Stax Records facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stax Records
Parent company	Concord
Founded	1957; 68 years ago (1957)
Founder	Jim Stewart, Estelle Axton
Distributor(s)	Concord Records (in the United States) Universal Music Group (distribution) Craft Recordings (reissues) Atlantic Records Rhino Entertainment (Pre-1968 catalog)
Genre	Soul R&B Funk Prog rock
Location	Memphis, Tennessee

Stax Records was an American record company that started in Memphis, Tennessee. It began in 1957 as Satellite Records and changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It also had a sister label called Volt Records.

Stax was very important in creating Southern soul and Memphis soul music. It also released gospel, funk, and blues songs. The company was famous for its blues music. It was founded by a brother and sister, Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. The name "Stax" comes from their last names: STewart and AXton.

Stax was special because it had many bands with both Black and White musicians, like its main band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s. This was very unusual at a time when people were often separated by race in Memphis and the Southern United States. Music expert Rob Bowman said that Stax used "one studio, one equipment set-up, the same set of musicians and a small group of songwriters." This helped them create a unique sound. This sound mixed Black gospel, blues, country, and early rhythm and blues (R&B). It became known as Southern soul music.

After Otis Redding, Stax's biggest star, died in 1967, and their deal with Atlantic Records ended in 1968, Al Bell took over. He expanded the company a lot to compete with Motown Records in Detroit. But in the mid-1970s, problems with a distribution deal with CBS Records led to Stax closing in late 1975.

In 1977, Fantasy Records bought many of Stax's old recordings. From 1978, Stax (now owned by Fantasy) started signing new artists and releasing new music, as well as old Stax songs. But by the early 1980s, Stax mostly just re-released old music.

In 2004, Concord Records bought Fantasy. They brought the Stax label back to life. Today, Stax releases both old songs from 1968–1975 and new music by current R&B and soul artists. Atlantic Records still owns most of the Stax music made between 1959 and 1968.

The Story of Stax Records

Starting as Satellite Records (1957–1960)

The "Stax-o-Wax" logo used when Atlantic helped distribute Stax music.

Stax Records first started as Satellite Records in Memphis in 1957. Jim Stewart began the company in his garage. At first, Satellite released country music, rockabilly, and pop songs. This showed Jim Stewart's own musical tastes.

In 1958, Jim's sister, Estelle Axton, joined the company. She took a big risk and used her home as a guarantee to get $2,500 for the company. This money helped Satellite buy a special tape recorder.

In 1959, the company set up a small recording studio in a converted garage in Brunswick, Tennessee. Jim Stewart later said they had "no sound equipment or anything else but a small building and a lot of desire."

Around this time, Jim Stewart learned about rhythm and blues music from producer Chips Moman. In the summer of 1959, Satellite released its first R&B song, "Fool in Love," by the Veltones. This song was then distributed nationally by Mercury Records. However, Satellite mostly remained a country and pop label for a while.

While promoting "Fool in Love," Jim Stewart met Rufus Thomas, a Memphis radio DJ and R&B singer. They both liked each other's work. Soon after, Stewart moved the company back to Memphis. They set up in an old movie theater, the Capitol Theatre, at 926 East McLemore Avenue. Stewart chose this spot because it was near where Rufus Thomas and other musicians lived.

In the summer of 1960, Rufus Thomas and his daughter Carla were the first artists to record in the new studio. Their song, "Cause I Love You," became a big local hit. Atlantic Records then helped distribute it across the country. It sold many copies and became Satellite's biggest hit at that time.

Becoming Stax and Partnering with Atlantic (1961)

After "Cause I Love You" was a success, Jim Stewart made a deal with Atlantic Records. Atlantic would get the first chance to release Satellite's recordings. From then on, Stewart focused more on recording R&B artists. He said it was like "a blind man who suddenly gained his sight" when he discovered R&B. From 1961, almost all music from Satellite (and later Stax and Volt) was R&B or Southern soul.

