68-678: Warner Chappell Music, Inc. is an American music publishing company and a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group . Warner Chappell Music's catalog consists of over 1.4 million compositions and 150,000 composers, with offices in over 40 countries. The company, founded in 1811 as Chappell & Co. , was a British music publishing company and instrument shop in Bond Street , London , that specialised in piano manufacturing. In 1929, Warner Bros. acquired M. Witmark & Sons , Remick Music Corporation and Harms, Inc. Tamerlane Music
136-535: A gospel choir. Moving to the North Side of Chicago, he met Jerry Butler in 1956 at the age of 14 and joined The Impressions. The group's lead singer and primary songwriter, Mayfield became noted as one of the first musicians to bring more prevalent themes of social awareness into soul music. In 1965, he wrote " People Get Ready " for The Impressions, which was ranked No. 24 in Rolling Stone 's list of
204-462: A publishing contract , a songwriter or composer "assigns" the copyright of their composition to a publishing company. In return, the company licenses compositions, helps monitor where compositions are used, collects royalties and distributes them to the composers. They also secure commissions for music and promote existing compositions to recording artists , film and television. The copyrights owned and administered by publishing companies are one of
272-440: A Hell Below, We're All Going to Go" has been included as an entrance song on every episode of the drama series The Deuce . The Deuce tells of the germination of the sex-trade industry in the heart of New York's Times Square in the 1970s. Mayfield's career began to slow down during the 1980s. In later years, Mayfield's music was included in the movies I'm Gonna Git You Sucka , Hollywood Shuffle , Friday (though not on
340-443: A civil rights hero with his ability to inspire hope and courage. Mayfield was unique in his ability to fuse relevant social commentary with melodies and lyrics that instilled a hopefulness for a better future in his listeners. He wrote and recorded the soundtrack to the 1972 blaxploitation film Super Fly with the help of producer Johnny Pate. The soundtrack for Super Fly is regarded as an all-time great body of work that captured
408-740: A fraction of what it was worth – or earned in the following years. A large factor in the Beatles' breakup was when their publisher Dick James sold his share of Northern Songs , the company they'd formed with him in 1963 (then taken public in 1967, with shares trading on the London Stock Exchange ), to Britain's Associated TeleVision (ATV) in 1969. Neither the Beatles nor managers Lee Eastman and Allen Klein were able to prevent ATV from becoming majority stockholders in Northern Songs, whose assets included virtually all
476-480: A given artist or writer, financially and emotionally. R&B legend Little Richard was largely cheated on his music publishing and copyrights, as were many performers. Brian Wilson and Mike Love of The Beach Boys were crushed to learn that Murry Wilson (father to three of the Beach Boys, Love's uncle, and the band's music publisher) had sold their company Sea of Tunes to A&M Records during 1969 for
544-487: A lasting impact in the civil rights struggle with his inspirational music. By the end of the decade Mayfield was a pioneering voice in the black pride movement, along with James Brown and Sly Stone. Paving the way for a future generation of rebel thinkers, Mayfield paid the price, artistically and commercially, for his politically charged music. Mayfield's "Keep On Pushing" was actually banned from several radio stations, including WLS in his hometown of Chicago. Regardless of
612-423: A monetization claim against a fanfilm created by Star Wars YouTube channel Star Wars Theory , but rescinded the claim two days later after intervention by Lucasfilm Ltd. on behalf of outraged fans. In May 2019, Warner Chappell Music was again criticized for filing overly broad copyright claims, concerning a large number of YouTube videos by Minecraft Youtuber Mumbo Jumbo, who has more than 8 million subscribers, for
680-462: A new socially conscious , funky style of popular soul music . The single releases " Freddie's Dead " and " Super Fly " each sold more than one million copies, and were awarded gold discs by the R.I.A.A. Super Fly brought success that resulted in Mayfield being tapped for additional soundtracks, some of which he wrote and produced while having others perform the vocals. Gladys Knight &
748-460: A song that focuses on the demise of Freddie, a junkie that was forced into "pushin' dope for the man" because of a debt that he owed to his dealer, and "Pusherman", a song that reveals how many people in the ghetto fell victim to drug abuse, and therefore became dependent upon their dealers, Mayfield illuminated a darker side of life in the ghetto that these blaxploitation films often failed to criticize. However, although Mayfield's soundtrack criticized
