How Long the Night

F. Curtis Reed (Farnsworth) Curtis, a native of Denver, Colorado came to the Bay Area in the early 70s. He has recorded with renown recording artists Walter, Tramaine, Lynette, and Edwin Hawkins & The Love Center Choir and Daryl Coley & The New Generation Singers. He then became a member of the Band Elements Precise whose performances included, among others, the opening act for Ella Fitzgerald, at UC Berkeley's Annual Jazz Festival held at the Greek Theater, in Berkeley, CA. As a member of The New Travelling Voices under the direction of Jacqueline Butler-Hairston, he has traveled with the group to perform at the quot;Meeting,quot; an annual holiday in Italy, as Ambassadors of the US. The group also shared billing on other programs with other artists such as Cab Calloway, O.C. Smith, The Nicholas Brothers, and the Mills Brothers, to name a few. Curtis was also a member the gospel group Bennie Henderson & Family who have recorded with Melvin Seals, musician in the Jerry Garcia Band. They recorded background vocals for gospel artists such as James Moore and Wanda Nero-Butler among others. Curtis had five minutes of fame when he had the opportunity to sing onstage with Motown's legendary Funk Brothers, the house band who recorded numerous hits for Motown artists and had more hits than the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys and Elvis Presley combined. And in 2007, Curtis received a nomination for the Bay Area's Black music Award for Best Male Gospel Soloist. Currently, he sings in choirs at the Allen Temple Baptist Church, in Oakland, CA under the direction of Dr. Alvin McLean, where he is a member.