As part of the deal, Satellite agreed to keep recording Carla Thomas. But her songs would be released on the Atlantic label. Her first hit, "Gee Whiz," was first on Satellite. But it was quickly re-released on Atlantic and became a hit in early 1961. Carla's songs continued to be on Atlantic until mid-1965.

In June 1961, Satellite signed a local band called the Royal Spades. They changed their name to the Mar-Keys. Their song "Last Night" became a huge hit, reaching #3 on the US pop charts.

"Last Night" was the first song to be distributed nationally on the Satellite label itself. Other Satellite songs had been released nationally on Atlantic or Atco labels. This caused a problem because another company in California was also named Satellite Records. So, in September 1961, Satellite officially changed its name to "Stax Records." This name was a mix of the owners' names: Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton.

Stax and Volt Rise (1962–1964)

By 1962, Stax was ready to become a major R&B music company, like Motown and Atlantic. Many things helped the label succeed throughout the 1960s. These included its record store, studio, artist and repertoire (A&R) department, and house band. The house band even helped Jim Stewart decide which songs to release.

The Record Store

While Jim Stewart ran the recording studio, Estelle Axton managed the Satellite record shop. She set it up in the old movie theater's lobby. The store sold records from many different companies. This helped the Stax staff know what music was popular. The store became a favorite spot for local teenagers. They would play new Stax songs there to see what customers thought. It also provided money for the company in its early days.

Robert Gordon's book Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion (2013) highlights Estelle Axton's importance. People called her "Miz Axton" or "Lady A." She was respected by everyone at Stax. She was like a mother figure. Even without formal training, she had a great feel for music. She gave many good ideas to the young writers and musicians. Booker T. Jones called Estelle "an inspirer." He said, "She just loved music, loved people. She kept us in touch with the music industry. I doubt there would have been a Stax Records without Estelle Axton."

A&R Department

The first A&R director, Chips Moman, left in late 1961. He had a disagreement with Jim Stewart about money. He then opened his own studio. Steve Cropper, a member of the Mar-Keys, took over as Stewart's assistant and A&R director. Cropper quickly became a writer, producer, and guitarist for many Stax songs.

The House Band

In the early years, the Stax house band changed a bit. But Steve Cropper, bassist Lewie Steinberg, drummers Howard Grimes or Curtis Green, and horn players Floyd Newman, Gene "Bowlegs" Miller, and Gilbert Caple were often there.

By 1962, Booker T. Jones was also a regular musician at Stax. He mainly played piano and organ. Bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn also joined. In mid-1962, Jones, Steinberg, and Cropper were joined by drummer Al Jackson Jr.. They formed Booker T. & the M.G.'s. This instrumental band had many hit songs on their own. They also became the main band for almost every song recorded at Stax from 1962 to 1970. Donald "Duck" Dunn eventually became the main bassist, replacing Steinberg in 1964.

Booker T. Jones was often away from Stax in the mid-1960s. He was studying music at Indiana University. During this time, Isaac Hayes usually took his place as the main pianist. Sometimes, both of them played on recordings when Jones was in Memphis. Other house band members included horn players Andrew Love, Joe Arnold, and Wayne Jackson.

Isaac Hayes had tried out for Stax in 1962 but didn't get in. But by 1964, he became a key part of the Stax house band. He also worked with his songwriting partner, David Porter. Cropper, Dunn, Hayes, Jackson, Jones, and Porter were known as the "Big Six" at Stax. Together, they were responsible for almost all the label's music from 1963 to 1969.

The Stax house band had a special way of working. Most record companies at the time hired musicians and gave them sheet music to play. But at Stax, sessions lasted as long as needed. Musicians moved freely between the control room and the studio. Everyone could suggest ideas. They created "head arrangements," meaning no music was written down beforehand.

