Thomas Edd Mayfield

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thomas Edd Mayfield (b. April 12, 1926 - d. July 7, 1958) was a bluegrass singer and guitarist, mostly known for being a member of the Bluegrass Boys in the 1950s.

[edit] Biography

Mayfield was born in Dawn, Deaf Smith County, Texas into a family of rodeo men and ranchers. Together with his brothers Smokey and Herb, he founded the "Mayfield Brothers", a local Texas bluegrass band. They were offered a recording contract but had to turn it down because they were too busy on the family ranch. In the summer of 1951, Bill Monroe's guitarist Carter Stanley left the band and Monroe, who had heard of Mayfield, offered him the vacant place as guitarist in the Bluegrass Boys. Mayfield made his first recordings with "Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys" on October 28, 1951, but within a year he quit and was replaced by Jimmy Martin. In 1954, when Martin had left the band, Mayfield rejoined the Bluegrass Boys. A few months later he quit once more. In the early 1958, he returned to Monroe for the last time. Mayfield had contracted leukemia and became ill while on the road with the band. He was rushed to a hospital in Bluefield, West Virginia but died soon after at age 32. He recorded a total of 19 songs with the Bluegrass Boys.