Mac Curtis
Wesley Erwin "Mac" Curtis, Jr. (January 16, 1939 – September 16, 2013) was an American rockabilly musician.
Mac Curtis | |
|---|---|
 Mac Curtis in 1970 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wesley Erwin Curtis, Jr. |
| Born | January 16, 1939 Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Died | September 16, 2013 (aged 74) Weatherford, Texas |
| Genres | Rockabilly |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
Biography
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Curtis began playing guitar at the age of 12, entering local talent competitions. In 1954, his family moved to Weatherford, Texas, and while there he formed a band with two classmates, Jim and Ken Galbraith. They played at school events, but during one of the events, their show was shut down due to sexually suggestive on-stage movements.[1] Instead, the group played locally, and in 1955 they were offered a deal with King Records, who released their debut single, "If I Had Me a Woman".
Soon afterwards, Alan Freed heard the group and invited them to play on his Christmas radio special in 1956. Curtis returned to Weatherford to finish school in 1957, and then became a disc jockey in Seoul, Korea after joining the military.[1] Upon his return in 1960, he continued work as a DJ in the South, and released a few albums; his 1968 release, The Sunshine Man, hit No. 35 on the U.S. Country albums chart.[2] As rockabilly grew in popularity in the 1970s, he began recording with Ray Campi and signed to Ronnie Weiser's Rollin' Rock Records. In 1970, Mac Curtis had two hits on Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Early In The Morning" (#35) and "Honey, Don't" (#43).[3] As a singer he was still active in the 1980s and 1990s. He was later elected to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
He died on September 16, 2013 at age 74, following injuries received in a car accident a month earlier, after which he had undergone rehabilitation at a nursing home.[4]
Albums
| Year | TITLE/track listing | Catalog number | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epic Records (US) | |||
| 1969 | SUNSHINE MAN
Little Ole Wine Drinker / The Friendly City / Break My Mind / Love's Been Good To Me / Too Good To Be True / Too Close To Home / The Quiet Kind / Sunshine Man / I've Got The Tiger By The Tail / Almost Persuaded / It's My Way |
BN 26419 (LP) | |
| GRT Records (US) | |||
| 1970 | EARLY IN THE MORNING
Early In The Morning / Big Boss Man / Ain't That A Shame / Blues Man / Baby What You Want Me To Do / Maybelline / Gulf Stream Line / Stagger Lee / I'd Run A Mile / I Got A Woman / Where The Hurt Moves In / Him Or Me (What's It Gonna Be) |
LP 20002 (LP) | |
| Rollin' Rock Records (US) | |||
| 1973 | RUFFABILLY
Big D Women / Baby Let's Play House / Heartbreakin' Mama / Fannie Mae / Sidetrack Mama / Holdin' On / Good Rockin' Tonight / Amarillo Killer / Hot Rock / Crazy Crazy Lovin' / Wild Wild Women / You Hurt Me / Sexy Ways |
LP 002 (LP) | |
| 1975 | GOOD ROCKIN' TOMORROW
Good Rockin' Tomorrow / Wake Up Rock 'n' Roll Rock-A-Baby / Hard Hearted Girl / Party Line / Turn To Me / For Your Love / Rockabilly Uprising / Been Gone A Long Time / Juice Box / Gone Out Of My Mind / Wildcat Tamer / Let's Go |
LP 002 (LP) | |
| 1978 | ROCK ME
Sidething / That's How Much I Love You / Turn Away From Me / Making It Right / Real Good Itch / She Knows All The Good Ways To Be Bad / Suntan Girl / You Can't Take The Boogie Woogie Out Of Me / I'd Run A Mile To You / Good Love Sweet Love / Don't You Love Me / Rock Me |
LP 016 (LP) | |
| Sunshine Records (US) | |||
| 1977 | GOLDEN GOSPEL FAVORITES
I'm Gonna Walk Them Golden Stairs / He'll Understand And Say Well Done / Swing Down Chariot / Just A Little Talk With Jesus / This Old Building / His Hand In Mine / When God Dips His Pen / Milky White Way / Where Could I Go / It's Different Now |
