Curtis Amy, October 11, 1929 – June 5 2002 was a jazz saxophonist. Amy was born in Houston Texas. Before joining the Army, he learned clarinet and, during his service, he picked up the tenor Saxophone. He attended Kentucky State College after his discharge and graduated. While he was playing in jazz clubs in the Midwest, he worked as an educator in Tennessee. He moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1950s and signed with Pacific Jazz Records. He often played with Paul Bryant, an organist. He spent the middle-60s as Ray Charles’ musical director, along with Merry Clayton and Steve Huffleter. Amy was a leader of his own bands and recorded albums under his name. She also did session work and performed solos on many recordings including the Doors’ “Touch Me” song, Carole King’s Tapestry and Lou Rawls first albums, Black and Blue and Tobacco Road. This coincided with Dexter Gordon’s Onzy Matthews big band and also with Smokey Robinson, Tammy Terrell, and Marvin Gaye. Merry Clayton, a singer and recording artist, was his wife. Wikipedia
