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.
The Christmas Song
King Curtis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you!
In King Curtis's version of "The Christmas Song," the lyrics paint a wintery scene of the holiday season. The song starts off with mentions of chestnuts roasting on an open fire and Jack Frost nipping at your nose. These lines are meant to evoke feelings of warmth and coziness despite the cold winter weather. The next lines highlight the idea of community during the holidays with Yuletide carols being sung by a choir and people dressed up like Eskimos. It's a time when people come together to celebrate and spread joy.
The next stanza talks about the typical things associated with the holiday season. Everybody knows that a turkey and mistletoe can help make the season bright. The mention of tiny tots with their eyes all aglow suggests the excitement and wonder that children feel around the holidays. They can hardly sleep because they know that Santa is on his way with toys and goodies. The final lines of the song offer a simple message of spreading happiness during the festive season, wishing a "Merry Christmas to you" to children of all ages.
Overall, King Curtis's version of "The Christmas Song" is a tribute to the joy and warmth of the holiday season, with a message of spreading happiness to all.
Line by Line Meaning
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
The scene is set with chestnuts being roasted over a fire, evoking a warm feeling and reminding us of the joy that Christmas brings
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
The cold winter weather is a friendly reminder that Christmas is here, with Jack Frost nipping at your nose as you brace the cold
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
The sounds of Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir symbolize the festive spirit and the religious importance of Christmas
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
People embrace the winter weather by dressing up warmly, like Eskimos in their traditional attire
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Christmas traditions like having a turkey as a meal and hanging mistletoe help make the holiday season bright and recognizable.
Help to make the season bright
Familiar holiday traditions help to improve one's spirit and mood during the Christmas season
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
The excitement of Christmas brings joy and happiness to children, even making it hard for them to sleep on Christmas Eve
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.
The anticipation of the arrival of Santa Claus and his gifts makes it hard for children to rest and sleep on the night before Christmas
They know that Santa's on his way
Children feel the excitement of Santa Claus' arrival as he brings their desired gifts to them
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
Santa Claus' sleigh, which is loaded with toys and goodies, signifies the joy and generosity of the holiday season.
And every mother's child is gonna spy
Every child, regardless of their background, will be on the lookout for Santa Claus to confirm if his reindeer really do fly
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
The idea of Santa Claus' reindeer being able to fly is a magical and endearing part of the Christmas mythos
And so I'm offering this simple phrase
King Curtis offers a simple phrase to encapsulate the joyful and celebratory spirit of Christmas
To kids from one to ninety-two
King Curtis' message of Merry Christmas is meant for all ages and people, from young children to older adults
Although it's been said many times, many ways
The message of 'Merry Christmas' may have been repeatedly conveyed throughout time, but its significance remains undiminished and powerful.
Merry Christmas to you!
King Curtis ends the song by reminding us that the celebration of Christmas is all about enjoying the festivities shared amongst families, friends, and loved ones.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mel Torme, Robert Wells
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bennie Cleveland
That boy is bad