******** KING RECORDS STORY **************** ONCE UPON A TIME ******** Before there was Bluegrass music, Country music, Rhythm & Blues or Rock & ROLL music, there was Old Time Mountain music. Often called Hillbilly or String Band music, and don't forget Old Time Fiddlers. The sound we know as Bluegrass, did not exist before December 1945. (hey, this is my story, ok ?) The world famous " KING RECORD COMPANY" of Cincinnati, Ohio, started before there was either Bluegrass or Rock & Roll music. About 1942, about the same time "Classic Country" music was taking shape with electric guitars & drums, the "Boone Country Jamboree" was being broadcast on 700am WLW. It would later become the "Midwestern Hayride" on both radio & TV. Pickers & Singers came from all over to be on WLW. The Delmore Bros. from Browns Ferry, Alabama were no exception. While buying used 78rpm Hillbilly records from Syd Nathan at his junk filled record shop at 1351 Central Ave. in downtown Cincinnati, Syd sugested to Alton Delmore, they should start a record company of their own. This was the 2nd location for Syd's record shop, the original had been on 4th St. Syd Nathan had wanted to be a Jazz drummer in his younger years & he sold mostly new pop music, and knew almost nothing about hillbilly music or the people that played it & loved it. Thats why he needed Alton's help, since the Delmore Bros. had already made several recordings for other labels. At this time Syd, who was doing anything he could to make money, developing film, etc.,was so taken with the idea of making records, he bought a portable 78rpm disc recorder. Merle Travis was the first to record on that machine. Now remember, this was at the end of the Great Depression & during WWII. The first KING record was released in 1943. The first artists to record on King records were The Delmore Bros., Merle Travis & Grandpa Jones. They also recorded together as the Browns Ferry Four. The Hee-Haw Gospel Quartet was modeled after them 20yrs. later.
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KING also made Federal, Queen, Bethlehem & de-Luxe records. These labels were for religeous & black artists.
In 1948, KING moved to its final location on Brewster Ave. in Evanston. Cowboy Copas & Hawkshaw Hawkins were King's biggest Country music stars. Cowboy Copas had King's first hit in 1945 with "Filipino Baby". When they were both killed in the 1963 plane crash, along with Patsy Cline, that was the end of Country on King. But Bluegrass & Rythem & Blues continued on until the end. The first real "Bluegrass Music" on King was on August 27, 1951, when Jimmy Martin & Bobby Osborne recorded four songs. The music they did was still considered part of Country music at that time, Blue Grass was two words back then. DJ's and Fans began calling it Bluegrass later. Other Bluegrass groups who recorded at King in Cincinnati were RENO & SMILEY 1952 til 1964. Their first release was "I'm using my bible for a road map" & it was a very big hit, and helped King financialy, when it was needed most. CARTER & RALPH STANLEY 1954? til 1965. RALPH STANLEY returned after Carter's death and recorded til 1969. CHARLIE MOORE & BILL NAPIER 1962 til 1969 Some others were WADE MAINER, The EASTER BROS., TOMMY MAGNESS, CARL STORY. |
Syd Nathan did not like fiddles or banjos. His insisting that Don Reno play guitar instead of banjo on a lot of their records, led to flatpicking in Bluegrass today. George Shuffler developed his crosspicking style with the Stanley Bros. because Syd wanted lead guitar. He also liked drums, and forced Reno & Smiley and others to include them on their records. It was Syd's idea to have the Stanley Bros. record songs like "Finger Poppin' Time". (Somebody is always trying to change Bluegrass & Country music by adding Rock & Roll to it.) Syd didn't like James Brown at all. His first release on Federal in 1956 was "Please, Please, Please". It was not a hit at that time, Syd said it was the worst piece of crap he'd ever heard. |
SYD NATHAN died in 1968, after his 3rd heart attack. KING was taken over by Hal Neely & STARDAY records of Nashville, Tn. By 1970, the building in Evanston was stripped and abandoned. The chocolate brown building is still there, where Brewster dead ends at I-71, near the Woodburn Ave. overpass. As part of it's 200th birthday celebration in 2003, the state of Ohio will place a "Historic Site Marker" at the location. ############################# Center photo shows Ralph Stanley recording at King with Larry Sparks, Melvin Goins and Curly Ray Cline.################## Bottom photo shows Don Reno & Red Smiley at King with Mac Magaha and a young Ronnie Reno. Story by Lee Elliott.*********** PLEASE RETURN TO HOME PAGE ! |
