King Curtis

For the professional wrestler, see King Curtis Iaukea.
King Curtis

King Curtis
Background information
Birth name Curtis Montgomery
Also known as Curtis Ousley
Born (1934-02-07)February 7, 1934
Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Died August 13, 1971(1971-08-13) (aged 37)
New York, New York, U.S.
Genres Soul, R&B, rock, funk, jazz
Occupation(s) Musician, bandleader, producer
Instruments Saxophone
Years active 1950–1971
Labels King, Prestige, True Sound, Capitol, Atlantic, Groove
Associated acts Aretha Franklin, The Coasters, John Lennon, The King Pins, Bernard Purdie, The Shirelles, The Noble Band, Cornell Dupree, Jerry Jemmott

Curtis Ousley (February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971),[1] who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophone virtuoso 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 such as on "Yakety Yak", 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, 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

King Curtis enjoyed playing jazz and rhythm & blues but decided he would make more money as a rhythm & blues musician, stating in a 1971 interview with Charlie Gillett that "I love the authentic rhythm & blues more than anything, and I also like to live well." 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." 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). 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".

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.[9][10] In March 1972, Montanez was sentenced to seven years for second-degree manslaughter, but was released in late 1977 for good behavior.[11]

On the day of Curtis' funeral Atlantic Records closed their offices.[12] Jesse Jackson administered the service and as the mourners filed in, Curtis' 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.[13] Franklin sang the closing spiritual "Never Grow Old" and Stevie Wonder performed "Abraham, Martin and John and now King Curtis".[14]

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 that holds jazz greats Count Basie and John Coltrane.[15]

Awards

In 1970, a year before his death, Curtis won the Best R&B Instrumental Performance Grammy for "Games People Play".[16]

Curtis was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 6, 2000.[17]

Discography

Chart singles

Year Single Chart Positions
US Pop[18] US
R&B[19]
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 Thru 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

Albums

King Curtis

  • The Good Old Fifties (1959)
  • Have Tenor Sax, Will Blow (1959)
  • Azure (1960)
  • King Soul (1960)
  • Soul Meeting (1960)
  • The New Scene of King Curtis (1960)
  • 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)
  • Memphis Soul Stew (1967) #33 Pop, #6 R&B
  • 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)
  • 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[20]

King Curtis and The Kingpins

As sideman

With Ruth Brown

With Ray Bryant

With Jimmy Forrest

With Herbie Mann

With Oliver Nelson

With Shirley Scott

With Sunnyland Slim

With Roosevelt Sykes

References

  1. 1 2 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]. "Chapter 1". Ornette Coleman: A Harmolodic Life (paperback ed.). New York: Da Capo. pp. 27–28. ISBN 0-306-80580-4.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Theroux, Gary; Howard Rye (February 15, 2010). "Curtis, King". Oxford Music Online. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
  5. 1 2 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. ↑ Kernfield, Barry Dean. New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Grove's Dictionaries. p. 544.
  10. ↑ Tortorici, Frank, "King Curtis", VH1 at the Wayback Machine (archived June 5, 2011)
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ Poe Randy; Gibbons, Billy F. Sky Dog. Backbeat Books. p. 195.
  13. ↑ John Tobler (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years. Reed International Books Ltd. p. 229. CN 5585.
  14. ↑ Jet, Vol. 40, No. 23. Johnson Publishing Company. September 2, 1971. pp. 54, 55, 56.
  15. ↑ "Curtis "King" Ousley (1934 - 1971) - Find A Grave Memorial". Findagrave.com. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  16. ↑ Clifford, Mike; John Futrell. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Black music. Harmony Books. p. 36.
  17. ↑ "King Curtis (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)". Rockhall.com. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
  18. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 384-385. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
  19. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. p. 248.
  20. ↑ "King Curtis". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-05-21.

Bibliography

External links

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