Photo: Bengt Nyman · CC BY 2.0 · credits
Tier 2 · legacy legend
Curtis Salgado
Person · male · United States · Everett · born 1954 · recording since 1996
American musician
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Also known as Curtis Salagado · 柯提斯·薩爾加度
Timeline
11 events▣ Album 9◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1
1950s
1990s
· Debut release
Debut release: Hit It 'n Quit It
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
2000s
2010s
2020s
Biography
English biography534 words · 2 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1358219401
Biography
Curtis Salgado (born February 4, 1954, in Everett, Washington, United States) is a Portland, Oregon-based blues, blues rock, and blue-eyed soul singer-songwriter. He plays harmonica and fronts his own band as lead vocalist.
Career
Salgado began his career leading The Nighthawks, based in Eugene, Oregon. He then joined forces with Robert Cray and sang and played harmonica in The Robert Cray Band for six years, including singing on Cray's debut album, released in 1980. Salgado and Cray parted ways in 1982. Salgado went on to front Roomful of Blues, singing and touring with them from 1984 through 1986. Returning to Oregon, he formed Curtis Salgado & The Stilettos in 1991 on the JRS label. The band opened for The Steve Miller Band during the summer of 1992. In 1995, Curtis spent a short stint as the lead singer with the band Santana. In 1997, he and Portland guitarist Terry Robb toured with Miller to promote their album Hit It 'n Quit It
Hit It 'n Quit ItSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1If It Ain’t Me3:012Drop Down Mama3:123Voodoo Music2:554Bitter Tears2:405Hit It ’n Quit It5:366Still a Fool3:467My Kind of Woman2:598Too Young to Know3:149You’re So Fine3:0410El Gado Rumba Azúl4:4611Feeling Good8:02, including an appearance with Miller on the NBC television show Late Night with Conan O'Brien where Salgado and Robb performed their original composition "Bitter Tears." He signed with Shanachie Records in 1999 and released four albums on that label, before signing with Chicago's Alligator Records in 2012.
Salgado was the inspiration behind John Belushi's creation of the Blues Brothers characters in the late 1970s. They met and became friends while Belushi was in Eugene, Oregon, filming the movie Animal House. The Blues Brothers' debut album Briefcase Full of Blues is dedicated to Salgado, and Cab Calloway's character in The Blues Brothers film is named after Curtis.
Salgado was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2005, and underwent a successful liver transplant in 2006. He continues to record and perform his music. On June 13, 2006, a benefit concert was held in his honor in Portland to raise funds for his medical treatment. Among those who performed were Little Charlie & the Nightcats, Everclear, Taj Mahal, The Robert Cray Band, and Steve Miller. Also in attendance was the widow of John Belushi who spoke of Salgado's part in the development of The Blues Brothers. On April 29, 2007, another benefit was held in Curtis' honor, bringing Steve Miller and Little Charlie and the boys back, and adding Jimmie Vaughan, and harp players Charlie Musselwhite and Kim Wilson.
Salgado was nominated for four of the Blues Foundation's 2009 Blues Music Awards, including Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year and Soul Blues Album of the year for his album, Clean Getaway
Clean GetawaySpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Clean Getaway4:502Both Sorry Over Nothin’3:303Portable Man4:144Summertime Life5:215What’s Up With That2:596I Sleep With the TV On4:087Lip Whippin’3:038Funny Man5:249Heartache3:0410Let’s Get Married5:2611More Love Less Attitude4:1812Bottle of Red Wine3:55. In 2010, Salgado won the Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year award, which he won again in 2012. In 2013, he won the Blues Music Award for the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, Soul Blues Male Artist and Soul Shot won Soul Blues Album of the Year.
In 2013, Salgado was nominated for a Blues Music Award in four separate categories. In 2017, Salgado won three Blues Music Awards in different categories. At the 2023 Blues Music Awards, Salgado was named as 'Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year'.