SS 001 (LP) | |
| Radar Records (UK) | |||
| 1979 | ROCKIN' MOTHER
Ducktail / Grandaddy's Rockin' / You Oughta See Granma Rock / How Long Will It Take / If I Had Me A Woman / Good Rockin' Tomorrow / Rockin' Mother / How Come It / Slip Slip Slippin' In / Johnny Carroll Rock / Turn Away From Me / That Ain't Nothin' But Right / Crazy Crazy Lovin' / Hungry Hill |
RAD 22 (LP) | |
| Rebel (FIN) | |||
| 1981 | TEXAS ROCKABILLY LEGEND
Rock Me / If I Had Me A Woman / Slip Slip Slippin' In / Turn To Me / I'd Run A Mile To You / Hungry Hill / Johnny Carroll Rock / Pistol Packin' Mama / Ducktail / Making It Right / Sidething / Good Rockin' Tomorrow / Been Gone A Long Time / She Knows All The Good Ways To Be Bad |
ROLLS 004 (LP) | |
| 1981 | TOP CAT ON ROCKABILLY TRACK
Rockin' Mother / Rockabilly Uprising / Suntan Girl / Wildcat Tamer / That Ain't Nothin' But Right / Grandaddy's Rockin' / Amarillo Killer / How Come It / Hard Hearted Girl / Keep Doin' What You're Doin' Now / How Long Will It Take / For Your Love / You Oughta See Granma Rock / Turn Away From Me |
ROLLS 004 (LP) | |
| Hot Rock Records (UK) | |||
| 1981 | TRUCKABILLY
I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday / Goosebumps / Good Rockin' Teddy / Wishin 'n' Prayin' / The Hucklebuck / I'm Gonna Love You Back To Loving Me Again / Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu / Train Of Sin / Just a Little Too Much / Hooked On Music / Turn To Me / Little Miss Linda / Don't Forbid Me / Hollywood City |
HR-701 (LP) | |
| Rollin' Rock Records (CH) | |||
| 1995 | THE ROLLIN' ROCK & REBEL SINGLES
Ducktail / Sidetrack Mama / You Oughta See Granma Rock / Grandaddy's Rockin' / How Come It / Slip Slip Slippin' In / Johnny Carroll Rock / Rockin' Mother / Keep Doin' What You're Doin' Now / Pistol Packin' Mama / Been Gone A Long Time / Making It Right / For Your Love / Turn Away From Me / If I Had Me A Woman / That Ain't Nothin' But Right / Rollin' Rock Rock / How Long Will It Take / Tell Me What'll I Do |
RRCD 004 (CD) | |
| Hightone Records/HMG (US) | |||
| 1997 | ROCKABILLY UPRISING
If I Had Me A Woman / Good Rockin' Tomorrow / Party Line / Ducktail / I'd Run A Mile To You / Wild Wild Women / That's How Much I Love You / You Can't Take The Boogie Woogie Out Of Me / Grandaddy's Rockin' / Turn Away From Me / Sidething / How Come It / Wake Up Rock 'n' Roll / Hard Hearted Girl / More Love Where That Came From / Real Good Itch / Turn To Me / For Your Love / Suntan Girl |
6601 (CD) | |
| Vinyl Japan Records (UK) | |||
| 1998 | ROCKABILLY READY
Rockabilly Ready / The Love Doctor / Show Me The Money / Tell Me What'll I Do / Old Rock 'n' Rollers Like Me / Miss Linda's Still Fine / One Foot Loose / Blues Man / Let's Go Downtown / Keep On Rockin' / Hey Hey Little Lady / Mesmerized / Are You Ready To Rumble / Side Wind / Little Mama Have Mercy / Frantic |
JRCD 31 (CD) | |
| Bluelight Records (FIN) | |||
| 1999 | EARLY IN THE MORNING
Early In The Morning / Big Boss Man / Ain't That A Shame / Blues Man / Baby What You Want Me To Do / Maybelline / Gulf Stream Line / Stagger Lee / I'd Run A Mile / I Got A Woman / Where The Hurt Moves In / Him Or Me (What's It Gonna Be) |
BLR 3367 2 (CD) | |
| 2011 | SONGS I WISH I WROTE
Singer Of Sad Songs / This Time Tomorrow / 100 Pounds Of Honey / Sunshine Man / Turn Away From Me / One More Night / Stay Love / Beautiful Annabel Lee / So What Let It Rain / Drowning All My Sorrows / If You Want To Be My Woman / Restless / You’ve Turned Down The Lights |
BLR 33147 2 (CD) BLR 33147 1 (LP) | |
| 2018 | THE MAC CURTIS SINGLES COLLECTION 1956-1965 | ||
Singles
| Year | Songs A/B | Catalog number | |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Records (US) | |||
