Mayfield's Legacy
On May 6, 1989, Smokey and Herb Mayfield were honored by South Plains College, a community college in Levelland, the seat of Hockley County west of Lubbock, as "Pioneers of Bluegrass Music in the South Plains." They received plaques and belt buckles as "Honorary Bill Monroe Bluegrass Boys". The two played for decades in regional music festivals. Edd’s son, Fred Mayfield, joined his uncles for the occasion. The Mayfields are also honored through the Mayfield Bluegrass Scholarship at South Plains College, 1401 S. College Avenue, Levelland, TX 79336.
Mary Mayfield said that her husband "had perfect pitch, never had a music lesson, and couldn't read music, but he could play anything he heard." His last Bluegrass jamboree was in Amarillo in 1992. He also played in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, and Nashville, Tennessee in a reunion concert with Bill Monroe.
The radio performances and personal appearances of the Mayfield Brothers in West Texas inspired Waylon Jennings, Sonny Curtis, and Buddy Holly of a later generation of musicians. The International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky, is preparing a documentary on the Mayfield family.
Read more about this topic: Smokey Mayfield
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