Curtis Ousley (born Curtis Montgomery; February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), known professionally as King Curtis, was an American saxophonist who played

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

, jazz, and

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

. A bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer. A master of the instrument, he played

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

, and

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

saxophone. He played riffs and solos on hit singles such as " Respect" by Aretha Franklin (1965), and "

Yakety Yak "Yakety Yak" is a song written, produced, and arranged by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for the Coasters and released on Atco Records in 1958, spending seven weeks as #1 on the R&B charts and a week as number one on the Top 100 pop list. ...

" by

The Coasters The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with " Searchin'" and " Young Blood" in 1957, their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producin ...

(1958) and his own "

Soul Twist "Soul Twist" is a 1962 instrumental crossover single for saxophonist, King Curtis. His debut single on the R&B charts was his most successful, hitting number one for two weeks. "Soul Twist" crossed over to the top 40, where it was one of three si ...

" (1962), "Soul Serenade" (1964), and "

Memphis Soul Stew "Memphis Soul Stew" is a song by American saxophonist and bandleader King Curtis (1934–1971). The track is a narrative that describes the Memphis Soul sound in terms of a cooking recipe, with each instrument introduced by Curtis. This include ...

" (1967).

Early life

Curtis Montgomery was born in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

, the son of Ethel Montgomery, and was adopted, with his sister Josephine Allen (died 2019), by Josie and William Ousley. Curtis attended

I.M. Terrell High School I.M Terrell High School was a secondary school located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school opened in 1882 as the city's first black school, during the era of formal racial segregation in the United States. Though the high school closed in 1973, th ...

, and studied and performed music with schoolmate

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Colle ...

(1930–2015).

Career

Curtis started playing saxophone at the age of twelve in the Fort Worth area. He took interest in many musical genres including

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, rhythm and blues, and popular music. As a student pursuing music, he turned down college scholarships in order to join the Lionel Hampton Band. During his time with Hampton, he was able to write and arrange music and learn guitar. In 1952 Curtis decided to move to New York and became a session musician, recording for such labels as Prestige, Enjoy, Capitol, and

Atco Atco or ATCO may refer to: Businesses * ATCO, a Canadian diversified company involved in manufacturing, utilities, energy and technologies ** ATCO Electric, a subsidiary of the above company * Atco (British mower company), a mower manufacturing ...

. He recorded with

Nat Adderley Nathaniel Carlyle Adderley (November 25, 1931 – January 2, 2000) was an American jazz trumpeter. He was the younger brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, whom he supported and played with for many years. Adderley's composition ...

Wynton Kelly Wynton Charles Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his lively, blues-based playing and as one of the finest accompanists in jazz. He began playing professionally at the age of ...

, Buddy Holly,

Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...

and Andy Williams. Stylistically, Curtis took inspiration from saxophonists

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most ...

, Louis Jordan,

Illinois Jacquet Jean-Baptiste "Illinois" Jacquet (October 30, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on " Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo. Although he was a pioneer of ...

Earl Bostic Eugene Earl Bostic (April 25, 1913 – October 28, 1965) was an American alto saxophonist. Bostic's recording career was diverse, his musical output encompassing jazz, swing, jump blues and the post-war American rhythm and blues style, which he ...

, and Gene Ammons. 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 Richard Edward Tee (born Richard Edward Ten Ryk; November 24, 1943 – July 21, 1993) was an American pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger, who had several hundred studio credits and played on such notable hits as "In Your Eyes", " Sl ...

Cornell Dupree Cornell Luther Dupree (December 19, 1942 – May 8, 2011) was an American jazz and R&B guitarist. He worked at various times with Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, King Curtis and Steve Gadd, appeared on David Letterman,

Jerry Jemmott Gerald Stenhouse Jemmott (born March 22, 1946, in the Morrisania section of the Bronx, New York City) is an American bass guitarist. Jemmott was one of the chief session bass guitarists of the late 1960s and early 1970s, working with many of th ...

, and Bernard Purdie.

