Today we remember the great soul sax of the late Curtis Ousley (February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), who performed under the stage name King Curtis, an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, blues, funk and soul jazz. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer. Adept at tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, he was best known for his distinctive riffs and solos such as on Yakety Yak, which later became the inspiration for Boots Randolphs Yakety Sax and his own Memphis Soul Stew. Curtis Ousley was adopted, with his sister, Josephine Ousley Allen. They were raised together in Fort Worth, Texas. Ousley attended I.M. Terrell High School, and studied and performed music with schoolmate Ornette Coleman. King Curtis enjoyed playing jazz and rhythm & blues but decided he would make more money as a rhythm & blues musician, stating in a 1971 interview with Charlie Gillet that I love the authentic rhythm & blues more than anything, and I also like to live well. From the 1950s until the mid-1960s, he worked as a session player, recording under his own name and with others such as the Coasters, with whom he recorded Yakety Yak. 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 Soul Twist and Soul Serenade. Curtis was killed on August 13, 1971 when he was stabbed during an argument with a pair of drug dealers he discovered on the steps outside his New York apartment.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 05:15:31 +0000
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