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King Curtis

ts, as, 1934-1971 US, Fort Worth, Texas
Musician / Producer of R&B/Soul and Jazz
A.k.a. Curtis Ousley

Curtis Ousley (February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, blues, funk and soul jazz. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer. Adept at tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, he was best known for his distinctive riffs and solos such as on "Yakety Yak", which later became the inspiration for Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax" and his own "Memphis Soul Stew".

     
Instruments
  • Tenor sax
  • Alto sax
  • Saxophone
  • Soprano sax
  • Vocals
Genres
  • R&B/Soul
  • Jazz
  • Rock
  • Blues
  • Pop
Plays With
Shirley Scott & The Soul Saxes
Al Smith
The Dellwoods
King Curtis And His Orchestra
Mike Russo
Band Members
Discography



Title Artist Year Type
Soul Twistin' With The KingKing Curtis2017Compil.
His First Eight Classic Albums Plus Singles And B-sides 1959-1962King Curtis2017Compil.
Soul Twist: The Best Of The Early SixtiesKing Curtis2015Compil.
A & R Studios 1971Delaney & Bonnie With The Allman Brothers Band & King Curtis2015Album
The Complete Atco SinglesKing Curtis2015Compil.
Beach PartyKing Curtis2014Album
Sax SceneKing Curtis2013Compil.
Soul TwistKing Curtis2013Compil.
Trouble In Mind Plus It's Party TimeKing Curtis2012Album
Wail Man Wail - The Best Of King Curtis 1952-1961King Curtis2012Compil.
Seven Classic AlbumsKing Curtis2012Compil.
Music For Dancing The Twist!King Curtis2010Album
Baby It's You / The Shirelles And King Curtis Give A Twist PartyThe Shirelles and King Curtis2008Compil.
Unchained MelodyKing Curtis2007Compil.
The Platinum CollectionKing Curtis2007Compil.
2007 Rhino Records Holiday SingleBooker T & The MG's / King Curtis2007Single
Enjoy . . . The Best OfKing Curtis2006Album
Memphis Soul StewKing Curtis2006Compil.
Azure (The Everest Sessions)King Curtis2006Compil.
The Another Side Of Don't Fight The FeelingAretha Franklin & King Curtis2005Album
Live At Fillmore West: Don't Fight The FeelingAretha Franklin & King Curtis2005Compil.
The King Of The SaxKing Curtis2004Compil.
Sock It To 'Em JB (Pt.1) / Memphis Soul StewRex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers / King Curtis2004Single
Hot Sax, Cool LicksKing Curtis2000Compil.
Have Tenor Sax, Will Blow/Live At Small's ParadiseKing Curtis2000Compil.
King Curtis Plays The Great Memphis Hits / King Size SoulKing Curtis1998Compil.
Groovin' With The King - Best OfKing Curtis1997Compil.
Soul TwistKing Curtis1997Compil.
The Best Of King CurtisKing Curtis1996Compil.
The Best Of King CurtisKing Curtis1996Compil.
The Best ofKing Curtis1996Compil.
The Best Of King CurtisKing Curtis1996Compil.
King's Rock - Early RecordingsKing Curtis1996Compil.
Night TrainKing Curtis1995Compil.
Old Gold / Doing The Dixie TwistKing Curtis1995Compil.
Trouble In Mind / It's Party TimeKing Curtis1994Compil.
Instant Soul: The Legendary King CurtisKing Curtis1994Compil.
Soul Twist / Twisting With The KingKing Curtis1994Single
Soul Serenade / You Better GoKing Curtis / Nancy Wilson1993Single
Old Gold / Trouble In MindKing Curtis1993Compil.
Instrumental Soul HitsRamsey Lewis + King Curtis1992Compil.
But That's Alright / Trouble In MindKing Curtis1992Single
King CurtisKing Curtis1992Compil.
Blow Man Blow !King Curtis1992Album
King CurtisKing Curtis1992Compil.