Move into rock

Curtis enjoyed playing both jazz and rhythm and blues but decided he would make more money as a rhythm and blues musician. In a 1971 interview with

Charlie Gillett Charles Thomas Gillett (; 20 February 1942 – 17 March 2010) was a British radio presenter, musicologist, and writer, mainly on rock and roll and other forms of popular music. He was particularly noted for his influential book ''The Sound of t ...

he said: "I love the authentic rhythm and blues more than anything, and I also like to live well." From the 1950s until the mid-1960s, he worked as a session musician, recording under his own name and with others such as

, with whom he recorded "

" and "

Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the comic strip '' Peanuts'', syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser," Charlie Brown is one of the great American a ...

", among others. 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 "

"—his highest-charting single, reaching number one on the

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

and number 17 on the '' Billboard''

pop chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...

—and "Soul Serenade." He provided backing on a number of songs for

LaVern Baker Delores LaVern Baker (November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American R&B singer who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were " Tweedle Dee" (1955), " Jim Dandy" (1956), and " ...

, including her 1958 hit single "

I Cried a Tear "I Cried a Tear" is a song written by Fred Jay and Al Julia and performed by American singer LaVern Baker. Atlantic Records released it as a single in 1958, which became Baker's most successful appearance on the record chart hits. King Curtis pl ...

", where his saxophone became "a second voice". In 1965 he moved to

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

and recorded his most successful singles, "

" and "

Ode to Billie Joe "Ode to Billie Joe" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry released by Capitol Records in July 1967, and later used as the title-track of her debut album. Five weeks after its release, the song topped '' Billboard's'' Pop sin ...

" (1967). In 1966 Curtis recorded 3 songs with Jimi Hendrix, "Linda Lou", "Baby How About You" and "I Can't Take It". Unissued, the tapes were later destroyed in a fire at Atlantic's master tape library. He worked with

, and led Aretha Franklin's backing band the Kingpins. The Kingpins opened for

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

during their 1965 performance at

Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.

. Curtis produced records, often working with Jerry Wexler and recorded for

Groove Records Groove Records was a subsidiary of RCA Victor records, founded by '' Billboard'' writer Bob Rolontz in 1953 as a rhythm and blues label. The label tried hard to break into the R&B market. Piano Red had its first hit but Mickey & Sylvia was its ...

during this period, including the

Joe South Joe South (born Joseph Alfred Souter; February 28, 1940 – September 5, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Best known for his songwriting, South won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1970 for " Ga ...

song " Games People Play" with guitarist

Duane Allman Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American rock guitarist, session musician, and the founder and original leader of the Allman Brothers Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i ...

. One unique session came in 1963, when Curtis provided the honking sax backing for ''

Mad Magazine Mad, mad, or MAD may refer to: Geography * Mad (village), a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia * Mád, a village in Hungary * Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, by IATA airport code * Mad River (disambiguation), several ...

s novelty burping record, "It's a Gas." In March 1971 he appeared with Aretha Franklin and the Kingpins at the

Fillmore West The Fillmore West was a historic rock and roll music venue in San Francisco, California, US which became famous under the direction of concert promoter Bill Graham from 1968 to 1971. Named after The Fillmore at the intersection of Fillmore Str ...

, which resulted in two live albums: '' Aretha Live at Fillmore West'', and Curtis' own ''

Live at Fillmore West ''Live at Fillmore West'' is an album by King Curtis, released in 1971. The album showcases the concert he played with his band the Kingpins at the Fillmore West venue in San Francisco in March 1971 who were supporting and backing soul singer Are ...

''. In July 1971, Curtis recorded saxophone solos on "

It's So Hard "It's So Hard" is a song written and performed by John Lennon, which first appeared on his 1971 album ''Imagine''. Shortly after the album's release, the song was issued as the B-side to the single "Imagine". In Mexico, it was released on an E ...

" and "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" from

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

's ''

Imagine Imagine may refer to: * Imagination Music Albums * ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008 * ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002 * ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012 * ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971 ** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...

''. Along with

the Rimshots The Rimshots were an American funk and disco band, popular in the late 1970s History The group started out as the house band for the record labels All Platinum Records and in particular, Stang Records in the early 1970s. The then nameless rh ...

