King Records

King Records is the name of at least two different record labels.

King Records, USA

The other King Records was a United States based record label, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan, specializing in country music, at the time still known as "Hillbilly music". King advertised "If it's a King, It's a Hillbilly -- If it's a Hillbilly, it's a King". King artists included Homer and Jethro, Grandpa Jones, the Delmore Brothers, and Reno and Smiley whose song "I'm Using My Bible for a Road Map" was one of the labels important early hits.

Related Topics:
United States - Cincinnati, Ohio - 1943 - Syd Nathan - Country music - Hillbilly - Homer and Jethro - Grandpa Jones - Delmore Brothers - Reno and Smiley

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The company also had a "Race Records" (African American) label, Queen Records. In the 1950s, this side of the business outpaced the hillbilly recordings, as King Records was highly successful with R&B artists like Roy Brown, Jack Dupree, Otis Williams & the Charms, James Brown and Johnny Guitar Watson (the latter two distributed via sister label Federal Records). King purchaced other record labels, including Deluxe Records (in 1952) and Bethlehem Records.

Related Topics:
African American - Queen Records - Roy Brown - Jack Dupree - Otis Williams & the Charms - James Brown - Johnny Guitar Watson - Federal Records - Deluxe Records - 1952 - Bethlehem Records

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When Nathan died in 1968 the label was acquired by Hall Neely's Star-Day Company. Neely relaunched the label as Star-day King Records. The legendary songwriter duo Leiber & Stoller bought the label in 1970 but sold it soon afterwards to Gusto Records. Since 2001, U.S. based record label Collectables Records has been remastering and reissuing the King Records catalog.

Related Topics:
1968 - Hall Neely - Star-Day Company - Star-day King Records - Leiber - Stoller - Gusto Records - Collectables Records

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