History Music / CurtisMayfield

* {{Blaxploitation}}: He was associated with this, thanks to ''Music/SuperFly''.

-->-- "People Get Ready", '''The Impressions'''

[[caption-width-right:222: Curtis Mayfield]]

->''People get ready for the train a-comin'.''
->''You don't need no baggage, you just get on board.''
-->From "People Get Ready", by the Impressions

->''Freddie's dead. That's what I said.''
-->From "Freddie's Dead", ''Music/SuperFly''

* NiceHat: Mayfield wore lots of these in the 1970's.

-->From "Freddie's Dead", ''Film/SuperFly'' soundtrack

* {{Blaxploitation}}: He was associated with this, thanks to ''Film/SuperFly''.

* DrugsAreBad: The ''{{Film/Superfly}}'' soundtrack has several examples of these, with "Little Child Running Wild," "Pusher Man," "Freddie's Dead," and "No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song)."

* ShoutOut: ''One Love'' from ''Music/ExodusAlbum'' (1977) by Music/BobMarley & The Wailers shares a few lines from ''People Get Ready'' by The Impressions. Marley was a huge fan of the Impressions and Mayfield.

* DrugsAreBad: The ''Film/Superfly'' soundtrack has several examples of these, with "Little Child Running Wild," "Pusher Man," "Freddie's Dead," and "No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song)."

* {{Determinator}}: Mayfield, post-accident. Now a quadriplegic, he recorded his vocals for the ''New World Order'' album line by line, while lying on his back. It was the only way he could get enough air into his lungs to sing..

* SuspiciouslyAproposMusic: The ''Film/SuperFly'' soundtrack, full stop. The movie itself is about a coke dealer (to be fair, a coke dealer hoping to escape the life). Mayfield said that the movie seemed like "a cocaine commercial", when he first saw it, and wrote songs decrying the urban decay and drug abuse that spawned such characters as the film's antihero.

-->From "People Get Ready," by the Impressions

-->From "Freddie's Dead," ''Film/SuperFly'' soundtrack

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, producer, and label owner Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was a primary exponent of sweetly melodic yet socially conscious soul / funk. He began his career with the Impressions, leading them through a series of upbeat love songs ("It's All Right") and soaring pleas for racial progress ("Keep On Pushing," "This is My Country," "Choice of Colors"). Mayfield departed the Impressions in the 1970's, to begin a solo career that saw his social conscience deepen. His best known achievement as a solo artist was the soundtrack to ''Film/SuperFly''. "Freddie's Dead" and the title track were his biggest solo hits.

Mayfield also wrote music for the movies ''Short Eyes,'' ''Let’s Do It Again,'' and ''Sparkle.'' His popularity waned in the 1980's, and he was paralyzed from the neck down following an accident at an outdoor concert in 1990. Nevertheless, he recorded a final album, ''New World Order,'' in 1996. He died three years later from complications of diabetes; his last vocal performance was on the Bran Van 3000 song "Astounded", which would be released in 2001.

* {{Determinator}}: Mayfield, post-accident. Now a quadriplegic, he recorded his vocals for the ''New World Order'' album line by line, while lying on his back. It was the only way he could get enough air into his lungs to sing.
%%* DrugsAreBad: ''Pusher Man''.
* EpicRocking: "Move On Up" and "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Gonna Go."

** Solo: "Pusherman," "Future Shock," and "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Gonna Go."
%%* PepTalkSong: ''Move On Up''.
%%* ProtestSong: This goes without saying.

* SuspiciouslyAproposMusic: The ''Film/SuperFly'' soundtrack, full stop. The movie itself is about a coke dealer (to be fair, a coke dealer hoping to escape the life). Mayfield said that the movie seemed like "a cocaine commercial," when he first saw it, and wrote songs decrying the urban decay and drug abuse that spawned such characters as the film's antihero.

* DrugsAreBad: ''Pusher Man''.

* PepTalkSong: ''Move On Up''.
* ProtestSong: This goes without saying.

