Air Week: September 16-22, 2024

This week, it’s part 5 of a 10-part series on the great King Record Label, out of Cincinnati. Syd Nathan, who began putting out records under the King logo in 1943, developed King as a hillbilly music label. After seeing the sales potential in the Rhythm & Blues market, Nathan launched the Queen Records subsidiary in 1945, but folded it into King in 1947 and transferred his R&B acts over. King established itself in the R&B field with Bull Moose Jackson, Ivory Joe Hunter, Wynonie Harris and Lonnie Johnson all scoring enormous hit records. This week in part 5, we take a look at King’s spectacular releases during 1951. Wynonie Harris scores his last 2 career charting records, while fellow blues shouter Tiny Bradshaw continued his hit streak. Earl Bostic scores a #1 record with “Flamingo,” a tune made popular ten years earlier by Duke Ellington. Bull Moose Jackson becomes Moose Jackson and Sonny Thompson starts scoring hits for King. In 1951, King Records continued selling millions of records and this week, Matt The Cat stocks the “Juke In The Back” with the best of them. 

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