Syd Nathan of King Records
Don Robey of Duke Records
A King U A Duke By Reverend Billy C. Wirtz
The story of the blues often centers around colorful performers and great bands, however, the story behind the scenes was every bit as unique and colorful. The record labels that recorded blues, hillbilly and gospel during the latter half of the twentieth century were independent operations, often either run by one man or a family (as in the case of Chess). Unlike later labels like Delmark and Alligator, these labels were often run by tough, old school hustlers who weren’t afraid to pad a few pockets and/or play rough if needed. Two of the most influential and colorful of that era were Syd Nathan of King Records and Don Robey of Duke Records. King Records King Records was founded by Syd Nathan, a frustrated drummer and dry goods merchant in Cincinnati, OH. Around 1947, Nathan couldn’t ignore the sales figures in his store’s music department; he was doing a huge business
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Blues Festival Guide 2020
in used records. These “next-to-new” items were bought by transplanted Southerners lured to the factories during World War II. The records being sold were not the mainstream popular ballads and big-band selections produced on the coasts. His customers wanted the music that came from their world. Whites from Kentucky wanted hillbilly, the Blacks wanted blues and they both wanted gospel. Nathan did so well he opened a small record shop in the Black section of town and decided to try his luck making records. He began in 1947 with a hillbilly record by guitar genius Merle Travis and Grandpa Jones under the name “The Sheppard Brothers.” It didn’t set the world on fire (that would happen shortly), but broke even and then some. Nathan began recording all types of music, much of it aimed at a Black audience. Rhythm and Blues In 1946, a White disc jockey named Gene Nobles had begun programming rhythm and blues as it’s now known,
