News — R&B

WLAC DJ John Richbourg’s decision in the early 1960s to extend his experience and to move into other areas of the music industry was timely. He had amassed a fan base through playing blues and gospel on his radio show. Taking advantage of his audience’s enthusiasm and the radio station’s facilities he started recording artists himself and airing these on his own show. Initially around half a dozen 45s appeared on Rich, which ran from the very late 1950s to the early-mid 1960s. Nashville and Detroit singers would feature. Bobby Hebb’s output was recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s studio in New...

Music historians will argue over the exact origins of the music industry in Nashville, although any stance depends on the genre under discussion, and how far back one is willing to go. The predominance of country music is undeniable, with its roots planted in Celtic and European folk songs and associated instrumentation brought to the US by early immigrants. In the 1920s, Nashville’s first radio station WSM cemented the city’s country music status with Grand Ole Opry broadcasts of mountain songs and hillbilly music. These styles would later contribute to what is now known as the ‘third’ generation of country...

Always one to support projects and initiatives involving the preservation of southern soul music history, A Nickel And A Nail spreads the word of a very worthy first vinyl release from Diggin’ Deep Records. The latest in soul labels from the UK will be making available a series of soul recordings from the 1960s and 1970s, most of which will be released as limited edition 45s for the very first time, and also some carefully selected reissues. To kick off, this month Diggin' Deep will be giving us two previously unissued releases from the Sounds of Memphis label. Willie Walker's...