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#1732793788200816-623: Is Strong in Here" from his soundtrack to the Robert M. Young film of Miguel Piñero 's play Short Eyes . In his 2003 biography of Curtis Mayfield, People Never Give Up , author Peter Burns noted that Mayfield has 140 songs in the Curtom vaults. Burns indicated that the songs were maybe already completed or in the stages of completion, so that they could then be released commercially. These recordings include "The Great Escape", "In The News", "Turn up
884-661: The Gene Autry Music Group, comprising four music publishers, 1,500 compositions (including " Back in the Saddle Again ", " Here Comes Santa Claus ", " Just Walkin' in the Rain ", and " You Belong To Me "), and several of Autry's master recordings. In July 2021, Warner Chappell opened its first office in Vietnam. On January 3, 2022, Variety reported that the estate of English musician David Bowie had sold
952-466: The soundtrack for the 1972 blaxploitation film Super Fly . The soundtrack was noted for its socially conscious themes, primarily addressing issues that heavily affected inner city residents and racial minorities such as crime, poverty and drug abuse . The album was ranked No. 72 in Rolling Stone ' s list of the " 500 Greatest Albums of All Time " in 2003. On August 13, 1990, Mayfield
1020-515: The " 500 Greatest Songs of All Time " in 2004. The song received numerous other awards; it was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll", and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. After leaving The Impressions in 1970 in pursuit of a solo career, Mayfield released several albums throughout the decade, including his debut Curtis (1970) and
1088-459: The " Gentle Genius ", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious African-American music . Mayfield first achieved success and recognition with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -inducted vocal group The Impressions during the civil rights movement of the late 1950s and the 1960s, and later worked as a solo artist. Mayfield started his musical career in
1156-516: The 1960s and 1970s. Mayfield taught himself how to play guitar, tuning it to the black keys of the piano, giving the guitar an open F-sharp tuning that he used throughout his career. He primarily sang in falsetto register . His guitar playing, singing, and socially aware song-writing influenced a range of artists, including Jimi Hendrix , Bob Marley , Tracy Chapman , Sly Stone , Marvin Gaye , Stevie Wonder and Sinéad O'Connor . In 2017, it
1224-532: The 1963 United Artists film Lilies of the Field , which starred Sidney Poitier . The Impressions reached the height of their popularity in the mid-to-late-'60s with a string of Mayfield compositions that included " Keep On Pushing ," " People Get Ready ", " It's All Right " (Top 10), the up-tempo "Talking about My Baby"(Top 20) and "Woman's Got Soul". He formed his own label, Curtom Records in Chicago in 1968 and
1292-957: The Civil Rights Movement. Mayfield was a prolific songwriter in Chicago even outside his work for the Impressions, writing and producing scores of hits for many other artists. He also owned the Mayfield and Windy C labels which were distributed by Cameo-Parkway , and was a partner in the Curtom (first independent, then distributed by Buddah then Warner Bros and finally RSO) and Thomas labels (first independent, then distributed by Atlantic, then independent again and finally Buddah). Among Mayfield's greatest songwriting successes were three hits that he wrote for Jerry Butler on Vee Jay ("He Will Break Your Heart", "Find Another Girl" and "I'm A-Tellin' You"). His harmony vocals are very prominent. He also had great success writing and arranging Jan Bradley 's "Mama Didn't Lie". Starting in 1963, he
1360-609: The Club Chicago . In 1982, Mayfield decided to move to Atlanta with his family, closing down his recording operation in Chicago. The label had gradually reduced in size in its final two years or so with releases on the main RSO imprint and Curtom credited as the production company. Mayfield continued to record occasionally, keeping the Curtom name alive for a few more years, and to tour worldwide. Mayfield's song "(Don't Worry) If There's
1428-475: The Impressions joined him to continue their run of hits including "Fool For You," "This is My Country", "Choice Of Colors" and "Check Out Your Mind". Mayfield had written much of the soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement in the early 1960s, but by the end of the decade, he was a pioneering voice in the black pride movement along with James Brown and Sly Stone . Mayfield's " We're a Winner "
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#17327937882001496-592: The Impressions, Leroy Hutson , the Five Stairsteps , the Staples Singers , Mavis Staples , Linda Clifford , Natural Four , The Notations and Baby Huey and the Babysitters . Gene Chandler and Major Lance, who had worked with Mayfield during the 1960s, also signed for short stays at Curtom. Many of the label's recordings were produced by Mayfield. Mayfield's first solo album, Curtis ,
