph 's " Yakety Sax " and his own "Memphis Soul Stew".cite web|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p6357/biography|pure_url=yes|author=Porter, Bob|title=King Curtis|publisher=allmusic.com|accessdate=2009-05-21
Career
King Curtis started playing saxophone at the age of twelve in the Fort Worth area. Josephine, took interest in him, knowing that she was also into music and singing as well. 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. During his time with Lionel Hampton he was able to write and arrange music and learn guitar. 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 and Wynton Kelly , Buddy Holly and Andy Williams .cite web|url= http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/epm/38199 |title=King Curtis |accessdate=2010-02-16 |last=Larkin |first=Colin |date=2010-02-15 |work=Oxford Music Online
Stylistically, Curtis took inspiration from saxophonists Lester Young , Louis Jordan , Illinois Jacquet , Earl Bostic , and Gene Ammons .cite web|url= http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/J109200 |title=Curtis, King |accessdate=2010-02-16 |last=Theroux |first=Gary |coauthors=Howard Rye |date=2010-02-15 |work=Oxford Music Online 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 including Richard Tee, Cornell Dupree, Jerry Jemmott, and Bernard Purdie.
Move into Rock
King Curtis enjoyed playing jazz and rock but decided he would make more money as a rock musician. From the 1950s until the mid 1960s, he worked as a session player, recording under his own name and with others such as the Coasters , with whom he recorded "Yakety Yak." Buddy Holly hired him for session work, during which they recorded "Reminiscing." Buddy 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 " and "Soul Serenade."
In 1965, he moved to Atlantic Records and recorded his most successful singles, "Memphis Soul Stew" and " Ode to Billie Joe " (1967). He worked with The Coasters , 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.cite book|first= Arnold|last= Shaw|title=Honkers and Shouters|publisher=Macmillan Publishing Company|location= New York|pages= 460–466
In 1970, he appeared with Aretha Franklin and The King Pins on Aretha Live at Fillmore West , and another record, Live at Fillmore West , which included a version of " Memphis Soul Stew " and covers of Led Zeppelin 's " Whole Lotta Love ", Isaac Hayes ' " I Stand Accused " and Stevie Wonder 's " Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours ". The line-up for these performances included: Hammond organ player Billy Preston , bassist Jerry Jemmott , guitarist Cornell Dupree , Pancho Morales (percussion), drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie and The Memphis Horns . A cover of Procol Harum 's " Whiter Shade of Pale " was taken from this album, and used as the title music in the cult British comedy film , Withnail & I . In July 1971, Curtis recorded saxophone solos on " It's So Hard " and "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die" from John Lennon 's Imagine (album)|Imagine .cite web|url=Allmusic|class=album|id=r11531/credits|pure_url=yes| title=Imagine|publisher=allmusic.com|accessdate=2009-05-21 Along with The Rimshots , he recorded the original theme song for the 1971 hit television show, Soul Train , titled "Hot Potatoes."
