born June 3, 1942, Chicago, Ill., U.S.
died Dec. 26, 1999, Roswell, Ga.
U.S. singer-songwriter and guitarist.
He became a vocalist and guitarist with the Impressions in 1957. Together with Sam Gooden (bass) and Fred Cash (low tenor), Mayfield (high tenor) devised a much imitated vocal style. Mayfield was a self-taught guitarist, and when he tuned his instrument to a natural chord, he achieved a subtle lyricism that was also influential. Mayfield's songs, including "It's All Right" (1963), "People Get Ready" (1965), and "Choice of Colors" (1969), were inspirational and humanistic. The high point of his solo career (from 1970) was the influential soundtrack to Superfly (1972), and he became a major force in the development of the musical style known as funk. He was paralyzed when a lighting tower fell on him during a concert in 1990.