1564-598: The North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia . He was survived by his wife, Altheida Mayfield; his mother, Mariam Jackson; 10 children; two sisters, Carolyn Falls and Judy Mayfield; a brother, Kenneth Mayfield; and seven grandchildren. Mayfield was among the first of a new wave of mainstream black R&B performing artists and composers injecting social commentary into their work. This "message music" proved immensely popular during
1632-636: The Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers. Mayfield received his first guitar when he was ten, later recalling that he loved his guitar so much he used to sleep with it. He was a self-taught musician, and he grew up admiring blues singer Muddy Waters and Spanish guitarist Andres Segovia . When he was 14 years old he formed the Alphatones when the Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers decided to try their luck in downtown Chicago and Mayfield stayed behind. Fellow group member Sam Gooden
1700-539: The Pan European Digital Licensing (P.E.D.L.) initiative. In 2007, when Radiohead released In Rainbows through its website on a pay-what-you-wish model, Warner Chappell Music created a streamlined, one-of-a-kind licensing process for the songs on the album that allowed rights users around the world to secure use of the music from a single location. In 2006, David H. Johnson was elevated to interim CEO and then in 2007 to Chairman & CEO of
1768-513: The Pips recorded Mayfield's soundtrack for Claudine in 1974, while Aretha Franklin recorded the soundtrack for Sparkle in 1976. Mayfield also worked with The Staples Singers on the soundtrack for the 1975 film Let's Do It Again , and teamed up with Mavis Staples exclusively on the 1977 film soundtrack A Piece of the Action (both movies were part of a trilogy of films that featured
1836-528: The Radio", "What's The Situation?" and one recording labelled "Curtis at Montreux Jazz Festival 87".Two other albums featuring Curtis Mayfield present in the Curtom vaults and as yet unissued are a 1982/83 live recording titled "25th Silver Anniversary" (which features performances by Mayfield, the Impressions, and Jerry Butler ) and a live performance, recorded in September 1966 by the Impressions titled Live at
1904-526: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of The Impressions in 1991, and again in 1999 as a solo artist. He is also a two-time Grammy Hall of Fame inductee. He died from complications of type 2 diabetes at the age of 57 on December 26, 1999. Curtis Lee Mayfield was born on Wednesday, June 3, 1942, in Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Marion Washington and Kenneth Mayfield, one of five children. Mayfield's father left
1972-468: The Roosters with Arthur and Richard Brooks and Jerry Butler . Two years later the Roosters, now including Sam Gooden , became the Impressions. The band had two hit singles with Butler, " For Your Precious Love " and "Come Back My Love", then Butler left. Mayfield temporarily went with him, co-writing and performing on Butler's next hit, "He Will Break Your Heart", before returning to the Impressions with
2040-539: The Staple Singers . Mayfield's last appearance on record was with the group Bran Van 3000 on the song " Astounded " for their album Discosis , recorded just before his death and released in 2001. However, his health had steadily declined following his paralysis, so his vocals were not new but were instead lifted from archive recordings, including "Move On Up". Mayfield died from complications of type 2 diabetes at 7:20 EST (12:20 GMT) on December 26, 1999, at
2108-575: The acting and comedic exploits of Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier and were directed by Poitier ). In 1973 Mayfield released the anti-war album Back to the World , a concept album that dealt with the social aftermath of the Vietnam War and criticized the United States' involvement in wars across the planet. One of Mayfield's most successful funk-disco meldings was the 1977 hit "Do Do Wap
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2176-580: The company. In November 2006, Disney Music Publishing and Warner Chappell agreed to a licensing agreement for Europe and South America major markets. In 2007, the company acquired Non-Stop Music. Additionally, in 2010 it acquired 615 Music , a Nashville-based production music company, and subsequently united all the production music companies under the name Warner Chappell Production Music in 2012. In 2011, it acquired Southside Independent Music Publishing, whose songwriters included Bruno Mars , Brody Brown, and J.R. Rotem. In July 2012, Warner/Chappell purchased
2244-422: The composer. Music print publishers also supervise the issue of songbooks and sheet music by their artists. Traditionally, music publishing royalties are split seventy/thirty, with thirty percent going to the publisher (as payment for their services) and the rest going to the songwriter or songwriters. Other arrangements have been made in the past, and continue to be; some better for the writers, some better for
2312-580: The essence of life in the ghetto while criticizing the tendency of young people to glorify the "glamorous" lifestyles of drug dealers and pimps, and illuminating the dark realities of drugs, addiction, and exploitation. Mayfield, along with several other soul and funk musicians, spread messages of hope in the face of oppression, pride in being a member of the black race and gave courage to a generation of people who were demanding their human rights. He has been compared to Martin Luther King Jr. for making
