Curtis Knight
The New York bandleader who hired Jimi Hendrix in 1965 and recorded with him before his global fame.
Curtis Knight was a New York-based singer and guitarist who fronted Curtis Knight and the Squires, a workaday party R&B band active in the mid-1960s. The group featured a rotating lineup of musicians, including saxophonist Lonnie Youngblood and the legendary Jimi Hendrix. In October 1965, following a meeting in a Harlem residential hotel lobby where they "hit it off," Hendrix joined Knight's band. During this tenure, Hendrix signed a contract with PPX Studios owner Ed Chaplin for just one dollar, a legal arrangement that would later cause significant issues for the guitarist. Knight led the group through various recordings until Hendrix departed on May 20, 1966.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Mont Curtis McNear
- Born
- 9 May 1929
- Birthplace
- Fort Scott, Kansas, U.S.
- Died
- 29 November 1999
- Place of death
- Lelystad, Flevoland, Netherlands
- Genre
- Rhythm and blues
- soul
- rock
- Occupation
- Musician
- Instrument
- Vocals
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In September 1966, the band released "Hornet's Nest" backed with "Knock Yourself Out" on the RSVP label (RSVP 1124). These tracks were co-composed by Hendrix and Jerry Simon, marking the first compositions by Hendrix to appear on a recorded release. The personnel for these sessions included Curtis Knight on vocals and guitar, Jimi Hendrix on guitar and vocals, Marion Booker on drums, and Ace Hall on bass and tambourine. Later albums like "You Can't Use My Name: The RSVP/PPX Sessions," released in 2015, featured recordings from around 1965. This collection includes tracks such as "No Such Animal" and the song "How Would You Feel." AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that "How Would You Feel" bore a strong resemblance to Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," describing Knight as rewriting the Dylan classic as a black rock protest song.
Reader's Guide
For fans exploring the origins of Jimi Hendrix's recorded output, the sessions with Curtis Knight are essential. The primary releases include the 1966 single "Hornet's Nest"/"Knock Yourself Out" and the 2000 compilation "Knock Yourself Out: The 1965 Studio Sessions," which added five bonus live tracks to ten studio recordings. The comprehensive 2015 release, "You Can't Use My Name: The RSVP/PPX Sessions," is particularly notable for including the Hendrix co-compositions and the Dylan-esque track "How Would You Feel." When examining the personnel, note that Marion Booker (sometimes spelled Marlon) played drums, while Ace Hall handled bass and tambourine. Lonnie Youngblood served as saxophonist and vocalist. The band's sound is defined by its R&B roots, yet these specific recordings capture a unique moment where Hendrix contributed to both guitar and songwriting.
Did You Know?
- Jimi Hendrix met Curtis Knight in the lobby of a Harlem residential hotel in 1964 and joined his band exactly one year later.
- Curtis Knight and the Squires were described by Billboard as a 'workaday party R&B band.'
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