CURLEY MAYS

Born. 26 November 1938, Maxie, Louisiana, USA. A nephew of Gatemouth Brown and a cousin of Phillip Walker, Mays was raised in Beaumont, Texas, where he taught himself to play guitar when he was in his early teens. He worked on the streets and in the clubs around Beaumont until his break came in 1959 when he began a three-year stint with the Etta James Revue. Over the years, he also worked with the Five Royales, James Brown and Tina Turner. After a period spent working in hotel bands in Las Vegas, Mays formed his own band in the mid-60s and returned to Texas, where he appeared regularly in clubs from San Antonio to Houston. Veteran Texas bluesman Zuzu Bollin remembered him as a consummate showman blessed with the ability to play the guitar with his bare feet!