, he recorded the original theme song for the 1971 hit television show '' Soul Train,'' titled "Hot Potatoes". On June 17, 1971, Curtis played at the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

, in the Casino Kursaal, with

Champion Jack Dupree William Thomas "Champion Jack" Dupree (July 23, 1909 or July 4, 1910 – January 21, 1992) was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist and singer. His nickname was derived from his early career as a boxer. Biography Dupree was a New Orleans ...

, backed by Cornell Dupree on guitar, Jerry Jemmott on bass and Oliver Jackson on drums. The recording of the concert was later released as the 1973 album ''King Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree – Blues at Montreux'' on the Atlantic label.

Death

Curtis was stabbed on August 13, 1971, during an argument with a pair of drug dealers. He was discovered on the steps outside his

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

apartment at 50 West 86th Street. Curtis was attempting to carry an air conditioner into his apartment when a man named Juan Montanez refused to move from the entrance. A fight ensued and Montanez stabbed Curtis. Curtis was transferred to

Roosevelt Hospital Mount Sinai West, opened in 1871 as Roosevelt Hospital, is affiliated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System. The 514-bed facility is located in the Midtown West neighborhood of New York City. The f ...

, where he died. In March 1972, Montanez had his charge reduced from second degree murder to second degree manslaughter in exchange for

pleading guilty ''Pleading Guilty'', published in 1993, is Scott Turow's third novel, and like the previous two it is set in fictional Kindle County Scott Frederick Turow (born April 12, 1949) is an American author and lawyer. Turow has written 13 fiction a ...

. He was released on December 5, 1977, from the

Wallkill Correctional Facility The Wallkill Correctional Facility is a medium security prison in New York state in the United States. The prison is located just north of the hamlet of Wallkill, in the Town of Shawangunk. History The prison opened in 1933, in the form of a ...

for good behavior. On the day of Curtis's funeral, Atlantic Records closed their offices. Jesse Jackson administered the service and as the mourners filed in, Curtis's 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 Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), better known as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960 ...

and

. Franklin sang the closing spiritual "Never Grow Old" and

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

performed " Abraham, Martin and John and now King Curtis". Allman went on to honor Curtis by interweaving a medley of "Soul Serenade" into the band's rendition of "You Don't Love Me", first in a show at the Academy of Music on East 14th Street in Manhattan on August 15, and later during a live in-studio recording at A&R Studios in Manhattan on August 26, recorded for posterity and released on LP as part of the band's ''Dreams'' compilation in 1989.

Portrayals

In the film ''

The Buddy Holly Story ''The Buddy Holly Story'' is a 1978 American biographical film which tells the life and career of rock and roll musician Buddy Holly. It features an Academy Award-winning musical score, adapted by Joe Renzetti and Oscar-nominated lead perfor ...

'' (1978), King Curtis was played by actor Craig White. He appears in the scene at New York's Apollo Theater, which would have taken place between August 16–22, 1957 during Holly's Irvin Feld Tour. In the television series '' Genius: Aretha Franklin'' he is portrayed by actor

Marque Richardson Marque Richardson Jr. (born October 23, 1985) is an American actor. Early life Richardson was born in San Diego, California in the U.S., in a naval hospital. Both parents served in the United States Navy. His father hails from Detroit, Michi ...

Awards

In 1970, a year before his death, Curtis won the

Best R&B Instrumental Performance The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by ma ...

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

for " Games People Play". He was posthumously inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

on March 6, 2000.

Discography

Albums

* ''Have Tenor Sax, Will Blow'' (1959)

33-113; CD reissue:

Collectables A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms t ...

COL-6418 * ''Azure'' (1960) Everest LPBR-5121/SDBR-1121; CD reissue: Acrobat ACMCD-4230 * ''The New Scene of King Curtis'' (1960) lso released as ''King Soul!'' in 1973 New Jazz NJLP-8237; CD reissue: Prestige 24033 – with

* '' Soul Meeting'' (1960)

Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

PRLP-7222; CD reissue: Prestige 24033 – with Nat Adderley * '' Soul Battle'' (1960; rel. 1962) Prestige PRLP-7223; CD reissue: Original Jazz Classics/Fantasy OJC-325 – with

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album ''The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...