16 Original HitsKing Curtis1991Compil.
Soul SerenadeKing Curtis1991Compil.
Instant GrooveKing Curtis1990Compil.
C'mon And Swim / Soul TwistBobby Freeman / King Curtis1989Single
Soul GrooveKing Curtis1987Compil.
Didn't He PlayKing Curtis1987Compil.
Live In New YorkKing Curtis1985Album
Tony Williams & Paul Robi Of The Platters / Percy Sledge / Lee Dorsey / King CurtisTony Williams & Paul Robi · Percy Sledge / Lee Dorsey / King Curtis1981Compil.
Green Onions / Chinese Checkers / Memphis Soul Stew / Sock It To 'Em J.B. (Part 1)Booker T & The MG's / King Curtis / Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers1980Single
Golden Tenor SaxophonesWillis Jackson, King Curtis1975Single
Soul TimeKing Curtis1975Compil.
Memphis Soul Stew / Teasin'King Curtis1974Single
Jazz GrooveKing Curtis1973Compil.
Soul On SoulKing Curtis1973Compil.
The Best Of King CurtisKing Curtis1973Compil.
Lo Mejor De King CurtisKing Curtis1973Compil.
Blues At MontreuxKing Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree1973Album
Blues At MontreuxKing Curtis & Champion Jack Dupree1973Album
Soul TimeKing Curtis1972Album
Everybody's Talkin'King Curtis1972Album
The Best Of King Curtis / One More TimeKing Curtis1972Compil.
Watermelon ManKing Curtis1972Compil.
ChangesKing Curtis1971Single
Whole Lotta Love / La JeanneKing Curtis1971Single
Live At Fillmore WestKing Curtis1971Album
Whole Lotta Love / Teasin'King Curtis & The Kingpins / King Curtis with Delaney Bramlett, Eric Clapton and Friends1971Single
Do Your ThingKing Curtis1970Compil.
Soul Twist / Rinky DinkKing Curtis / Dave "Baby" Cortez1970Single
Teasin' / Soulin'King Curtis1970Single
Get ReadyKing Curtis1970Album
Instant GrooveKing Curtis1969Album
King Sized SoulKing Curtis1969Single
The Best Of King CurtisKing Curtis1969Compil.
Little Green Apples / La JeanneKing Curtis1969Single
The Best Of King CurtisKing Curtis1969Single
La Jeanne / Little Green ApplesKing Curtis1969Single
Promotional LP For Record Department-In-Store-PlayBuffalo Springfield / King Curtis1968Compil.
The Christmas SongKing Curtis1968Single
Sax In MotionKing Curtis1968Album
Sweet SoulKing Curtis1968Album
The Best Of King CurtisKing Curtis1968Compil.
I Heard It Through The GrapevineKing Curtis1968Single
Promotional LP For Record Department-In-Store-PlayOtis Redding, King Curtis1968Compil.