Atlantic Records' Jerry Wexler noticed Stax's unique methods in 1963. When Stax had equipment problems, Wexler sent Atlantic's engineer Tom Dowd to Memphis. Dowd fixed the equipment quickly. He was amazed by how relaxed and creative the sessions were. For example, Rufus Thomas would just sing a new song a few times for the band. He would hum ideas for their parts and make rhythms with his teeth. Then, Dowd would start recording. Thomas and the band would get the song right in just two tries. This led to Rufus Thomas's hit "Walking the Dog."

The Stax Studio

The studio itself was also important to Stax's success. It was in a converted movie theater at 926 E McLemore Ave in Memphis. The floor still sloped where the seats used to be. This uneven room created a special sound on recordings. It often gave them a big, deep, yet raw sound. Soul music expert Rob Bowman says that because of this unique sound, soul music fans can often tell if a song was recorded at Stax just by listening to the first few notes.

When Tom Dowd first came to Stax in 1963, they were still using an old mono recorder. Dowd suggested they get a two-track recorder. The Stax team was worried this would ruin their special sound. But Dowd explained that stereo albums sold for more money, which meant more income for Stax. So, in 1965, he installed a two-track recorder. This allowed Stax to record in both mono and stereo at the same time. In 1966, he upgraded the studio again with a four-track recorder.

Early Hits

Otis Redding, who became the label's biggest early star, also joined in 1962. He was actually on Volt, Stax's sister label. Many radio stations didn't want to play too many new songs from one label at a time. So, Stax, like other companies, created other labels. Volt, started in late 1961, was home to Otis Redding, the Bar-Kays, and others.

Redding's first song, "These Arms of Mine," released in October 1962, became a hit on both R&B and pop charts. While the Mar-Keys and Booker T. & the M.G.'s had some early hits, Redding was the first Stax/Volt artist to consistently have hits. Every one of his 17 songs released during his lifetime made it onto the charts.

Between January 1962 and December 1964, Stax and Volt had several hits by Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, and Booker T. and the M.G.'s. However, only a few other Stax/Volt songs became hits during this time. But starting in 1965, when Stax made a formal distribution deal with Atlantic, their artists had hits much more often.

Stax/Volt's Continued Success (1965–1967)

In 1965, Jim Stewart signed a formal national distribution deal with Atlantic Records. He signed the contract without reading it carefully. This decision would later cause big problems for Stax. Carla Thomas also officially rejoined the Stax label in 1965.

More importantly, the songwriting team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter became Stax's new hit writers and producers. Isaac Hayes also permanently joined the Stax house band. He often filled in for Booker T. Jones, who was studying music full-time.

Besides hits from popular artists like Redding, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and Carla Thomas, 1965 saw new artists like the Astors and Sam & Dave (on Stax) and Mad Lads (on Volt) appear on the charts. Sam & Dave were technically Atlantic artists, but Atlantic "leased" them to Stax. Stax managed their recordings and released them. Almost all of Sam & Dave's Stax songs were written and produced by Hayes and Porter.

Hip Hug-Her, by Booker T. & the MG's (1967), showing two different Stax logos from the Atlantic era.

Atlantic's Jerry Wexler also brought Don Covay and Wilson Pickett to record at Stax. These songs were released directly by Atlantic. Hits like Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour" were Stax songs in all but name. They were co-written by Steve Cropper, recorded at Stax, and backed by the Stax house band.

However, some artists brought in by Wexler caused problems. A recording session with Don Covay in June 1965 created bad feelings. This got worse in early 1966 when Wilson Pickett returned. Pickett's difficult personality caused chaos in the studio. The musicians eventually walked out. Jim Stewart was tired of another label benefiting from the Stax sound. He told Wexler that Stax would no longer produce songs for non-Stax artists. This meant Aretha Franklin, a new Atlantic artist, could not record at Stax. She went to Rick Hall's FAME Studios in Alabama instead.

