Percy Mayfield
Encyclopedia
Percy Mayfield was an American
songwriter
famous for the songs "Hit the Road Jack
" and "Please Send Me Someone to Love
", as well as a successful rhythm and blues
artist known for his smooth vocal style.
, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana
. As a youth, his talent for poetry
led him into songwriting and singing. He began his performing career in Texas
and then moved to Los Angeles
, California
. There in 1942 success as a singer continued to elude him. In 1947, a small record label
, Swing Time
, signed him to record
his song "Two Years of Torture". The song sold steadily over the next few years, prompting Art Rupe
to sign Mayfield to his label, Specialty Records
in 1950.
Although his vocal style was influenced by such stylists as Charles Brown
, Mayfield did not focus on the white market as did many West Coast bluesmen. Rather, he sang blues ballad
s, mostly his own songs, in a gentle vocal style. His most famous recording, "Please Send Me Someone to Love
", a number one R&B hit single
in 1950, was widely influential and recorded by many other singers.
A 1952 auto accident left him seriously injured, including a facial disfigurement that limited his performing. However, that did not stop his prolific songwriting. Mayfield continued to write and record for Specialty until 1954 and then recorded for Chess Records
and Imperial Records
. His career continued to flourish with songs like "Strange Things Happening", "Lost Love", "What a Fool I Was", "Prayin' for Your Return"' "Cry Baby", and "Big Question".
In 1961 he came to the attention of Ray Charles
with his song "Hit the Road Jack
". Charles signed him to his Tangerine Records
label, primarily as a songwriter; there he wrote "Hide Nor Hair", "At The Club", "Danger Zone", and "On the Other Hand, Baby".
When Mayfield died of a heart attack
in 1984, the day before his 64th birthday, he had fallen back into obscurity.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
famous for the songs "Hit the Road Jack
Hit the Road Jack
"Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by rhythm and bluesman Percy Mayfield and first recorded in 1960 as an a capella demo sent to Art Rupe, available on the Memory Pain CD vol. 2, Specialty Records SPCD-7027-2. It became famous after it was recorded by singer-pianist Ray Charles. It hit number...
" and "Please Send Me Someone to Love
Please Send Me Someone to Love
"Please Send Me Someone to Love" is a blues ballad, written and recorded by Percy Mayfield in 1950, on Art Rupe's Specialty Records label. It was on the R&B chart for 27 weeks and reached the number one position and was his most successful song...
", as well as a successful rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
artist known for his smooth vocal style.
Career
Mayfield was born in MindenMinden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. As a youth, his talent for poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
led him into songwriting and singing. He began his performing career in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and then moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. There in 1942 success as a singer continued to elude him. In 1947, a small record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Swing Time
Swing Time Records
Swing Time Records was a United States based record label, active in the 1940s. The label was founded by Jack Lauderdale in 1947 and was headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Swing Time went bankrupt in 1953....
, signed him to record
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
his song "Two Years of Torture". The song sold steadily over the next few years, prompting Art Rupe
Art Rupe
Arthur N. "Art" Rupe is an American music industry executive and record producer. He started Specialty Records, noted for its rhythm & blues, blues, gospel and early rock and roll music recordings, in Los Angeles in 1946.-Career:Born in the Pittsburgh suburb of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Rupe...
to sign Mayfield to his label, Specialty Records
Specialty Records
Specialty Records was an American record label based in Los Angeles. It was originally launched as Juke Box Records in 1946, but later renamed by its owner Art Rupe when he parted company with a couple of his original partners...
in 1950.
Although his vocal style was influenced by such stylists as Charles Brown
Charles Brown (musician)
Charles Brown , born in Texas City, Texas was an American blues singer and pianist whose soft-toned, slow-paced blues-club style influenced the development of blues performance during the 1940s and 1950s...
, Mayfield did not focus on the white market as did many West Coast bluesmen. Rather, he sang blues ballad
Blues ballad
The term blues ballad is used to refer to a specific form of popular music which fused Anglo-American and Afro-American styles from the late 19th century onwards...
s, mostly his own songs, in a gentle vocal style. His most famous recording, "Please Send Me Someone to Love
Please Send Me Someone to Love
"Please Send Me Someone to Love" is a blues ballad, written and recorded by Percy Mayfield in 1950, on Art Rupe's Specialty Records label. It was on the R&B chart for 27 weeks and reached the number one position and was his most successful song...
", a number one R&B hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in 1950, was widely influential and recorded by many other singers.
A 1952 auto accident left him seriously injured, including a facial disfigurement that limited his performing. However, that did not stop his prolific songwriting. Mayfield continued to write and record for Specialty until 1954 and then recorded for Chess Records
Chess Records
Chess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
and Imperial Records
Imperial Records
Imperial Records is a United States based label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd and reactivated in 2006 by label owner EMI.- The independent and Liberty Records years :...
. His career continued to flourish with songs like "Strange Things Happening", "Lost Love", "What a Fool I Was", "Prayin' for Your Return"' "Cry Baby", and "Big Question".
In 1961 he came to the attention of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
with his song "Hit the Road Jack
Hit the Road Jack
"Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by rhythm and bluesman Percy Mayfield and first recorded in 1960 as an a capella demo sent to Art Rupe, available on the Memory Pain CD vol. 2, Specialty Records SPCD-7027-2. It became famous after it was recorded by singer-pianist Ray Charles. It hit number...
". Charles signed him to his Tangerine Records
Tangerine Records (1963)
Tangerine Records was a record label owned by Ray Charles between 1962 and 1973. In 1962, he founded his own record label, Tangerine Records which ABC-Paramount Records promoted and distributed. In 1973 Charles left ABC and he closed Tangerine and started Crossover records. Early singles labels...
label, primarily as a songwriter; there he wrote "Hide Nor Hair", "At The Club", "Danger Zone", and "On the Other Hand, Baby".
When Mayfield died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1984, the day before his 64th birthday, he had fallen back into obscurity.