-
Panel 01 - The King Of Them All
By the end of 1954, the major record labels had discovered the popularity of R & B music, and began to target that market. King Records owner Syd Nathan, having had great success in that field since 1948, would take on this new competition while also exploring other genres and discovering new talent in the coming years.
-
Panel 02 - Little Willie John
"Little Willie John was one of the most important soulful voices . . . a Soul singer before anyone thought to call it that." James Brown
-
Panel 03 - Please Please Please
In 1956, King Records A & R man Ralph Bass brought a new band called The Flames to Cincinnati to record a song called Please, Please, Please. It was the first of many hits for James Brown at King Records.
-
Panel 04 - House Band
The unsung heroes were the musicians who worked on countless King recording sessions.
-
Panel 05 - Stanley Brothers
In eight years, from 1956 to 1966, the Stanley Brothers released 15 albums on King, making them one of the most recorded bands in bluegrass.
-
Panel 06 - The Twist
The Twist, written and recorded by Hank Ballard, was released by King in 1959. Philip Paul was the drummer on the recording. A year later, Chubby Checker's note-for-note cover of the song made it an international phenomenon.
-
Panel 07 - James Brown and Soul Music
Following the success of Please, Please, Please; James Brown's career was faltering. After nine flops in a row, he was about to be dropped by King. He finally scored his first number one hit with Try Me in 1959. Its success gave Brown confidence in his musical instincts and marked the beginning of a long streak of hits.
-
Panel 08 - Freddy King
"Listening to him had an effect on me similar to what it might feel if I were to meet an alien from outer space. It simply blew my mind." - Eric Clapton.
-
Panel 09 - Seymour Stein, Hackshaw Hawkins
Syd Nathan met a teenage Seymour Stein in 1959 and senses he had "shellac in his veins," meaning he was a born record man. By 1961, Stein was working as Nathan's assistant at King.
-
Panel 10 - James Brown 'Live At The Apollo'
James Brown's Live At The Apollo stays on the charts for 66 weeks in 1963, tops out at #2.