Through 1966 and 1967, Stax and its labels became very successful. They regularly had hits with artists like Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Carla Thomas, William Bell, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, Eddie Floyd, the Bar-Kays, Albert King, and the Mad Lads. In 1966, Eddie Floyd recorded "Knock on Wood." Jim Stewart wasn't sure about it at first, but the house band voted to release it. It became a huge international hit.

Unlike Motown, Stax didn't often organize big concert tours for its artists. The first one was in Los Angeles in 1965. It was a success, but the Watts riots started the next day. Several Stax artists were stuck in Watts during the violence. The most successful Stax tour was in England and France in 1967. It played to sold-out crowds. Stax released several live albums from this tour, including the popular Otis Live in Europe.

The Stax Museum in Memphis, built in 2003, looks like the original Stax studio. The original studio was torn down in 1989.

In 1967, Stax was at its peak. Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Carla Thomas, and Isaac Hayes were all big stars. The house band, Booker T. and the M.G.'s, was breaking new ground. Two of the band members were Black and two were White. This was very rare at a time of racial tension in the United States.

Even though Stax was doing well, most of the house band musicians were struggling. They worked long hours in the studio but were only paid for actual recording sessions. So, they often played at local clubs at night to earn enough money. To fix this, in 1966, Al Bell made the "Big Six" (Hayes, Porter, and Booker T. & the M.G.'s) full-time employees of Stax. They earned a fixed salary of $125 a week. This allowed them to quit their night jobs and become full-time studio musicians. From then on, Booker T. and the M.G.'s backed almost all artists who recorded at Stax.

Stax was in Memphis, Tennessee, which was still a city where people were separated by race. Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights leader, was killed there in 1968. But inside the Stax recording studio, it felt like an escape from the outside world. The artists were there to make hit music. Some of their songs even became a soundtrack for the civil rights movement. On their 1967 tour in Europe, some Stax artists were surprised by how warmly they were welcomed. They felt more accepted there than in the United States.

After the successful Europe trip, there was another big change at Stax. Steve Cropper was removed as Stax's A&R director, and Al Bell took over. When they returned to Memphis, Bell was also promoted to executive vice president. Horn players Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love also became full-time salaried employees.

Breaking with Atlantic Records (1968)

In 1967, Atlantic Records was sold to Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. This sale activated a special clause in the Stax-Atlantic contract. This clause said that if Jim Stewart's chosen "key man" at Atlantic, Jerry Wexler, left the company or sold his shares, the deal could be re-negotiated or ended. Stax hoped to join Atlantic in the Warner buyout. Jim Stewart, Estelle Axton, and Al Bell went to New York to negotiate. But Stewart said the offer they received was "an insult."

Stewart then asked for the return of the Stax master recordings. But the Warner-Seven Arts executives refused. He then learned that Atlantic's lawyer had put a clause in the 1965 contract. This clause gave Atlantic all rights to Stax's recordings distributed by Atlantic between 1960 and 1967. Only Stax's unreleased recordings remained their property. All the master recordings from 1960 to 1967 are still owned by Atlantic's current parent company, Warner Music Group.

Stewart felt betrayed by Atlantic and Wexler. He had seen his original deal with Wexler as a gentleman's agreement. He had signed the 1965 contract without reading it carefully, missing the ownership clause. Wexler always said he hadn't read the contract either and had nothing to do with the clause.

Because of this, Stewart did not renew his deal with Atlantic. On May 13, 1968, he sold Stax to Paramount Pictures. This meant Stax had to move forward without many of its most popular old songs. They also lost Sam and Dave, who had to return to Atlantic.

The company faced another huge blow when Otis Redding and most of the Bar-Kays died in a plane crash on December 10, 1967. In April 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was killed at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. This was a place where many Stax staff members often met. In the riots that followed King's murder, many buildings near the Stax studio were attacked. But Stax was left untouched.

Jim Stewart stayed at the company. Former Stax marketing executive Al Bell became the company's vice president and a co-owner. He took on a more active role as Stewart became less involved. Estelle Axton disagreed with Bell's plans for the company. This led to problems, and Bell planned to leave. Stewart had to choose between his sister and his vice president. He asked Axton to step down. By 1970, she had sold her shares. She later started Fretone Records, which had a big hit in 1976 with "Disco Duck."

