Thomas Edd Mayfield
Encyclopedia
Thomas Edward "Edd" Mayfield (April 12, 1926 — July 7, 1958) was a Bluegrass
singer and guitarist
, mostly known for being a member of the Bill Monroe
and Bluegrass Boys band during the 1950s. Edd Mayfield and two of his Texas
brothers, Smokey Mayfield
(1924–2008) of Spearman
and Herbert E. Mayfield
(1920–2008) of Dimmitt
, were part of the Mayfield Brothers Country
band in West Texas
.
in Deaf Smith County southwest of Amarillo
to William Fletcher Mayfield (died 1952) and the former Penelope Drake (died 1937). The family was involved in music, rodeo
, and ranching. Mayfield served in the Pacific Theater
of World War II
.
The Mayfield Brothers were offered a recording contract but turned it down because of the business of the family's Green Valley 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 slot as guitarist in the Bluegrass Boys. At the time he joined the Bluegrass Boys, Edd Mayfield was described as "a handsome, tough-as-barbed-wire cowpuncher, who literally grew up on a ranch, who could ride hard, lasso accurately, and literally toss and tie up a bull. . . and had the wiry strength of a gymnast
.”
On October 28, 1951, Mayfield made the first of his nineteen recordings with "Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys", but he left the group within a year and was replaced by Jimmy Martin
. In 1954, when Martin had left the band, Mayfield rejoined the Bluegrass Boys. A few months later he again quit.
In early 1958, Mayfield returned to Monroe for the last time. He contracted leukemia
, became ill while on the road with the band, and, within three days of being stricken, died at a hospital
in Bluefield
, West Virginia
. He was thirty two. Services for Mayfield were held at the First Baptist
Church in Dimmitt. Burial was in Castro County Memorial Cemetery. Mayfield was married to the former Jo McLain and the couple had two sons, Freddie and Carl. After Mayfield's death his sons were raised by his brother Smokey.
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
singer and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, mostly known for being a member of the Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
and Bluegrass Boys band during the 1950s. Edd Mayfield and two of his Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
brothers, Smokey Mayfield
Smokey Mayfield
Arlie Vincent Mayfield, I, known as Smokey Mayfield , was a ranch supervisor in the Texas Panhandle and a bluegrass musician...
(1924–2008) of Spearman
Spearman, Texas
Spearman is a city in Hansford County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,368. It is the county seat of Hansford County, and is known for its collection of windmills from the J.B. Buchanan windmill collection. The city was named for Thomas E...
and Herbert E. Mayfield
Herbert Mayfield
Herbert Earl Mayfield was a bluegrass musician and a member of the Mayfield Brothers band of West Texas. Playing the mandolin and the guitar, Mayfield played alongside his brothers, Thomas Edd Mayfield and Arlie V...
(1920–2008) of Dimmitt
Dimmitt, Texas
Dimmitt is a city in Castro County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,375 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Castro County. It is located on the old Ozark Trail, a road system from St. Louis, Missouri, to El Paso, Texas...
, were part of the Mayfield Brothers Country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
band in West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
.
Biography
Mayfield was born in DawnDawn, Texas
Dawn is an unincorporated community in eastern Deaf Smith County, Texas, United States. It lies along FM 809 northeast of the city of Hereford, the county seat of Deaf Smith County. Its elevation is 3,802 feet...
in Deaf Smith County southwest of Amarillo
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
to William Fletcher Mayfield (died 1952) and the former Penelope Drake (died 1937). The family was involved in music, rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
, and ranching. Mayfield served in the Pacific Theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The Mayfield Brothers were offered a recording contract but turned it down because of the business of the family's Green Valley Ranch. In the summer of 1951, Bill Monroe's guitarist, Carter Stanley
Carter Stanley
Carter Glen Stanley was a bluegrass music lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitar player. He formed the Stanley Brothers band together with his brother Ralph. The Stanley Brothers are generally acknowledged as the first band after Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys to play in the bluegrass genre...
, left the band, and Monroe, who had heard of Mayfield, offered him the vacant slot as guitarist in the Bluegrass Boys. At the time he joined the Bluegrass Boys, Edd Mayfield was described as "a handsome, tough-as-barbed-wire cowpuncher, who literally grew up on a ranch, who could ride hard, lasso accurately, and literally toss and tie up a bull. . . and had the wiry strength of a gymnast
Gymnast
Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia...
.”
On October 28, 1951, Mayfield made the first of his nineteen recordings with "Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys", but he left the group within a year and was replaced by Jimmy Martin
Jimmy Martin
Jimmy Martin was an American bluegrass musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass".-Early years:Born James H. Martin in Sneedville, Tennessee. Jimmy Martin was born into the hard farming life of rural East Tennessee. He grew up near Sneedville, singing in church and with friends from surrounding...
. In 1954, when Martin had left the band, Mayfield rejoined the Bluegrass Boys. A few months later he again quit.
In early 1958, Mayfield returned to Monroe for the last time. He contracted leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
, became ill while on the road with the band, and, within three days of being stricken, died at a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
in Bluefield
Bluefield, West Virginia
Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. He was thirty two. Services for Mayfield were held at the First Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church in Dimmitt. Burial was in Castro County Memorial Cemetery. Mayfield was married to the former Jo McLain and the couple had two sons, Freddie and Carl. After Mayfield's death his sons were raised by his brother Smokey.