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, producer, and label owner Curtis Mayfield (1942-1999) was a primary exponent of sweetly melodic yet socially conscious soul / funk. He began his career with the Impressions, leading them through a series of upbeat love songs ("It's All Right") and soaring pleas for racial progress ("Keep On Pushing," "This is My Country," "Choice of Colors"). Mayfield departed the Impressions in the 1970's, to begin a solo career that saw his social conscience deepen. His best known achievement as a solo artist was the soundtrack to ''Film/SuperFly''. "Freddie's Dead" and the title track were his biggest solo hits.

Mayfield also wrote music for the movies ''Short Eyes,'' ''Let’s Do It Again,'' and ''Sparkle.'' His popularity waned in the 1980's, and he was paralyzed from the neck down following an accident at an outdoor concert in 1990. Nevertheless, he recorded a final album, ''New World Order,'' in 1996. He died three years later from complications of diabetes.

* SignatureSong: "People Get Ready" and "Freddie's Dead".

[[caption-width-right:222:Curtis Mayfield]]

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, producer, and label owner Curtis Mayfield (1942-1999) was a primary exponent of sweetly melodic yet socially conscious soul/funk. He began his career with the Impressions, leading them through a series of upbeat love songs ("It's All Right") and soaring pleas for racial progress ("Keep on Pushing," "This Is My Country," "Choice of Colors"). Mayfield departed the Impressions in the 1970s, to begin a solo career that saw his social conscience deepen. His best known achievement as a solo artist was the soundtrack to ''Film/SuperFly''. "Freddie's Dead" and the title track were his biggest solo hits.

Mayfield also wrote music for the movies ''Short Eyes,'' ''Let’s Do It Again,'' and ''Sparkle.'' His popularity waned in the 1980s, and he was paralyzed from the neck down following an accident at an outdoor concert in 1990. Nevertheless, he recorded a final album, ''New World Order,'' in 1996. He died three years later from complications of diabetes.


!!Tropes associated with Curtis Mayfield include:

* EpicRocking: “Move On Up” and “(Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below, We’re All Gonna Go.”

* NiceHat: Mayfield wore lots of these in the 1970s.
* NWordPrivileges:

** Solo: “Pusherman,” "Future Shock," and “(Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below, We’re All Gonna Go.”
* PepTalkSong: ''Move On Up''.

* SignatureSong: "People Get Ready" and "Freddie's Dead"
* SuspiciouslyAproposMusic: The ''Film/SuperFly'' soundtrack, full stop. The movie itself is about a coke dealer (to be fair, a coke dealer hoping to escape the life). Mayfield said that the movie seemed like "a cocaine commercial," when he first saw it, and wrote songs decrying the urban decay and drug abuse that spawned such characters as the film’s antihero.

-->From "Freddie's Dead," Film/{{SuperFly}} soundtrack

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, producer, and label owner Curtis Mayfield (1942-1999) was a primary exponent of sweetly melodic yet socially conscious soul/funk. He began his career with the Impressions, leading them through a series of upbeat love songs ("It's All Right") and soaring pleas for racial progress ("Keep on Pushing," "This Is My Country," "Choice of Colors"). Mayfield departed the Impressions in the 1970s, to begin a solo career that saw his social conscience deepen. His best known achievement as a solo artist was the soundtrack to SuperFly. "Freddie's Dead" and the title track were his biggest solo hits.

* SuspiciouslyAproposMusic: The SuperFly soundtrack, full stop. The movie itself is about a coke dealer (to be fair, a coke dealer hoping to escape the life). Mayfield said that the movie seemed like "a cocaine commercial," when he first saw it, and wrote songs decrying the urban decay and drug abuse that spawned such characters as the film’s antihero.

-->From "Freddie's Dead," SuperFly soundtrack

** Solo: “Pusherman” and “(Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below, We’re All Gonna Go.”

* {{Blaxploitation}}: He was associated with this, thanks to SuperFly.

* SuspiciouslyAproposMusic: The SuperFly soundtrack, full stop. The movie itself is about a coke dealer (to be fair, a coke dealer hoping to escape the life). Mayfield said that the movie seemed like "a cocaine commercial," when he first saw it, and wrote songs decrying the urban decay and drug abuse that spawned such characters as the film’s antihero.