Vee-Jay Records

Date: About 1953 [unknown]
Location: Gary, Lake, Indiana, United States
Surname/tag: Black_Heritage

Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel and rock and roll.

The label was founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a husband-and-wife team who used their initials for the label's name.^[1] Vivian's brother, Calvin Carter, was the label's A&R man. Ewart Gladstone Abner Jr (1923-1997), formerly of Chance Records, joined the label in 1955, first as manager, then as vice president, and ultimately as president. One of the earliest African American-owned record companies.

Vee-Jay quickly became a major R&B label, with the first song recorded, the Spaniels’ “Baby It’s You,” making it to the top ten on the national R&B charts.

Vee-Jay also received notoriety for bringing the Beatles to America.^[2]

Contents 1 Blues Singers 2 R&B Groups 3 R&B Singers 4 Pop/Rock&Roll 5 Folk Singers 6 Jazz Artists 7 Gospel Groups

Blues Singers

Jimmy Reed, Memphis Slim, and John Lee Hooker

R&B Groups

the Spaniels, the Dells, the Pips (later known as Gladys Knight & The Pips on a different label), and the El Dorados

R&B Singers

Jerry Butler, Gene Chandler, Dee Clark, Betty Everett, Jimmy Boyd, Jimi Hendrix, Don Covay, Bernard Purdie, Ronny Miller, and Billy Preston

Pop/Rock&Roll

the Four Seasons (first non-black act) and the Beatles,Little Richard

Folk Singers

Hoyt Axton and New Wine Singers

Jazz Artists

Eddie Harris, Wynton Kelly, Lee Morgan, and Wayne Shorter

Gospel Groups

Staple Singers, The Famous Boyer Brothers, the Argo Singers, Swan Silvertones, the Caravans, Dorothy Love Coates and the Gospel Harmonettes, and Maceo Woods

For more information see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vee-Jay_Records