Jump Back / When Something Is Wrong With My BabyKing Curtis1967Single
Ode To Billie Joe / Memphis Soul StewKing Curtis1967Single
Soul Twist / I'm BlueKing Curtis / The Ikettes1967Single
Memphis Soul StewKing Curtis1967Single
Jump Back / When Something Is Wrong With My Baby / Pots And Pans ( live)King Curtis1967Single
Plays The Great Memphis HitsKing Curtis1967Single
Green Onions / You Don't Miss Your WaterKing Curtis1967Single
Plays The Great Memphis HitsKing Curtis1967Album
Good To MeKing Curtis1967Single
The Shadow Of Your Smile / And I Love HerKing Curtis1966Single
Something On Your Mind / Soul ThemeKing Curtis1966Single
Pots & PansKing Curtis1966Single
You've Lost That Loving FeelingKing Curtis1966Single
QuicksandKing Curtis1966Single
Live At Small's ParadiseKing Curtis1966Album
That Lovin' FeelingKing Curtis1966Album
Dancing In The Streets / He'll Have To GoKing Curtis1966Single
Live At Small's ParadiseKing Curtis1966Album
Spanish Harlem / BossKing Curtis1965Single
Plays The Hits Made Famous By Sam CookeKing Curtis1965Album
The Prance / Slow DragKing Curtis1965Single
Soul SerenadeKing Curtis1964Single
Soul SerenadeKing Curtis1964Album
Hide Away / Stranger On The ShoreKing Curtis1964Single
Soul Twine / Bill BaileyKing Curtis1964Single
Summer Dream / Melancholy SerenadeKing Curtis1964Single
Fait Le Singe (Do The Monkey)King Curtis1963Single
Theme From Lilies Of The Field (Amen)King Curtis1963Single
Do The MonkeyKing Curtis1963Single
Beautiful Brown EyesKing Curtis1962Single
Give A Twist PartyThe Shirelles & King Curtis1962Album
The HucklebuckKing Curtis1962Single
Doing The Dixie TwistKing Curtis1962Album
Beautiful Brown EyesKing Curtis1962Single
King Curtis Stomp / Steel Guitar RagKing Curtis1962Single
Jivin' Time / I Have To WorryKing Curtis1962Single
It's Party Time With King CurtisKing Curtis1962Album
Low Down / I'll Wait For YouKing Curtis1962Single
Trouble In MindKing Curtis1962Album
Country SoulKing Curtis1962Album
Soul BattleOliver Nelson, King Curtis, Jimmy Forrest1962Album
Have Tenor Sax, Will BlowKing Curtis1961Single
Hot Rod / Bonaparte's RetreatKing Curtis1961Single
The Soul Of King CurtisKing Curtis1961Album
Twist PartyThe Top Notes, Ray Charles / Bobby Darin, King Curtis1961Single
Old GoldKing Curtis1961Album
The New Scene Of King CurtisKing Curtis1960Album
King Neptune's Guitar / Beatnik HoedownKing Curtis1960Single
Soul MeetingKing Curtis1960Album
Heavenly Blues / Restless GuitarKing Curtis And His Orchestra, King Curtis1959Single
Have Tenor Sax, Will BlowKing Curtis1959Album
Wicky Wacky (Part 1) / Wicky Wacky (Part 2)King Curtis1958Single
The Battle For The BeatKing Curtis And Lowell "Count" Hastings With Leroy Kirkland's Hi-Flyers1958Single
Wine Head / I've Got News For You BabyKing Curtis1953Single
Tenor In The Sky / No More Crying On My PillowKing Curtis1953Single
Memphis Soul Stew / Jump BackKing CurtisSingle
Soul Meeting /All The WayKing CurtisSingle
"Piping Hot" King Curtis: The Complete Enjoy SessionsKing CurtisCompil.
Home Cookin'King CurtisCompil.
Sister Sadie / TanyaKing CurtisSingle
Soul Train, Pt. 1King CurtisSingle
Dynamite at Midnight / King's RockKing CurtisSingle
Greatest HitsKing CurtisCompil.
Madisonville, U.S.A.King CurtisSingle
Soul GrooveKing CurtisAlbum
Sax RockKing CurtisAlbum
Home Cookin'King CurtisSingle
Did'n He PlayKing CurtisCompil.
Turn 'em ON / BEACH PARTYKing CurtisSingle
灯りを消して テナー・サックスによるBTMKing Curtis, The Jimmy Forrest Quintet, Willis Jackson, Eddie "Lockjaw" DavisCompil.
External Links
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Acknowledgements
To all the music fans that are contributing on Discogs, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Thanks to Franz Flückiger for providing Storygram used to visualize band membership.
Other Search Results
King Curtis & His Royal Men Blues
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King Curtis And His Orchestra Rock and R&B/Soul
King Curtis And His Soul Music R&B/Soul
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King Curtis Quintet
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