| 1956 | If I Had Me A Woman / Just So You Call Me | 45-4927 | |
| 1956 | Granddaddy's Rockin’ / Half Hearted Love | 45-4949 | |
| 1956 | You Ain't Treatin' Me Right / The Low Road | 45-4965 | |
| 1956 | That Ain't Nothin' But Right / Don't You Love Me | 45-4995 | |
| 1957 | Say So / I'll Be Gentle | 45-5059 | |
| 1958 | What You Want / You Are My Very Special Baby | 45-5107 | |
| 1958 | Little Miss Linda / Missy Ann | 45-5121 | |
| Felsted Records (US) | |||
| 1960 | Come Back Baby / No Never Alone | 45-8592-V | |
| Le Cam Records (US) | |||
| 1962 | Singing The Blues / Soho | 339 | |
| 1962 | Dance Her By Me (One More Time) / You're The One | 954 | |
| 1965 | Lie And Get By / I Just Ain't Got | 965 | |
| Dot Records (US) | |||
| 1962 | Dance Her By Me (One More Time) / You're The One | 45-16315 | |
| Brownfield Records (US) | |||
| 1962 | Doodle Doodle Do (And Forget About You) / Don't Take My Freedom | BF 27 | |
| Shah Records (US) | |||
| 1962 | Singing The Blues / Ballad Of Black Mountain | S 982 | |
| Limelight Records (US) | |||
| 1963 | 12th Of June / Lie And Get By | Y 3010 | |
| Shalimar Records (US) | |||
| 1963 | Come On Back / 100 Pounds Of Honey | S-103 | |
| Maridene Records (US) | |||
| 1964 | 100 Pounds Of Honey / Down The Pike | M-111 | |
| Tower Records (US) | |||
| 1967 | Stepping Out On You / The Ties That Bind | 319 | |
| Epic Records (US) | |||
| 1968 | Too Close To Be True / Too Close To Home | 5-10257 | |
| 1969 | Love's Been Good To Me / The Quiet Kind | 5-10324 | |
| 1969 | Sunshine Man / It's My Way | 5-10385 | |
| 1969 | Almost Persuaded / The Friendly City | 5-10438 | |
| 1969 | Happiness Lives In This House / Little Ole Wine Drinker Me | 5-10468 | |
| 1969 | Us / Don't Make Love | 5-10530 | |
| 1970 | Honey Don't / Today's Teardrops | 5-10574 | |
| GRT Records (US) | |||
| 1970 | Early In The Morning / When The Hurt Moves In | 26 | |
| 1971 | Gulf Stream Line / I'd Run A Mile | 41 | |
| Rollin' Rock Records (US) | |||
| 1972 | Ducktail / Sidetrack Mama | 45-007 | |
| 1974 | Grandaddy's Rockin' / You Oughta See Granma Rock | 45-016 | |
| 1974 | How Come It / Slip Slip Slippin' In | 45-018 | |
| 1975 | Johnny Carroll Rock / Rockin' Mother | 45-026 | |
| 1975 | What'll I Do / (B-side by Ray Campi) | 45-029 | |
| 1978 | Keep Doin' What You're Doin' Now / Pistol Packin' Mama | 45-043 | |
| Emcee Records (US) | |||
| 1974 | Pistol Packin' Mama / She Knows All The Good Ways To Be Bad | 002 | |
| Ranwood Records (US) | |||
| 1975 | Asphalt Cowboy / Pistol Packin' Mama | R-1017 | |
| 1975 | Keep Doin' What You're Doin' Now / She Knows All The Good Ways To Be Bad | R-1033 | |
| 1975 | Nine Times Out Of Ten / More Like I Do Now | R-1041 | |
| 1976 | West Texas Women / We Made It All The Way | R-1050 | |
| Hot Rock Records (UK) | |||
| 1980 | Hot Rock Boogie // Half Hearted Love / The Hucklebuck | HR-001 | |
| 1981 | I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday / Goosebumps | HR-010 | |
| Rebel (FIN) | |||
| 1981 | Making It Right / Been Gone A Long Time | MAC 005 | |
| 1981 | For Your Love / Turn Away From Me | MAC 006 | |
Charted singles[3]
- "The Quiet Kind" (1968) #64 C&W
- "The Sunshine Man" (1968) #54 C&W
- "Happiness Lives In This House" (1969) #63 C&W
- "Don't Make Love" (1969) #60 C&W
- "Honey, Don't" (1970) #43 C&W
- "Early In The Morning" (1970) #35 C&W
References
- Mac Curtis at Allmusic
- Billboard, Allmusic.com
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. p. 111. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
- Dallas Morning News, ‘It was a shock’: Rockabilly Hall of Famer Mac Curtis dies from injuries sustained in accident, 17 September 2013 Archived 24 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine
