Alterna-rock group
the Mayfield Four formed in Spokane in mid-1996 around vocalist
Myles Kennedy, guitarist
Craig Johnson, bassist Marty Meisner, and drummer
Zia Uddin. Influenced by the silky Motown soul of
Marvin Gaye and
Stevie Wonder, as well as the aggressive groove of
Led Zeppelin, the group signed to Epic Records and recorded the live EP Motion, released in late 1997. In May of the following year, they released their debut album,
Fallout, then went on a 15-month promotional tour opening for Creed,
Everclear, and Fuel. The album failed to chart, and Johnson departed, leaving
the Mayfield Four to carry on as a trio of
Kennedy,
Meisner, and Uddin. They released their second album,
Second Skin, in June 2001, and returned to the road with
Everclear. Meanwhile,
Kennedy put in an appearance in the film Rock Star. ~ John Bush & William Ruhlmann