The Mayfield Four

by John Bush & William RuhlmannAlterna-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.