With his stunning, soulful falsetto and cutting political messages, Curtis Mayfield's work in the ‘60s and ‘70s impacted essentially all R&B to come after. Marvin Gaye and The Stylistics took note of Mayfield's heavy commentaries, delivering their social critiques with a smooth, gentle grace, while Lenny Kravitz and Michael Jackson evoked Mayfield's prowess for combining angelic lead vocals with sensual grooves.