April 20, 2015

This week we look at the legend, Curtis Mayfield, who I photographed at Summerfest in 1973.

It's always fun to look at Summerfest's Main Stage on the grass hill here, where the speakers were held together with rope!

His bass player is shown here, throwing his guitar in the air while playing! Anybody remember his name?

Curtis, had a remarkable career, but had a very tough life. In 1990, at a show in New York, some lighting equipment fell on him, paralyzing him from the neck down.

This, did not stop him from writing songs! He would compose, sing and record while on his back!

Famous for being in The Impressions and doing soundtracks for movies like Shaft, he had a great career through a lot of hardship. He lost a leg due to diabetes and finally died from complications of the disease in 1999.

He had his own record label Curtom, and a recording studio, in Chicago for many years.

I will always remember him for his famous song, Superfly!

Miss you Curtis.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Curtis Mayfield, at Summerfest in 1973.