2380-501: The family when Curtis was five; his mother (and maternal grandmother) moved the family into several Chicago public housing projects before settling in Cabrini–Green during his teen years. Mayfield attended Wells Community Academy High School before dropping out his second year. His mother taught him piano and, along with his grandmother, encouraged him to enjoy gospel music. At the age of seven he sang publicly at his aunt's church with
2448-447: The film's message "was diluted by schizoid cross-purposes" because it "glamorizes machismo - cocaine consciousness... the anti-drug message on [Mayfield's soundtrack] is far stronger and more definite than in the film." Because of the tendency of these blaxploitation films to glorify the criminal life of dealers and pimps to target a mostly black lower class audience, Mayfield's album set this movie apart. With songs like "Freddie's Dead",
2516-408: The glorification of dealers and pimps, he in no way denied that this glorification was occurring. When asked about the subject matter of these films he was quoted stating "I don't see why people are complaining about the subject of these films", and "The way you clean up the films is by cleaning up the streets." Along with What's Going On and Stevie Wonder 's Innervisions , this album ushered in
2584-416: The group signing for ABC Records and working with the label's Chicago-based producer/A&R manager, Johnny Pate . Butler was replaced by Fred Cash , a returning original Roosters member, and Mayfield became lead singer, frequently composing for the band, starting with " Gypsy Woman ", a Top 20 Pop hit. Their hit "Amen" (Top 10), an updated version of an old gospel tune, was included in the soundtrack of
2652-454: The group's song copyrights. Losing control of the company, John Lennon and Paul McCartney elected to sell their share of Northern Songs (and thus their own copyrights), while retaining their writer's royalties. ( George Harrison and Ringo Starr retained minority holdings in the company.) Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed
2720-399: The largest catalogue of OPM music, including the international hits such as "Anak" by Freddie Aguilar and "Pangako Sa'yo" by Vina Morales . Music publisher A music publisher is a type of publisher that specializes in distributing music . Music publishers originally published sheet music . When copyright became legally protected, music publishers started to play a role in
2788-474: The late artist's publishing catalog to Warner Chappell Music, "for a price upwards of $ 250 million". On January 20, 2022, Warner Chappell signed a worldwide publishing agreement with ABS-CBN Music, the umbrella organization that houses the record label Star Music and its sub-labels, StarPop, Tarsier Records, DNA Music, and Old School Records. One of the biggest music producers in the Philippines, it has
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2856-537: The latter company of underpaying Warner Music for the royalties of the 20th Century Fox catalogue, which Warner acquired in 1982, as well as the rights to Curtis Mayfield and Kool and the Gang . This controversy arises from EMI's acquisition of Robbins and Feist in the early 1990s. On January 9, 2019, Guy Moot was named CEO of Warner Chappell Music. He and Carianne Marshall , the company's COO, were appointed co-chairs. On January 15, 2019, Warner Chappell Music filed
2924-457: The management of the intellectual property of composers. The term music publisher originally referred to publishers who issued hand-copied or printed sheet music. Examples (who are actively in business as of June 2019 ) include: In the music industry , a music publisher or publishing company is responsible for ensuring the songwriters and composers receive payment when their compositions are used commercially. Through an agreement called
2992-453: The most important forms of intellectual property in the music industry. (The other is the copyright on a master recording which is typically owned by a record company ). Publishing companies play a central role in managing this vital asset. Successful songwriters and composers have a relationship with a publishing company defined by a publishing contract. Publishers also sometimes provide substantial advances against future income. In return,
3060-440: The music industry. The most unscrupulous type of music publisher is the songshark, who does little if any real "legwork" or promotion on behalf of songwriters. Songsharks make their profit not on royalties from sales, but by charging inexperienced writers for "services" (some real, such as demo recording or musical arranging , some fictional, such as "audition" or "review" fees) a legitimate publisher would provide without cost to