In 2025, Curtis won the Blues Music Award for Soul Blues Male Singer and his album Fine By Me won for Soul Blues Album.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 5 | 32th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 13 | 84th |
| Studio albums | 13 | 93.5th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 11 | 87.9th |
| Recording span (years) | 25 | 55.9th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (13 release groups · 13 studio albums)
Albums · 13
1996 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 11 tracks · 43:15
1If It Ain’t Me3:012Drop Down Mama3:123Voodoo Music2:554Bitter Tears2:405Hit It ’n Quit It5:366Still a Fool3:467My Kind of Woman2:598Too Young to Know3:149You’re So Fine3:0410El Gado Rumba Azúl4:4611Feeling Good8:02Curtis Salgado & The Stilettos
1997 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 12 tracks · 57:23
1More Love, Less Attitude4:392You Love Me and I Don't Blame You4:193Star Bright, Star Light3:264I Musta' Been Nuts4:505A World Gone by Me4:496Boppin' That Lovin' Stuff4:527I Shouted Your Name4:388Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday4:399Bottle of Dreams4:4910Depending on Your Love4:1311Too Loose3:4112Blues Get Off My Shoulder8:281999 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 10 tracks · 40:51
1That’s All a Part of Lovin’ You3:522Wiggle Outta This4:343I Want Everyone to Know4:154I Feel So Good3:425Why Don’t I Care3:556Sorry Don’t Mean Nuthin’5:277Sing My Song4:238Cookie Dough3:219Beneath the Silver Moon3:2810Sweet Jesus Buddha the Doctor3:542001 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 11 tracks · 48:17
1Old Enough to Know Better4:262I'd Rather Be Blind5:193Who's Lovin' You4:034My Confessions4:185The Harder They Come4:106Alone4:207I Don't Want to Discuss It5:44820 Years of B.B. King4:119Every Time You Go Away4:1810Hip Hip Baby2:3211Drivin' in the Drivin' Rain4:562008 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 12 tracks · 50:12
1Clean Getaway4:502Both Sorry Over Nothin’3:303Portable Man4:144Summertime Life5:215What’s Up With That2:596I Sleep With the TV On4:087Lip Whippin’3:038Funny Man5:249Heartache3:0410Let’s Get Married5:2611More Love Less Attitude4:1812Bottle of Red Wine3:552012 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 11 tracks · 46:38
1What You Gonna Do?3:102Love Comfort Zone4:383Gettin' to Know You5:334She Didn't Cut Me Loose4:205Nobody But You3:386Let Me Make Love to You3:527Love Man3:138He Played His Harmonica4:309Baby, Let Me Take You in My Arms3:5210Strung Out5:3011A Woman or the Blues4:222016 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 12 tracks · 47:52
1Hard To Feel The Same About Love3:242Low Down Dirty Shame3:193I Know A Good Thing3:114Walk A Mile In My Blues4:325Healing Love3:516Nothing In Particular (Little Bit Of Everything)3:547Simple Enough4:198I'm Not Made That Way4:459Is There Something I Should Know4:3010My Girlfriend4:1311Ring Telephone Ring3:0812Hook Me Up4:462018 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 13 tracks · 50:31
1I Will Not Surrender4:582So Near To Nowhere3:573One Night Only2:504I Want My Dog To Live Longer (The Greatest Wish)2:475I Can't Be Satisfied3:506Too Young To Die4:077Depot Blues4:118Morning Train4:139You Got To Move4:3310Hell In A Handbasket4:1311Long Train Blues3:2512The Gift Of Robert Charles3:5413I Want You By My Side3:332021 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 13 tracks
1The Longer That I Live2What Did Me in Did Me Well3You’re Going to Miss My Sorry Ass4Precious Time5Count of Three6Always Say I Love You (at the End of Your Goodbyes)7Hail Mighty Caesar8I Don’t Do That No More9Oh for the Cry Eye10Damage Control11Truth Be Told12The Fix Is In13Slow Down— · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 12 tracks · 50:13
1Clean Getaway4:502Both Sorry Over Nothin’3:303Who’s Lovin’ You4:144My Confessions5:215What’s Up With That2:596Alone4:087I Don’t Want to Discuss It3:03820 Years of B.B. King5:249Heartache3:0410Let’s Get Married5:2611Drivin’ in the Drivin’ Rain4:1812Bottle of Red Wine3:56— · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 11 tracks · 48:17
1Old Enough to Know Better4:262I'd Rather Be Blind5:193Portable Man4:034Summertime Life4:185The Harder They Come4:106I Sleep With the TV On4:207Lip Whippin'5:448Funny Man4:119Every Time You Go Away4:1810Hip Hip Baby2:3211More Love Less Attitude4:56— · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 14 tracks · 57:22
1To Hell With It, Part 10:432Little Charmer4:453I Don't Care5:134Salt in My Wounds5:335Heartless4:126She Told Me That Too3:507More Than You Can Chew5:158Can't This Be Mine3:599I'm Not Through Lovin' You5:0310Got a Bad Feelin' (Gonna Be a Good Night)4:2011Jump Into Love3:5512Always4:3213On My Way Back Home4:2914To Hell With It, Part 21:33— · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 13 tracks · 59:26
1Give Me Patience4:552I'll Be Back3:453Born All Over4:344Who Is He (And What Is He to You)3:485Can't Stop Lovin'3:346Strong Suspicion4:467Inside My Heart5:368Money Must Think I'm Dead4:119Love Her Just Because4:0810Help Me Through the Day5:1611At Least I Didn't Do That4:4512The Sum of Something4:2713Don't Wait Until Tomorrow (1000 MPH)5:41
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Curtis Salgado head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 5 | 32th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 13 | 84th |
| Studio albums | 13 | 93.5th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 11 | 87.9th |
| Recording span (years) | 25 | 55.9th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Awards & honours
Line-up
| Name | From | To | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curtis Salgado & the Stilettos(band) | — | present | eponymous |
| Santana(band) | 1995 | 1995 |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Curtis_Salgado_12April2008.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/7f12b47b-c76b-441a-b113-36992107ee62discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/7f12b47b-c76b-441a-b113-36992107ee62core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1145645genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1145645seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Salgadobiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Salgado
Why this artist is in the database
- List of soul musicians
Tier rule: genre canon: soul
Image: Bengt Nyman · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q1145645 · MusicBrainz: 7f12b47b-c76b-441a-b113-36992107ee62
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