Jimmy Forrest James, Jim or Jimmy Forrest may refer to: Sports * James Forrest (rugby union) (born 1907), Scotland international rugby union player * James Forrest (baseball) (1897–1977), American baseball player * James Forrest (basketball) (born 1972), Ame ...

* ''

Arthur Murray Arthur Murray (born Moses Teichman, April 4, 1895 – March 3, 1991) was an American ballroom dancer and businessman, whose name is most often associated with the dance studio chain that bears his name. Early life and start in dance Arthur Mur ...

's Music for Dancing – The Twist! (Authentic Music by the King Curtis Combo)'' (1961) RCA Victor LSP-2494 * ''Trouble in Mind'' (1961) Tru-Sound TRU-15001; CD reissue: Original Blues Classics/Fantasy OBC-512 * ''Old Gold'' (1961) Tru-Sound TRU-15006; CD reissue: Prestige 24153 as ''Night Train'' * ''It's Party Time with King Curtis'' (1962) Tru-Sound TRU-15008; CD reissue: Prestige 24153 as ''Night Train'' * ''Doing the Dixie Twist'' (1962) Tru-Sound TRU-15009 * ''Soul Twist with King Curtis & the Noble Knights'' (1962) Enjoy ENLP-2001; CD reissue: Collectables COL-5119 * ''

The Shirelles The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McFad ...

& King Curtis – Give a Twist Party'' (1962) lso released as ''Eternally, Soul'' in 1968 Scepter SPS-505; CD reissue:

Sundazed Sundazed Music is an American independent record label based in Coxsackie, New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s. In 2000, Sundazed had a staff of 15 and two mixing studios, including a vintage audio ...

SC-6013 – with The Shirelles * ''Country Soul'' (1962)

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

ST-1756 * ''Soul Serenade'' (1964) Capitol ST-2095 * ''Plays the Hits Made Famous by Sam Cooke'' (1965) Capitol ST-2341 * ''That Lovin' Feeling'' (1966) Atco 33-189; CD reissue: Collectables COL-6518 * ''Live at Small's Paradise'' (1966) Atco 33-198; CD reissue: Collectables COL-6418 * ''Plays the Great Memphis Hits'' (1967) Atco 33-211; CD reissue: Koch KOC-8015 * ''King Size Soul'' (1967) Atco 33-231; CD reissue: Koch KOC-8015 – with the Kingpins * ''The Best of King Curtis'' (1967) Capitol ST-2858; CD reissue: Collectables COL-5687 (note: CD reissue includes 7 bonus tracks) * ''Sax in Motion'' (1968) RCA Camden CAS-2242 * ''Sweet Soul'' (1968) Atco 33-247; CD reissue: Spy 46006 * ''The Best of King Curtis'' (1968) Atco 33-266; LP reissue: Friday Music 33266 * ''The Best of King Curtis'' (1969) Prestige PR-7709 * ''Instant Groove'' (1969) Atco 33-293; CD reissue: Wounded Bird WOU-6045 – with

on 4 tracks llman solos on "Foot Pattin'", "Games People Play", "The Weight", "Hey Jude"* ''Get Ready'' (1970) Atco 33-338; CD reissue: Wounded Bird WOU-6045 * ''Do Your Thing'' (1970) Atlantic Special etherlands("Flash Back" series) 2358 009; CD reissue: Wounded Bird WOU-2358 * ''

'' (1971) Atco 33-359; CD reissue:

Rhino A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

R2-77632 – with the Kingpins * ''The Best of King Curtis: One More Time'' (1972) Prestige PR-7775 * ''Everybody's Talkin' '' (1970; rel. 1972) Atco 33-385; CD reissue: Spy 46006 * ''King Curtis &

– Blues at Montreux'' (1971; rel. 1973) Atlantic SD-1637; CD reissue: Atlantic 81389 – with Champion Jack Dupree * ''Live in New York'' (1985) JSP 1091; CD reissue: JSP 8812 * ''King Curtis: 16 Original Hits (Atlantic Soul Classics)'' (1991) Convoy ermany849 804 * ''Blow Man, Blow!'' (1992, 3CD) Bear Family BCD-15670 (compilation of all Capitol material) * ''Instant Soul: The Legendary King Curtis'' (1994)

Razor & Tie Razor & Tie was an American entertainment company that consisted of a record label and a music publishing company. It was established in 1990 by Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld. Based in New York City (with additional offices in Los Angeles an ...