After the Atlantic distribution deal ended in May 1968, Atlantic briefly sold Stax/Volt recordings made after the split. Stax and Volt then used new label designs and logos, including the famous finger-snapping logo.

Stax as an Independent Label (1968–1972)

Even though Stax had lost many valuable artists, they recovered quickly. To rebuild its collection of songs, Stax, under Al Bell's direction, released a huge number of albums and singles in mid-1969. Producer and songwriter Isaac Hayes became a star with his album Hot Buttered Soul. It sold over three million copies in 1969. By 1971, Hayes was the label's biggest star. He was especially known for his best-selling soundtrack to the 1971 film Shaft. Hayes's recordings were released on Enterprise, a third major Stax label started in 1967.

The label also had great success when it helped Staple Singers change from Gospel music to mainstream R&B. Al Bell signed many more artists like the Dramatics, Frederick Knight, and The Soul Children. Even Rufus Thomas, one of the first artists signed, became popular again with many hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

However, Stax's record sales were generally down under Paramount's ownership. Paramount also tried to control the company more. In 1970, Stewart and Bell decided to buy the label back. They got financial help from Deutsche Grammophon, a European record company. This led to Stax's post-Paramount recordings being distributed outside the United States by Polydor Records until Stax went bankrupt.

By the fall of 1970, both Steve Cropper and Booker T. Jones were unhappy with how Stax treated the MGs. They left the company and stopped playing sessions for Stax. Even though Jones was given the title of Vice President, he said, "There were titles given (to us) but we didn't actually make the decisions." A final Booker T. and the MGs album was released in 1971.

The two remaining MGs, Duck Dunn and Al Jackson, stayed at Stax. They worked as session musicians on various Stax recordings. Al Jackson also worked a lot with Al Green at rival Hi Records.

Stax continued on its own between 1970 and 1972, using independent distributors. By mid-1971, the Stax logo was slightly changed. The color of the finger-snapping hand changed from blue to brown.

As co-owner, Al Bell started a big plan to make Stax a major record company and a strong force in the Black community. For the first time, many Stax artists started recording in outside studios. They also worked with outside producers. This meant the unique Stax sound started to change. Bell even created a comedy label, Partee Records, which released albums by Richard Pryor and Moms Mabley. He also tried to reach the white pop market by signing Big Star. Bell also became very involved in the African-American community.

On August 20, 1972, the Stax label held a huge concert called Wattstax. It featured performances by Stax artists and comedy from Richard Pryor. This event was known as the "Black Woodstock." It was hosted by Jesse Jackson and drew over 100,000 people, mostly African-American. Wattstax was filmed by director Mel Stuart (who directed Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory). A concert film was released in theaters in February 1973.

By this time, the Stax recording studio was also taking on outside work again. In 1973, Elvis Presley recorded three albums at Stax. These albums produced four top 20 hits for RCA, Elvis's label.

Decline and Bankruptcy (1972–1975)

Despite the success of Wattstax, Stax's future was uncertain. In 1972, Bell bought out Jim Stewart's remaining share in the company. He then made a distribution deal with CBS Records. CBS Records President Clive Davis saw Stax as a way for CBS to enter the African-American music market and compete with Motown.

However, Clive Davis was fired by CBS shortly after signing the Stax deal. Without Davis, CBS quickly lost interest in Stax. The deal was changed, cutting Stax's profits. CBS distribution agents also bypassed smaller record sellers in the Black community. These small stores had been key to Stax's distribution. CBS also didn't push Stax products to larger retailers, fearing it would hurt their own R&B artists. CBS also seemed to favor Philadelphia International Records, which was also distributed by CBS.

Stax heard reports of stores in cities like Chicago and Detroit not being able to get new Stax records, even with high demand. The company tried to end its deal with CBS. But CBS refused to release Stax from the contract. They worried Stax would get a better deal with another company and become a direct competitor.

