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.
Ousley started playing saxophone at the age of twelve in the Fort Worth area. He took interest in many musical genres including jazz, 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. He recorded with Nat Adderley, Wynton Kelly, Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings and Andy Williams.
Stylistically, Curtis took inspiration from saxophonists Lester Young, Louis Jordan, Illinois Jacquet, Earl Bostic, 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, Cornell Dupree, Jerry Jemmott, and Bernard Purdie.
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". He provided backing on a number of songs for LaVern Baker, including her 1958 hit single "I Cried a Tear", where his saxophone became "a second voice".
In 1965, he moved to Atlantic Records and recorded his most successful singles, "Memphis Soul Stew" and "Ode to Billie Joe" (1967). He worked with The Coasters, led Aretha Franklin's backing band The Kingpins. The Kingpins opened for The Beatles during their 1965 performance at Shea Stadium. Curtis produced records, often working with Jerry Wexler and recorded for Groove Records during this period, including the Joe South song "Games People Play" with guitarist Duane Allman.
In March 1971 he appeared with Aretha Franklin and The Kingpins at the Fillmore West, which resulted in two live albums: "Aretha Live at Fillmore West", and Curtis' own "Live at Fillmore West". In July 1971, Curtis recorded saxophone solos on "It's So Hard" and "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" from John Lennon's Imagine. Along with The Rimshots, he recorded the original theme song for the 1971 hit television show, Soul Train, titled "Hot Potatoes".
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 Manhattan apartment. Curtis was attempting to carry an air conditioner into his apartment when Juan Montanez refused to move from the entrance. A fight ensued and Montanez stabbed Curtis. Curtis later died at Roosevelt Hospital. In March 1972, Montanez was sentenced to seven years for second-degree manslaughter, but was released in late 1977 for good behavior.
On the day of Curtis' funeral Atlantic Records closed their offices. Jesse Jackson administered the service and as the mourners filed in, Curtis' 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 and Duane Allman. Franklin sang the closing spiritual "Never Grow Old" and Stevie Wonder performed "Abraham, Martin and John and now King Curtis".
Curtis was subsequently buried in a red granite-fronted wall crypt in the 'West Gallery of Forsythia Court' mausoleum at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Farmingdale, New York, the same cemetery that holds jazz greats Count Basie and John Coltrane.
In 1970, a year before his death, Curtis won the Best R&B Instrumental Performance Grammy for "Games People Play".
Curtis was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 6, 2000.
In the Midnight Hour
King Curtis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's when my love comes tumblin' down
I'm gonna wait 'til the midnight hour
When there's no one else around
I'm gonna take you girl and hold you
And do all the things I told you
In the midnight hour
Yes I am, oh, yes, I am
I'm gonna wait 'til the stars come out
And see that twinkle in your eyes
I'm gonna wait 'til the midnight hour
That's when my love begins to shine
You're the only girl I know
That really loves me so
In the midnight hour
Oh, yeah, in the midnight hour
(Yeah! All right - play it for me one time now)
I'm gonna wait til the midnight hour
That's when my love comes tumblin' down
I'm gonna wait 'til the midnight hour
When there's no one else around
Just you and I oh, baby, hah!
Just you and I nobody around, baby, just you and I
All right
You know what?
I'm gonna hold you in my arms
King Curtis's hit "In the Midnight Hour" is a timeless classic about waiting for love. The singer is determined to wait until the midnight hour, when there is no one else around, to be with the one he loves. The midnight hour has a certain mystical quality, as if it is a time when anything can happen. The singer is confident that at this special time, he will be able to hold the girl of his dreams and do all the things he said he would do. The repetition of the phrase "in the midnight hour" heightens the sense of anticipation, creating a feeling that something big is about to happen.
The second verse of the song again emphasizes the importance of waiting until the stars come out, a time when the singer's love "begins to shine". The singer is convinced that he has found the only girl who truly loves him, and he plans to cherish every moment with her. The final verse is the climax of the song, where the singer finally gets to hold his love in his arms. The repetition of the phrase "just you and I" emphasizes the intimacy and connection between the two lovers.
Overall, "In the Midnight Hour" is a song about the power of waiting for love, and the magic that can happen when two people are finally together in the right moment. It is a timeless classic that still resonates with audiences today, and is a testament to the enduring power of soul music.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna wait til the midnight hour
I won't make a move on you until it's very late at night.
That's when my love comes tumblin' down
At this hour, my feelings for you will come out uncontrollably.
When there's no one else around
I want to be alone with you, away from everybody and everything else.
I'm gonna take you girl and hold you
I'll physically embrace you and show you my love.
And do all the things I told you
I want to act on my promises of affection.
In the midnight hour
The time of day when I feel most inclined and ready to express my feelings.
Yes I am, oh, yes, I am
Assent to the idea that I will pursue this course of action.
I'm gonna wait 'til the stars come out
I will wait for nighttime before I make my move on you.
And see that twinkle in your eyes
I will look into your eyes and see how happy you are that I'm with you.
That's when my love begins to shine
My feelings for you will be very emotionally powerful and positive at this hour.
You're the only girl I know
There is no other woman in my life that I am this enamored of.
That really loves me so
You're also the only woman in my life that reciprocates my deep feelings for her.
In the midnight hour
Once again, I feel I can only tell you how I feel once the night has fully set in.
Oh, yeah, in the midnight hour
This is the time when I can be my most authentic self with you, and I want to take advantage of that opportunity.
Just you and I oh, baby, hah!
It'll just be the two of us in our own emotional world.
Just you and I nobody around, baby, just you and I
I really want to emphasize how important it is that it's only us and nobody else.
All right
I'm excited to act on my feelings and move forward with you.
You know what?
I want to say something important.
I'm gonna hold you in my arms
I want to physically embrace you and show you how much I care.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Wilson Pickett, Steve Cropper
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind