'There would be no record business as we know it without the passion of these pioneers. Today's leaders and label heads pale in comparison to these legendary giants. Show me a man today who could stand up to a Syd Nathan or a Don Robey, and I'll show you a man behind bars - not behind a desk. Why, w[...]
When recording was more art than science, regional music centres flourished. From the 1940s to the 1970s, before corporate take-overs quieted their distinctive sounds, regional cities turned out hundreds of hits, from "My Guy" to "Five O'Clock World." Paying tribute to these neglected treasures, jou[...]
Starting with a few songs and a dream in 1943, King Records - a leading American independent - launched musical careers from a shabby brick factory on Brewster Avenue in Cincinnatiâs Evanston neighborhood. Founder Sydney Nathan recorded country singers Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Wayne Rane[...]