Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer who was a key figure in the development of soul and politically conscious African-American music.

Mayfield began his musical career as a member of a gospel choir. Moving to Chicago’s North Side at the age of 14, he met Jerry Butler and joined the vocal group The Impressions. Mayfield rose to prominence as a songwriter as one of the first to incorporate more prevalent themes of social awareness into soul music. Mayfield wrote “People Get Ready” for the Impressions in 1965, and it was ranked 24th on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song won numerous other awards, including inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll and induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Who inherited Curtis Mayfield money and estate?

Altheida Mayfield now runs the Curtis Mayfield’s estate and has commissioned a number of retrospective projects over the last five years, including a revamped website and volumes of unreleased material, according to Billboard.