RE-2054 * ''King Curtis: The Platinum Collection'' (2007) Warner Platinum/Rhino 8122-79994-5 * ''Wail Man Wail! – The Best of King Curtis 1952–1961'' (2012, 3CD) Fantastic Voyage FVTD-088 * ''Sax Scene'' (2013, 2CD) Not Now Music NOT2CD-510 (reissues/compilation of ''The New Scene of King Curtis'' and ''Soul Meeting'') * ''The Complete Atco Singles'' (2015, 3CD) Real Gone Music 0413 * ''Soul Twistin' with the King!'' (2017) Jasmine JASCD-940 (this compilation concentrates on his twistin' adventures, comprising the subsequent ''Soul Twist'' album, alongside an earlier album, ''Arthur Murray's Music for Dancing – The Twist!'' plus 4 tracks from ''The Shirelles & King Curtis – Give a Twist Party'' album)

Chart singles

* ''Billboard'' did not publish an R&B chart during this period

Album appearances

As sideman

With Aretha Franklin * ''

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You ''I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You'' is the tenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin released on March 10, 1967, by Atlantic Records. It was Franklin's first release under her contract with the label, following her departure f ...

'' (Atlantic, 1967) * '' Aretha Arrives'' (Atlantic, 1967) * ''

Lady Soul ''Lady Soul'' is the twelfth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin released in early 1968, by Atlantic Records. Background ''Lady Soul'' was Franklin's third R&B chart-topper and reached number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, tying with ...

'' (Atlantic, 1968) * ''

Soul '69 ''Soul '69'' is the fourteenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin released in 1969 by Atlantic Records, the album features covered material. The album charted at number 1 on ''Billboard''s R&B albums chart and at number 15 on ''Billboa ...

'' (Atlantic, 1969) * '' Aretha Live at Fillmore West'' (Atlantic, 1971) With others * Ernestine Allen, ''Let It Roll'' (Tru-Sound, 1961) *

, ''Home Style'' (Cotillion, 1970) * Ruth Brown, ''

Miss Rhythm ''Miss Rhythm'' is an album by vocalist Ruth Brown featuring tracks recorded between 1954 and 1959 and released on the Atlantic Records, Atlantic label.Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, 1959) *

Ray Bryant Raphael Homer "Ray" Bryant (December 24, 1931 – June 2, 2011) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 24, 1931. His mother was an ordained minister who had tau ...

, '' MCMLXX'' (Atlantic, 1970) * Sam Cooke, ''

Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 ''Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963'' is the second live album by the American singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. The album was recorded at the Harlem Square Club in Miami and released in June 1985 in the United States by RCA Records. Initially reco ...

'' (RCA, 1985) *

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

, ''Fats Is Back'' (Reprise, 1968) *

, '' Soul Street'' ( New Jazz, 1964) * Lionel Hampton, ''The Many Sides of Hamp'' (Glad, 1961) * Eddie Harris, ''The Electrifying Eddie Harris'' (Atlantic, 1968) * Donny Hathaway, ''Everything Is Everything'' (ATCO, 1970) * Donny Hathaway, ''Donny Hathaway'' (ATCO, 1971) *

Freddie King Freddie King (September 3, 1934December 28, 1976) was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and B.B. King, none of whom were blood related). Most ...

, ''Freddie King Is a Blues Master'' (Cotillion, 1969) * Freddie King, ''My Feeling for the Blues'' (Cotillion, 1970) *

, ''Imagine'' (Apple, 1971) *

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet (inclu ...

, ''

Our Mann Flute ''Our Mann Flute'' is an album by American jazz flautist Herbie Mann released on the Atlantic label in 1966.The Beat Goes On'' (Atlantic, 1967) *

Arif Mardin Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 – June 25, 2006) was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco and country. He worked at Atlantic Records for o ...

