Ruffabilly

Biography

Wesley Erwin "Mac" Curtis, Jr. (January 16, 1939 – September 16, 2013) was an American rockabilly musician. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Curtis began playing guitar at the age of 12, entering local talent competitions. He moved to Weatherford in 1954, 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, an...

Wesley Erwin "Mac" Curtis, Jr. (January 16, 1939 – September 16, 2013) was an American rockabilly musician.

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Curtis began playing guitar at the age of 12, entering local talent competitions. He moved to Weatherford in 1954, 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 after Alan Freed heard the group and invited them to play on his Christmas radio special in 1956. He 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 #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 European label Rollin Rock; his career took off there in the 1980s and 1990s. He was later elected to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
He died on September 16, 2013, following injuries received in a car accident.
Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.