The last big hit for Stax was "Woman to Woman" in 1974 by Shirley Brown. This song was on a smaller label called Truth. Its success helped delay the company's end for several months. By 1975, all the smaller Stax labels had closed, leaving only the main Stax label and Truth.

Al Bell tried to prevent bankruptcy with bank loans from Memphis' Union Planters Bank. Jim Stewart, not wanting to see the company die, returned to Stax. He used his Memphis home as a guarantee for loans to help the label. However, the bank officers soon got worried. They took over the loans, costing Stewart his home and money. In the 2014 documentary Take Me To The River, Al Bell said that the city's White leaders wanted to destroy such a successful Black-owned company.

Stax/Volt Records was forced into bankruptcy on December 19, 1975. It was officially closed on January 12, 1976.

Stax in Limbo (1976–1977)

Al Bell was arrested for bank fraud during the Stax bankruptcy. But he was found not guilty in August 1976. In early 1977, Union Planters sold Stax, its master tapes, and its publishing rights for about four million dollars. This company then sold the Stax-owned master recordings and the name "Stax Records" to Fantasy Records later that year.

This meant Fantasy owned all Stax music recorded after May 1968. They also owned a few pre-1968 Stax songs that Atlantic had not distributed nationally. Fantasy also gained control of all unreleased songs and different versions of Stax recordings, even those from before May 1968. They also got the right to release new music under the Stax Records name.

Stax's old headquarters on McLemore Ave. were not sold until 1981.

Stax Resumes Operations (1978–1981)

In October 1977, Fantasy announced it would open a Memphis office to bring back the Stax label. The next month, Fantasy appointed David Porter, a long-time Stax writer and producer, to lead the revived Stax label. It was relaunched in January 1978. Porter signed new artists to Stax. He also re-signed some artists from the mid-1970s. Porter also oversaw collections of previously unreleased music by artists like Isaac Hayes and Bar-Kays.

This new version of Stax released many singles. The biggest hit was the Bar-Kays' "Holy Ghost," a #9 R&B hit in 1978. It was a remixed version of a song the band had recorded for Stax in 1975.

However, Fantasy had to manage without many of Stax's well-known artists. These artists had moved to other labels during the bankruptcy and were having hits there.

Porter left Stax in 1979. New releases from the label slowed down. By late 1981, Stax was only re-releasing old music recorded between 1968 and 1975, and previously unreleased songs from the 1960s and 1970s.

Stax as a Reissue Label (1982–2003)

Through the 1980s and 1990s, Stax mostly focused on re-releasing old music. Since Atlantic owned most of the Stax master recordings released up to May 1968, Atlantic's music was reissued by Rhino Records or licensed to Collectables Records.

Fantasy also re-released the Stax music it controlled on the Stax label. Because Fantasy owned the non-master recordings, for some of its Stax collections, Fantasy released different versions of Stax hit songs instead of the master recordings owned by Atlantic.

In 1988, Fantasy released Top of the Stax, Vol. 1: Twenty Greatest Hits. This was the first time an album included both Atlantic-owned and Fantasy-owned Stax music. A second volume was released in 1991.

In 1991, Atlantic released The Complete Stax/Volt Singles 1959–1968. This was a nine-disc compact disc boxed set with all of the Atlantic-era Stax songs. This release was nominated for Grammy Awards. Fantasy then released volumes two and three of the Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles series in 1993 and 1994. Volume Two covered singles from 1968 to 1971. Volume Three completed the collection with singles from 1972 to 1975. In 2000, Fantasy released a boxed set called The Stax Story, which included pre-1968 music with Atlantic's permission.

Fantasy tried to bring back Stax's sister label, Volt Records, twice during this time.

Stax Museum and Label Revival (2003–Present)

A historical marker at the original site of Stax Records, now home to the Stax campus.

