It was his most widely distributed recording and won the Blues Foundation's W. C. Handy Award in the category Comeback Album of the Year.
[3] In 1960 Mayes relocated to Houston, and during the following decade he played with Fulson, Big Joe Turner, Percy Mayfield, Bill Doggett, and Junior Parker.
[3] Unable to make a living as a full-time musician, Mayes worked as a ranch hand and then as a painter for the Houston Independent School District.
By the time For Pete's Sake was released (1998), Mayes was still actively managing the Double Bayou dance hall.
Following years of ill health, which included heart problems, diabetes and the amputation of both legs, he died in Houston in December 2008, aged 70.