Mayfield was writing important songs yes, however he wasn't touching no Smokey Robinson in the 60's. in fact alot of the stuff mayfield did for the five Stirsteps sounded like Smokey Robinson and the miracles outtakes.

the Impressions were good, not great don't get it twisted.

Mayfield was really good in the 60's great in the 70's and then fell out in the 80's onward.

lets Robert S Kelly has held a high level of R&B Music making for 2 straight decades.

Mayfield did his best stuff on soundtracks period IMO.

Mayfield didn't do anything any more different than what smokey robinson and Sly stone or Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye, Sam cooke had or were doing.

influential as a guitar player? yes however dicky dale had just as much impact on what hendrix did.

it takes brother Ronald Isley to tell it. he was around Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson and he said R. Kelly is with them.

take your "L" and going back in your selective "back to the future" machine and scat. ARRUH Rules the CHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!