Travis Atria, MAMC 2007, is the co-author of Traveling Soul: The Life of Curtis Mayfield, a recently published book on soul musician Curtis Mayfield. Mayfield was one of the seminal vocalists and most talented guitarists of his era. He was known for his role a social critic and his music had a vital influence on the civil rights movement.

Atria, a resident of Gainesville, is a writer, audio engineer and musician. His work has been featured in print and online magazines including Wax Poetics, Rolling Stone, The Believer, Paste and many more. Previously, he worked for ten years for The Gainesville Sun as the arts and culture correspondent. His music has been featured on television and in film and he has performed at Bonnaroo and SXSW. On October 14, Gold Robot Records will release a remastered cut of his band Morning Bell’s 2013 album, “Boa Noite.”

In Traveling Soul, Atria and Mayfield’s son Todd, tell the story of a man who was born into dire poverty and raised in the slums of Chicago yet became a musical prodigy. In the 1960s he became a pioneer, opening his own label and production company and working with many other top artists, including the Staple Singers. Curtis’s life was famously cut short by an accident that left him paralyzed, but in his declining health he received the long-awaited recognition of the music industry.

Posted: October 10, 2016
Category: Alumni News, College News
Tagged as: Curtis Mayfield, Rolling Stone, Travis Atria