3128-466: The music rights of the film studio Miramax Films . It was ranked in 2010 by Music & Copyright as the world's third-largest music publisher. Among the songs in the company's library are " Winter Wonderland " and formerly " Happy Birthday to You " until the copyright of the song was invalidated in 2015 and put in the public domain the next year. In January 2011, Cameron Strang, founder of New West Records and Southside Independent Music Publishing,
3196-634: The passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , his group the Impressions produced music that became the soundtrack to a summer of revolution. It is even said that "Keep On Pushing" became the number one sing along during the Freedom Rides. Black students sang their songs as they marched to jail or protested outside their universities, while King often used "Keep On Pushing", "People Get Ready" and "We're A Winner" because of their ability to motivate and inspire marchers. Mayfield had quickly become
3264-409: The persistent radio bans and loss of revenue, he continued his quest for equality right until his death. Mayfield was also a descriptive social commentator. As the influx of drugs ravaged through black America in the late 1960s and 1970s his bittersweet descriptions of the ghetto would serve as warnings to the impressionable. "Freddie's Dead" is a graphic tale of street life, while "Pusherman" revealed
3332-566: The publishers. Occasionally a recording artist will ask for a co-writer's credit on a song (thus sharing in both the artist and publishing royalties) in exchange for selecting it to perform, particularly if the writer is not well known. Sometimes an artist's manager or producer will expect a co-credit or share of the publishing (as with Norman Petty and Phil Spector ), and occasionally a publisher will insist on writer's credit (as Morris Levy did with several of his acts); these practices are listed in ascending order of scrupulousness , as regarded by
3400-528: The publishing company of Thom Bell and Gamble and Huff . The same year, Warner Chappell acquired the Canadian music publisher Gordon V. Thompson Music. In 1994, Warner Bros. Publications expanded its print music operations by acquiring CPP/Belwin. CPP/Belwin had been the former print music arm of Columbia Pictures . In 2005, Warner Chappell Music sold most of its printed music division, Warner Bros. Publications, to Alfred Publishing , and in 2006 launched
3468-436: The publishing company receives a percentage, which can be as high as 50% and varies for different kinds of royalty. There are several types of royalty: Publishers also work to link up new songs by songwriters with suitable recording artists to record them and to place writers' songs in other media such as movie soundtracks and commercials . They will typically also handle copyright registration and "ownership" matters for
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#17327937882003536-513: The role of drug dealers in the urban ghettos. Mayfield was married twice. He had 10 children from different relationships. At the time of his death he was married to Altheida Mayfield. Together they had six children. On August 13, 1990, Mayfield became paralyzed from the neck down after stage lighting equipment fell on him while he was being introduced at an outdoor concert at Wingate Field in Flatbush , Brooklyn, New York. Afterwards, he sang
3604-483: The second verse of a remake of " Let's Do It Again " being produced by Gary Katz by the Repercussions for All Men Are Brothers: A Tribute to Curtis Mayfield , while lying on his back in the recording studio. Although he was unable to play the guitar, he continued to compose and sing, which he found he could do by lying down and letting gravity pull down on his chest and lungs. The 1996 album New World Order
3672-415: The sole reason that the intro song on all of them contained samples of a song that was copyrighted by Warner Chappell Music. The Youtuber had paid for a license to use the song, but it turned out that the samples had not been cleared. He stated that he intended to dispute Warner Chappell Music's claims, but that their large number (around 1800) would make this burdensome. In May 2019, Warner Chappell acquired
3740-572: The soundtrack album), Bend It Like Beckham , The Hangover Part II and Short Eyes , where he had a cameo role as a prisoner. "His most affecting songs carried the optimism and conviction of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s most celebrated sermons. His music was a major influence on many of today's most influential rap and hip-hop stars, from Lauryn Hill to Public Enemy." — Los Angeles Times Pop Music Critic Robert Hilburn (1999) Mayfield sang openly about civil rights and black pride, and
3808-400: The soundtracks to other blaxploitation films (most notably Isaac Hayes ' score for Shaft ), which glorified the ghetto excesses of the characters, Mayfield's lyrics consisted of hard-hitting commentary on the state of affairs in black, urban ghettos at the time, as well as direct criticisms of several characters in the film. Bob Donat wrote in Rolling Stone magazine in 1972 that while
