RECORD LABEL EXECUTIVE
From the 1940s into the 1970s, Don Robey owned five different record labels. Each label had its own unique style and covered the genres of R&B, Blues, Soul, Gospel, and Pop. Don Robey provided a space for these artists to express their talent and creativity so they could share it with the World.
PEACOCK RECORDS
Blues, R&B, Soul, and Gospel
Signing his first artist, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, in 1949, Robey rose to success quickly, most notably with Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton’s #1 Hit “Hound Dog,” 1953. Robey's decision to add a Gospel division to the label allowed Peacock to become one of the leading Gospel labels in the United States.
DUKE RECORDS
Blues and Soul
Robey merged his Peacock label with Duke Records in 1952. The Label signed artists like Johnny Ace, Junior Parker, and Bobby “Blue” Bland. Artists from Duke Records collectively have 64 R&B Top 40 Hits.
BACK BEAT RECORDS
R&B
In 1957, Robey broke into the R&B scene, signing artists like Joe Hinton, O.V. Wright, and Carl Carlton to Back Beat Records. Back Beat artists successfully charted 17 R&B Top 40 Hits.
SONG BIRD RECORDS
Gospel
Robey continued to build upon his entertainment empire with the acquisition of Song Bird in1963. Song Bird Records signed artists like Inez Andrews and The Andrewettes, The Dixie Humming Birds, and the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi.
SURE-SHOT RECORDS
Soul
Sure-Shot Records was a subsidiary label of Duke/Peacock Records. The label signed over 20 artists, including Bobby Williams, Buster Jones, The Malibus, and The Mighty Mustangs.
Featured Artists
(Representative List)
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