Percy Mayfield (12 August 1920 - 11 August 1984) was an American singer & s… Read Full Bio ↴Percy Mayfield (12 August 1920 - 11 August 1984) was an American singer & songwriter famous for the songs "Hit the Road, Jack" and "Please Send Me Someone to Love".He was known as “Poet Laureate of the Blues”.
Mayfield was born in Minden, Louisiana. As a youth, he showed a talent for poetry, so he thought he would try songwriting and singing. He began his performing career in Texas and had moved to Los Angeles by 1942.
He auditioned his song "Two Years of Torture" to Supreme Records (a Los Angeles-area record label) because he thought it would be a good song for Jimmy Witherspoon. The label liked his performance and asked him to record it in 1947. Although his vocal style was influenced by such stylists as Charles Brown, Mayfield did not focus on the white market as did many West Coast bluesmen. Rather, he sang blues ballads, mostly his own songs, in a gentle vocal style.
In 1950, he signed with Specialty Records and released several well-received R&B records. His most famous performance: "Please Send Me Someone to Love" was a number one R&B hit in 1950. His career continued to blossom with songs like "Strange Things Happening", "Lost Love," "What a Fool I Was," "Prayin' for Your Return," "Cry Baby," and "Big Question." A 1953 auto accident left him seriously injured, including a facial disfigurement that limited his performing.
Mayfield's songs tend to be downbeat and his lyrics tend to be heartbreaking, but his vulnerability and emotional sensitivity prevent songs like "Life Is Suicide" and "The River's Invitation" from being maudlin.
Mayfield continued to write and record for Specialty until 1954 and then recorded for Chess Records and the Imperial label. In the early 1960s, he became one of Ray Charles's favorite songwriters, writing classic songs such as "Hit the Road Jack", "At the Club", and "Danger Zone" (which has the same melody of "Please Send Me Someone to Love". Charles signed Mayfield to his Tangerine logo in 1962.
When Mayfield died of a heart attack in 1984, at the age of 63, he had fallen back into obscurity.
Mayfield hit his creative peak in the years before his music became a mainstream sound. Thus it was always a struggle to gain recognition that he was due. But available examples of his music demonstrate his writing and performing talent and his enormous influence on other performers
Mayfield was born in Minden, Louisiana. As a youth, he showed a talent for poetry, so he thought he would try songwriting and singing. He began his performing career in Texas and had moved to Los Angeles by 1942.
He auditioned his song "Two Years of Torture" to Supreme Records (a Los Angeles-area record label) because he thought it would be a good song for Jimmy Witherspoon. The label liked his performance and asked him to record it in 1947. Although his vocal style was influenced by such stylists as Charles Brown, Mayfield did not focus on the white market as did many West Coast bluesmen. Rather, he sang blues ballads, mostly his own songs, in a gentle vocal style.
In 1950, he signed with Specialty Records and released several well-received R&B records. His most famous performance: "Please Send Me Someone to Love" was a number one R&B hit in 1950. His career continued to blossom with songs like "Strange Things Happening", "Lost Love," "What a Fool I Was," "Prayin' for Your Return," "Cry Baby," and "Big Question." A 1953 auto accident left him seriously injured, including a facial disfigurement that limited his performing.
Mayfield's songs tend to be downbeat and his lyrics tend to be heartbreaking, but his vulnerability and emotional sensitivity prevent songs like "Life Is Suicide" and "The River's Invitation" from being maudlin.
Mayfield continued to write and record for Specialty until 1954 and then recorded for Chess Records and the Imperial label. In the early 1960s, he became one of Ray Charles's favorite songwriters, writing classic songs such as "Hit the Road Jack", "At the Club", and "Danger Zone" (which has the same melody of "Please Send Me Someone to Love". Charles signed Mayfield to his Tangerine logo in 1962.
When Mayfield died of a heart attack in 1984, at the age of 63, he had fallen back into obscurity.
Mayfield hit his creative peak in the years before his music became a mainstream sound. Thus it was always a struggle to gain recognition that he was due. But available examples of his music demonstrate his writing and performing talent and his enormous influence on other performers
Life Is Suicide
Percy Mayfield Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Percy Mayfield:
Every day I have the blues Everyday, everyday I have the blues Everyday, everyday I ha…
Ha Ha in the Daytime Well, the smart money's on harlow And the moon is in…
Hit The Road Jack (Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no…
Hopeless If I ever get lucky And win my train fare home If…
I Don't Want To Be President Well, now, I'm not a big politician. Hell, I don't…
Lost Love Baby please Baby please come back to me Baby please Please c…
Louisiana I was born in Louisiana, I was raised in Algiers And…
Memory Pain Serve me right to suffer Serve me right to be alone Hey,…
Pleas Send Me Someone to Love Heaven please send to all mankind, Understanding and peace o…
River's Invitation I've been all across the country And I've stayed in every…
Strange Things Happening Learn to love me or leave me Either one you wanna…
The Hunt Is On Tryin' to find a woman that wants to grow old…
The River's Invitation Can't stop falling in love unless you go away86 Drops…
Three O It's three o'clock in the morning We've danced the whole ni…
Three O'Clock In The Morning It's three o'clock in the morning We've danced the whole nig…
What A Fool I Was What a fool I was To think that you could love…
You Don't Exist No More You use to be so many colors to me Now when…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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bluesmahn
He wrote some intense songs.I sing a lot of his stuff and I wish could write like this. I like singers like this. Percy Mayfield,Charles Brown,Floyd Dixon and Mose Allison....anyway,good luck
John VanHoek
I've been listening to Percy every since I was a child. Only difference now is that I relate to his lyrics!
Marylin Reed
Thanks for posting this. To tell the truth, I'd never heard of him or his music. I'm loving this. Again, THANKS!
Ronnie Boucher
Hi marylin - me too i just found him = was he curtis mayfields father ? = wow some fine tunes coming from them.
Marylin Reed
I don't know whether or not he was the father of Curtis Mayfield. I suspect not but I would have to research it. Yes, he has some interesting tunes.
Ronnie Boucher
Hi marylin thanks for answering ! and i googled it and found a whole history of both family`s and their history = wow !
bluesborn
thanks for this-supreme talent.
Oxanaron Samen
i never believed in coincidences.... but this is made me change my mind I allways find some consolation in music. I opened youtube this morning and this was nr 1 of the recommended clips. It exactly described how i felt.. last night. tx Percy i dont feel so alone anymore
Maxtaxifromhell
Heaven will be a smoky bar with guys like Percy just jammin' onstage and the whiskey shots and beers will just keep on comin'
Ivo Ponduša
TODAY, 95 YEARS AGO
when
PERCY MAYFIELD
(August 12th, 1920)
was born
He was an American songwriter famous for the songs "Hit the Road Jack" and "Please Send Me Someone to Love", as well as a successful rhythm and blues artist known for his smooth vocal style.