After being neglected for a decade, the original Stax studio was torn down in 1989. More than ten years later, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music was built on the same site and opened in 2003. It is a copy of the original building. The Stax Museum shows exhibits about the history of Stax and soul music. It also hosts music programs and events for the community. The Soulsville Foundation also runs the Stax Music Academy and The Soulsville Charter School. All of these are part of the same campus where Stax Records began.

Concord Records bought the Fantasy Label Group in 2004. In December 2006, they announced that the Stax label would be reactivated for new music. The first artists signed to the new Stax included Isaac Hayes, Angie Stone, and Soulive.

The official relaunch happened on March 13, 2007. They released Stax 50th Anniversary Celebration, a 2-CD set with 50 songs from Stax's entire history. The first new Stax album from Concord was released on March 27, 2007. It was a CD by various artists called Interpretations: Celebrating The Music of Earth, Wind & Fire. Soulive was the first artist on the revived label to release an album of all-new music with No Place Like Soul on July 10, 2007.

On August 28, 2007, a 3-CD Deluxe Edition box set of the 1972 music event Wattstax was released. It was simply called "WATTSTAX." For the first time in over 30 years, almost half of the performers from that event could finally be heard.

On April 9, 2013, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted an event called "In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul." Stax artists like Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, and Sam Moore were invited. First Lady Obama also led a workshop called, "Soulsville, USA: The History of Memphis Soul."

In 2012, as part of the label's revival, Stax Records signed Ben Harper. They released his album with Charlie Musselwhite called Get Up! on January 29, 2013. Harper won a Grammy Award for Best Blues Album.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats released their popular first album on August 21, 2015. Their live performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon helped them become very well known.

In 2016, Stax released a new album by one of its original artists, William Bell. Stax Records was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame on June 6, 2015.

On September 22, 2017, Stax released Soulsville U.S.A. (A Celebration of Stax). This was a three-CD collection with 60 songs from Stax's history. It was an updated version of the Stax 50th Anniversary Celebration from 2007.

Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos, a collection of 146 demo songs from Stax, won two Grammy Awards in 2023.

Label Designs

Stax

• June 1961 – March 1968 (Atlantic distribution): Light blue label with STAX and "Stax-o-Wax" logo.
• November 1967 – April 1968 (Atlantic distribution): Green label with colorful "Stax" logo.
• June 1968 – 1970 (Paramount distribution): Yellow label with blue "finger-snapping hand" logo.
• 1970 – August 1971 (independent distribution): Same as above, but some still had the Paramount notice.
• August 1971 – November 1975 (independent distribution): Yellow label with brown "finger-snapping hand" logo.
• 1977–1978 (Fantasy distribution): Red or purple and white labels with black "finger-snapping hand" logo.

Volt

• November 1961 – March 1968 (Atlantic/Atco distribution): Dark brown and red label with "VOLT" and red lightning bolt logo.
• March 1968 – April 1968 (Atlantic/Atco distribution): Colorful label with colorful "VOLT records" and red lightning bolt.
• June 1968 – June 1971 (Stax distribution): Dark blue label with orange and black lightning bolt.
• August 1971 – 1975 (Stax distribution): Orange label with yellow lightning bolt.

Stax Artists

1957–1968: Atlantic Records Era

1968–1975: After Atlantic Deal

2006–Present: Concord Years

Images for kids

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  The "Stax-o-Wax" logo used during the Atlantic distribution years

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  Hip Hug-Her, by Booker T. & the MG's (1967), showing the two different Atlantic-era Stax logos

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  The Stax Museum on McLemore Avenue in Memphis, founded in 2003, is a replica of the Stax studio, built on the same site where many of the historic Stax recording sessions took place. The original Stax studio was demolished in 1989.

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  Tennessee Historical Commission marker at the original site of Stax Records, now the site of the Stax campus.

See also

In Spanish: Stax Records para niños

• List of record labels
• Goldwax Records
• Hi Records
• Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section