USA: SONGWRITER CURTIS MAYFIELD DEAD

(26 Dec 1999) English/Nat
Singer and songwriter Curtis Mayfield, famous the world over for his 1960s classics such as "People Get Ready" and "Keep On Pushing", has died at the age of 57.
Mayfield had been ill for some months, and poor health forced him to cancel his last major public appearance - a ceremony last March in which his name was officially entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He had been paralyzed since 1990 when part of a stage he was performing on in New York collapsed.
The performer became a Grammy Legend Award winner in 1994 and was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner the following year.
Mayfield was born in Chicago in 1942.
His distinctive tenor voice was developed with his pre-teen band, The Alphatones.
In 1956, he joined church choir member Jerry Butler, brothers Arthur and Richard Brooks, and Sam Gooden in a new group, The Roosters.
In 1958, the band were renamed The Impressions and recorded "For Your Precious Love," which reached Number 11 in the U-S charts
.
Although Butler left the group, Mayfield and the others continued performing and had with a string of hits including "He Will Break Your Heart," "Need To Belong To Someone," and "Find Yourself Another Girl."
The Impressions later scored a Top 20 hit with "Gypsy Woman," which was followed by many others.
Mayfield refused to let his accident curtail his career, and he made a big comeback in 1997 with a solo album, "New World Order."
The same year, Spike Lee persuaded Mayfield to appear in his film "Get on the Bus," which featured the title song from "New World Order" in the soundtrack.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I've been around some 36 years now, and it looks like we're going to keep going, keep on pushing for possibly another 10 or 15."
SUPER CAPTION: Curtis Mayfield, Singer and Songwriter
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"It's inspiring to see that he hasn't let that crush him, 'just keep on pushing', as he said in his song."
SUPER CAPTION: Spike Lee, Film Director
UPSOUND: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: Curtis Mayfield, Singer, talking about 1997 album
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[@justantrevinoadams2523]

20 some-odd years later and I miss your voice. RIP Curtis Lee Mayfield

[@ericmatterson9905]

A damn shame he had to spend the last nine years of his life paralyzed, underrated artist, RIP

[@bassbymichele]

so sad.. such a great artist and human being...

[@robertlaevaert7526]

Great man ,Belgium cry for him .

[@thomaswitczak1163]

😢😢Rest in Peace

[@kevinwind7910]

RIP Curtis Mayfield you are missed greatly!