Trumpet Records
Company type | Incentive |
---|---|
Industry | record label |
Founded | 1951 Jackson, Mississippi |
Founder | Lillian McMurry |
Headquarters | United States |
Trumpet Records was an American record company founded by Lillian McMurry in Jackson, Mississippi in 1951.[1] Although it existed for only four years, it was influential.
History
The goal of Trumpet Records was to record musicians from the
Trumpet was founded by Lillian McMurry. Her husband Willard, was in the furniture sales business, and they purchased a hardware store which they were renovating to be a furniture store. The workers were playing some unsold records left behind and one caught Lillian's attention: Wynonie Harris's All She Wants to Do is Rock. “'It was the most unusual, sincere and solid sound I'd ever heard,'' she said. ''I'd never heard a black record before. I'd never heard anything with such rhythm and freedom.'”[4] Lillian wanted to sell records in the store (which at the time were sold everywhere from grocery stores to beauty parlors) and had the workers make up a list of records to buy. When the store opened, she quickly sold out of all those records and asked Willard if they could turn part of the store into a record store (called Record Mart).
Trumpet was located on
Trumpet artists recorded at studios such as WRBC Radio's studio, Ivan Scott's Radio Service Studio in Jackson, and some historic studios of the day (such as
Williamson wrote about Lillian McMurray in two songs: "Pontiac Blues", about her car, and "309", named for her address. In the lyrics he gave out her home phone number.
Trumpet closed in 1956. Creditors sold the artists' recording contracts. Sonny Boy Williamson II recorded for Chess Records in Chicago where he released another 70 songs.
The site of the Trumpet Records's studio is commemorated by a Mississippi Blues Trail historical marker. [7]
See also
- List of record labels
References
- ^ Robert McG. Thomas Jr. (29 March 1999). "Lillian McMurry, Blues Producer, Dies at 77". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
- ISBN 0-306-80683-5.
- ISBN 0-452-26697-1.
- ^ OCLC 30320566.
- ^ "Trumpet Records Diamonds on Farish Street". Upress.state.ms.us. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
- ISBN 0-02-061740-2.
- ^ "Mississippi Blues Commission - Blues Trail". Msbluestrail.org. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
External links
- Trumpet Records on the Internet Archive's Great 78 Project