Percy Mayfield

R&B singer/songwriter Percy Mayfield was born August 21, 1920 in Minden, Louisiana. His mother was a singer. Percy showed a real talent for poetry as a youth; this naturally led to him writing and singing his own songs. Mayfield started his musical career performing in Texas. He moved to Los Angeles, California in 1941 and lived with his sister before his career took off. In 1947 he recorded "Two Years of Torture" for the small Swing Time label; it sold well enough to persuade music producer Arthur Rupe to sign Percy to his Specialty Records label in 1950. Noted for his smooth vocal style and sharp and thoughtful lyrics, Mayfield had a #1 hit on the R&B charts with the mournful number "Please Send Me Someone To Love" that same year.In 1952 Percy was seriously injured in an automobile accident which left him with a severe facial disfigurement that limited his ability to perform live. However, he soldiered on as a prolific songwriter. Among his most memorable compositions are "Lost Love," "What a Fool Was I," "Cry Baby," "Big Question," "Hide Nor Hair," "At The Club," and "Danger Zone." Percy hit paydirt with the extremely catchy and sassy "Hit The Road Jack", which became a massive smash for Ray Charles in 1961 (it peaked at #1 on the US Billboard pop charts for two weeks). Mayfield worked for the Chess label from 1955-56 and Imperial Records in 1957. He continued to pen minor R&B chart hits throughout the 1970s for RCA and Atlantic and performed live on a limited basis.He died of a heart attack at age 63 at his home in Los Angeles, California on August 11, 1984. Show less «