, ''Glass Onion'' (Atlantic, 1969) *

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

, ''Just a Little Lovin'' (Atlantic, 1970) *

NRBQ NRBQ is an American rock band founded by Terry Adams (piano), Steve Ferguson (guitar) and Joey Spampinato (bass). Originally the "New Rhythm and Blues Quintet", the group was formed around 1965. Adams disbanded it for a time, and the group re-f ...

, ''NRBQ'' (Columbia, 1970) *

Esther Phillips Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Jones; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals.Santelli, Robert (2001). ''The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia''. Penguin Books. p. 376. . She ...

, ''Burnin'' (Atlantic, 1970) *

The Rascals ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

, ''Once Upon a Dream'' (Atlantic, 1968) * The Rascals, ''Freedom Suite'' (Atlantic, 1969) *

Shirley Scott Shirley Scott (March 14, 1934 – March 10, 2002) was an American jazz organist. Her music was noted for its mixture of bebop, blues and gospel elements. She was known by the nickname "Queen of the Organ". Life and career Scott was born in Phi ...

, ''

Shirley Scott & the Soul Saxes ''Shirley Scott & the Soul Saxes'' is an album by organist Shirley Scott recorded in 1969 and released on the Atlantic label.Payne, DShirley Scott discographyaccessed July 4, 2012 Reception The Allmusic site awarded the album 4½ stars stating " ...

'' (Atlantic, 1969) *

Sunnyland Slim Albert Luandrew (September 5, 1906March 17, 1995), "Blues pianist and singer Sunnyland Slim was born Albert Luandrew in Vance, Mississippi, September 5, 1906 (most sources say 1907, but the Social Security Death Index and 1920 census data give t ...

, ''

Slim's Shout ''Slim's Shout'' is an album by blues musician Sunnyland Slim recorded in 1960 and released on the Bluesville label the following year.

'' (Prestige Bluesville, 1961) * Lonnie Smith, ''Finger Lickin' Good'' (Columbia, 1967) *

Arbee Stidham Arbee William Stidham (February 9, 1917 – April 26, 1988) was an American blues singer and multi-instrumentalist. According to the authors of the book ''All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues'', Stidham was "exactl ...

, ''

Tired of Wandering ''Tired of Wandering''. subtitled ''The Blues of Arbee Stidham'', is an album by blues musician Arbee Stidham recorded in 1960 and released on the Bluesville label the following year.Roosevelt Sykes Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906July 17, 1983) was an American blues musician, also known as "the Honeydripper". Career Sykes was born the son of a musician in Elmar, Arkansas. "Just a little old sawmill town", Sykes said of his birthplace. The ...

, ''

The Honeydripper "The Honeydripper (Parts 1 and 2)" is an R&B song by Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers which topped the US Billboard R&B chart (at that time called the "Race Records" chart) for 18 weeks, from September 1945 to January 1946. History Liggins cla ...

'' (Prestige Bluesville, 1961) * Alex Taylor, ''With Friends and Neighbors'' (Capricorn, 1971) *

Gary Wright Gary Malcolm Wright (born April 26, 1943) is an American musician and composer best known for his 1976 hit songs "Dream Weaver" and " Love Is Alive", and for his role in helping establish the synthesizer as a leading instrument in rock and pop ...

, ''Footprint'' (A&M, 1971)

References

Bibliography

*Clifford, Mike: Futrell, John and Bonds, Ray. ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Black music''. Harmony Books (1982). Digitized December 29, 2006. *Kernfield, Barry Dean. ''New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. Grove's Dictionaries (2002). Digitized December 21, 2006. *Shaw, Arnold. ''Honkers and Shouters''. Macmillan Publishing Company (1978). *Poe, Randy and Gibbons, Billy F. ''Sky Dog''. Backbeat Books (2006).

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Curtis, King 1934 births 1971 deaths Soul-jazz musicians American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists Soul-jazz saxophonists American rock saxophonists American session musicians American soul musicians American bandleaders People from Fort Worth, Texas Murdered African-American people People murdered in New York City Male murder victims Grammy Award winners Delaney & Bonnie & Friends members The Coasters members Groove Records artists Atlantic Records artists Prestige Records artists Atco Records artists Deaths by stabbing in New York (state) 20th-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from Texas American male jazz musicians 1971 murders in the United States