3876-496: The writer, as part of their job. (By comparison, a bona fide publisher who charges admission to a workshop for writers, where songs may be auditioned or reviewed, is not wrong to do so.) Rock-n-roll pioneer Buddy Holly split with longtime manager Petty over publishing matters in late 1958, as did the Buckinghams with producer James William Guercio almost a decade later. John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR)
3944-573: Was acquired in 1969. Warner Chappell Music was formed in San Antonio, Texas , in 1987, when Warner Music Group Chairman Chuck Kaye led the company to purchase Chappell & Co. from PolyGram (now Universal Music Group) (UMG). In 1988, Warner-Chappell acquired Birch Tree Group (formerly Summy Birchard), publisher of Happy Birthday to You , and the Frances Clark piano method books. In 1990, Warner Chappell acquired Mighty Three Music,
4012-479: Was heavily involved in writing and arranging for OKeh Records (with Carl Davis producing), which included hits by Major Lance such as " Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um " and " The Monkey Time ", as well as Walter Jackson, Billy Butler and the Artistics. This arrangement ran through 1965. In 1970, Mayfield left the Impressions and began a solo career. Curtom released many of Mayfield's 1970s records, as well as records by
4080-511: Was known for introducing social consciousness into African-American music . Having been raised in the Cabrini-Green projects of Chicago, he witnessed many of the tragedies of the urban ghetto first hand, and was quoted saying "With everything I saw on the streets as a young black kid, it wasn't hard during the later fifties and sixties for me to write my heartfelt way of how I visualized things, how I thought things ought to be." Following
4148-430: Was named CEO of Warner Chappell Music. He was succeeded by former company president Jon Platt in 2016. Warner Chappell acquired Frank Gari 's studio in 2015, adding to its production music library some of the most well-known television news music themes including those for local stations owned by ABC , CBS , and NBC . On June 30, 2017, Warner Chappell Music filed a lawsuit against EMI Music Publishing , accusing
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#17327937882004216-412: Was paralyzed from the neck down during an accident in which lighting equipment fell on him during a live performance at Wingate Field in Flatbush, Brooklyn , New York. Despite this, he continued his career as a recording artist, releasing his final album New World Order in 1996. Mayfield won a Grammy Legend Award in 1994 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. He is a double inductee into
4284-454: Was quoted "It would have been nice to have him there with us, but of course, your parents have the first say." Later in 1956, he joined his high school friend Jerry Butler's group The Roosters with brothers Arthur and Richard Brooks. He wrote and composed songs for this group who would become The Impressions two years later. He was also notably a childhood friend of fellow musician Terry Callier Mayfield's career began in 1956 when he joined
4352-604: Was recorded in this way, with vocals sometimes recorded in lines at a time. Mayfield received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. In February 1998, he had to have his right leg amputated due to diabetes. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 1999. Health reasons prevented him from attending the ceremony, which included fellow inductees Paul McCartney , Billy Joel , Bruce Springsteen , Dusty Springfield , George Martin , and 1970s Curtom signees and labelmates
4420-488: Was released in 1970, and hit the top 20, as well as being a critical success. It pre-dated Marvin Gaye 's album, What's Going On , to which it has been compared in addressing social change. The commercial and critical peak of his solo career came with Super Fly , the soundtrack to the blaxploitation Super Fly film, which topped the Billboard Top LPs chart and sold more than 12 million copies. Unlike
4488-578: Was reported that Lionel Richie had secured the rights to produce a biographical film about Mayfield. Richie said, "I'm so grateful to be working closely with [Mayfield's widow] Altheida Mayfield, [son] Cheaa Mayfield and the Curtis Mayfield Estate and couldn't be happier to be moving forward on this amazing project about a one-of-a-kind music genius." In 1972, the French Academy of Jazz awarded Mayfield's debut solo album Curtis
4556-399: Was sued by his former publisher Saul Zaentz (who'd also served as his manager) over a later Fogerty song that sounded slightly like a CCR song Zaentz published. (Fogerty won in court.) Several bands and artists own (or later purchase) their own publishing, and start their own companies, with or without help from an outside agent. The sale or loss of publishing ownership can be devastating to
4624-454: Was their last major hit for ABC. Reaching number 14 on Billboard ' s pop chart and number one on the R&;B chart, it became an anthem of the black power and black pride movements when it was released in late 1967, much as his earlier "Keep on Pushing" (whose title is quoted in the lyrics of "We're a Winner" and also in " Move On Up ") had been an anthem for Martin Luther King Jr. and
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