Death
Around midnight on August 13, 1971cite book|title=Newgrove Dictionary of Jazz| author=Kernfield, Barry Dean|publisher=Grove's Dictionaries|page=544 Curtis was lugging an air-conditioning unit towards his brownstone apartment on West 86th Street in New York City when he noticed two Substance abuse|junkies were using drugs on the steps to his home. When he asked them to leave, an argument started.cite web|url= http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/620991/02042000/king_curtis.jhtml|author=Tortorici,Frank| title=King Curtis|publisher=vh1.com|accessdate=2009-10-02 The argument quickly became heated and turned into a fist fight with one of the men, 26-year old Juan Montañez. Suddenly, Montañez pulled out a knife and stabbing|stabbed Curtis in the chest. Curtis managed to wrestle the knife away and stab his assailant four times before collapsing. Montañez staggered away from the scene and Curtis was taken to Roosevelt Hospital , where he died from his wounds less than an hour later.cite web|url= http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html? That morning radio DJ Herb Hamlett, started his morning show on WCMF FM, he received a call from long time friend Frankie Crocker, who delivered the news of King's death, he openly cried on the air for his long time friend.Hamlett opened and closed all of his programs with Curtis famed "Memphis Soul Stew" Hamlett in tribute played all King's albums the remainder of his show. res=F40615F8355B137A93C7A81783D85F458785F9& scp=1& sq=King+Curtis& st=p|author=Schumach, Murray|date=1971-08-15|publisher=nytimes.com|title=King Curtis is stabbed to death|accessdate=2008-02-01
Montañez was arrested at the same hospital Curtis had been taken to. When police officers investigating the murder learned that another man had been admitted to Roosevelt hospital with stab wounds around the same time as Curtis, they quickly realized that the two events were connected. Montañez was charged with Curtis' murder and subsequently sentenced to a term of imprisonment. http://www.texasheritagemusic.org/special_stories/Texas_Stories/King%20Curtis.pdf
On the day of Curtis' funeral Atlantic Records closed their offices.cite book|title=Sky Dog|author=Poe Randy and Gibbons, Billy F| publisher=Backbeat Books|pages=195 Jesse Jackson administered the service and as the mourners filed in, Curtis's band 'The Kingpins' played "Soul Serenade". Amongst those attending were his close family, sister Josephine Ousley Allen, other family members, Aretha Franklin , Cissy Houston , Brook Benton and Duane Allman .cite book | first= John | last= Tobler | year= 1992 | title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years | edition= 1st | publisher= Reed International Books Ltd | location= London | pages= 229 | id= CN 5585 Franklin sang the closing spiritual "Never Grow Old" and Stevie Wonder performed " Abraham, Martin and John and now King Curtis".cite book|title=Jet Vol 40, No 23|date=1971-09-02| publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|pages=54, 55, 56
Curtis was subsequently buried in a red granite -fronted wall crypt in the 'West Gallery of Forsythia Court' mausoleum at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Farmingdale, New York|Farmingdale , New York, the same cemetery that holds Jazz greats Count Basie and John Coltrane . http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi? page=gr& GRid=6650
Awards
In 1970, Curtis won the Grammy Award for Best R& B Instrumental Performance|Best R& B Instrumental Performance Grammy Award|Grammy for " Games People Play (Joe South song)|Games People Play ".cite book|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Black music|author=Clifford, Mike, and Futrell, John|publisher=Harmony Books|page=36
Curtis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 6, 2000.cite web|url= http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/king-curtis|title=King Curtis (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) |publisher=rockhall.com|accessdate=2009-05-21
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)
References
reflist
Bibliography
Clifford, Mike: Futrell, John and Bonds, Ray. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Black music . Harmony Books (1982). Digitized 29 Dec (2006)
Kernfield, Barry Dean. ''Newgrove Dictionary of Jazz. Grove's Dictionaries (2002). Digitized 21 Dec 2006. ISBN 978-1-56159-284-5
Shaw, Arnold. Honkers and Shouters . Macmillan Publishing Company (1978). Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN 0-02-061740-2
Poe, Randy and Gibbons, Billy F. Sky Dog . Backbeat Books (2006) ISBN 978-0-87930-891-9
Persondata | NAME = Curtis, King | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = 1934-02-07 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Fort Worth, Texas | DATE OF DEATH = 1971-08-13 | PLACE OF DEATH = New York, New York DEFAULTSORT:Curtis, King Category:1934 births Category:1971 deaths Category:Soul-jazz musicians Category:African American musicians Category:African American singers Category:American jazz saxophonists Category:American male singers Category:Soul-jazz saxophonists Category:American rock saxophonists Category:American session musicians Category:American soul musicians Category:American bandleaders Category:People from Fort Worth, Texas Category:Murdered musicians Category:People murdered in New York Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Delaney & Bonnie & Friends members Category:The Coasters members Category:Groove Records artists Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Prestige Records artists
