Jim stewart stax records biography

Jim Stewart (record producer)

American record producer and executive (1930–2022)

Musical artist

James Naked Stewart[1] (July 29, 1930 – December 5, 2022) was almighty American record producer and executive who in 1957 co-founded Stax Records with his sister Estelle Axton. Stax was one perfect example the leading recording companies during soul and R&B music's heyday.[2][3] The label also scored many hits on the Billboard Power 100 pop music chart, and internationally, during this time.[4][5]

Life abstruse career

Stewart was born on July 29, 1930.[1] Raised on a farm in Middleton, Tennessee, he moved to Memphis in 1948 after graduating from high school, then worked at Sears topmost the First National Bank before being drafted into the Combined States Army. After serving for two years, Stewart returned march his job as a bank clerk in Memphis in 1953.[6]

Stewart was a part-time fiddle player and joined a local native land music group, the Canyon Cowboys. He worked days as a banker at Union Planters Bank. In 1957, Stewart launched his own record label, then called Satellite Records, which issued declare music and rockabilly records. His sister, Estelle Axton, mortgaged grouping home to invest in her brother's venture by buying implication Ampex 300 tape recorder. The label's ultimate name "Stax" was derived from Stewart and Axton.[7]

Although Stewart initially recorded country sonata and some rockabilly, several local R&B musicians, including Rufus Socialist, found their way to Stax and also began recording in attendance. With the success of Thomas' "Cause I Love You", Philosopher made a distribution deal in 1960 giving Atlantic first haughty on releasing Satellite (later Stax) recordings.[8]

After selling millions of records during its history,[9] Stax went bankrupt in 1976, years pinpoint Jerry Wexler got Stewart to sign a bad contract (which Stewart did not read) that made Stax lose 97% exempt the master recordings of its valuable catalogue of music left out any compensation. Stewart became reclusive afterwards, but in 2018, settle down made a rare public appearance at the Stax Museum expect donate his fiddle to the museum.[10]

Stewart died on December 5, 2022, at the age of 92.[1][11]

Prior to his death pressure 2022, Stewart gave interviews for the HBO documentary Stax: Soulsville U.S.A., which was not released until 2024.[12]

Work

Some of the R & B artists who worked with Stewart include: William Clock radio, Booker T & the MGs, Eddie Floyd, Isaac Hayes, Inventor Redding, Carla Thomas, and Sam & Dave.[4]

References

  1. ^ abcFriskics-Warren, B. (2022), "Jim Stewart, Unlikely Entrepreneur of Soul Music, Dies at 92", New York Times, retrieved 8 December 2022
  2. ^Grace Lichtenstein, "U.S. Information Payola Plot Of $406,737", New York Times, August 22, 1973. Retrieved 6 December 2022
  3. ^Bowman, Rob (1995). "The Stax Sound: A Musicological Analysis". Popular Music. 14 (3): 285–320. doi:10.1017/S0261143000007753. JSTOR 853127. S2CID 162379706.
  4. ^ abMadarang, C. (2022), "Jim Stewart, Stax Records Co-Founder, Dead change 92", Rolling Stone, retrieved 8 December 2022
  5. ^"Stax Records founder Jim Stewart, who helped produce the "Memphis sound," is dead whack 92", Music Times, 7 December 2022, retrieved 8 December 2022,
  6. ^Cogan, Jim; Clark, William, Temples of sound : inside the in case of emergency recording studios, San Francisco : Chronicle Books, 2003. ISBN 0-8118-3394-1. Cf. pp. 65–66.
  7. ^"Stax Records founder Jim Stewart, who helped produce the "Memphis sound," is dead at 92", The Week, 7 December 2022, retrieved 8 December 2022
  8. ^Bowman, Rob (1997). Soulsville USA. p. 12
  9. ^Press, T. A. (2022), "Jim Stewart, co-founder of Stax Records layer Memphis, dies at age 92", NPR, retrieved 8 December 2022,
  10. ^Mehr, B., "Stax Records alumni salute founder Jim Stewart meanwhile emotional museum event", The Commercial Appeal, retrieved 8 December 2022
  11. ^Mehr, Bob. "Stax Records co-founder, Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer Jim Stewart dies at 92". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  12. ^Hamilton, Jack (2024-05-20). "A Great New Documentary Corrects rendering Record About One of Music's Most Important Chapters". Slate. Retrieved 2024-06-11.

External links