GALLERY PREVIEWS

CROWD WAITING ON OUR OPENING DAY

“R&B RECORDS. . . . HOW CAN I HELP YOU?” CHUCK

I WISH THIS GUY HAD AN APPETITE FOR 45's!

HERE SHE IS. . .WOOPS! HERE HE IS

BOBBY MARCHAN. . .LEAD SINGER OF HUEY SMITH
& THE CLOWNS (ACE) (THE HITS. . .ANYWAY!)

THE SWALLOWS (KING), 1951. . .EDDIE RICH (CENTER)
HERMAN “JUNIOR” DENBY (ON RIGHT)

DAVE BRIGATI, LEAD SINGER,   ON TOP. . .LATER WITH JOEY DEE
& THE STARLITERS. . .OLDER BROTHER OF EDDIE BRIGATI (RASCALS)

JOHNNY ACE

BLACK AMERICA WENT INTO MOURNING (WHEN HE TOOK HIS
LIFE IN 1954). . .AND MOURNED FOR DECADES!!

NOT EXACTLY HOW JAY-Z AND BEYONCE TRAVEL TODAY

JOHNNY ACE'S FUNERAL

LITTLE RICHARD

ELVIS

THE JORDANAIRES. . .USING THESE GUYS ON ALL OR MOST
OF HIS '50s RECORDS MADE A MAJOR DIFFERENCE. . .
HE WAS GREAT BUT THEY MADE HIM SOUND EVEN GREATER!!!
LISTEN TO “I WAS THE ONE” OR “OLD SHEP”

OTIS BLACKWELL

ELVIS & B.B. KING

...WITH BROOK BENTON

RUFUS THOMAS (AUDITIONING FOR THE CLEVELAND INDIANS)
WITH HIS LABEL MATE ELVIS

JUNIOR PARKER (LEFT) & BOBBY BLAND (RIGHT). . .

MIKE STOLLER, ELVIS & JERRY LEIBER

HOWLING WOLF, SINGING, PLAYING AND SHOPPING
(PROBABLY THE BEST GIG HE COULD GET AT THE TIME)

SOLOMON BURKE

“CRY TO ME”. . .ONE OF THE GREATEST SOUL RECORDS EVER RECORDED!!!
HERE HE IS DELIVERING IT IN 1962!

JOHNNY OTIS (LEFT) & DON ROBEY (PEACOCK RECORDS)

“IF IT'S NOT A HIT I'LL EAT MY HAT” DON ROBEY, 1957

UNLIKELY OWNERS OF STAX: BROTHER & SISTER. . . . .

JIM STEWART (ST) & ESTELLE AXTON (AX) = STAX

CARLA THOMAS. . .

SHE COULD WRITE & SING!....WHAT A TALENT!

STAX IN ITS PRIME

OTIS REDDING WITH HIS TRAVELING BAND, THE BAR-KAYS

STAX IN RUINS, LATE 70's. . .
BEFORE THEY REBUILT THE STUDIO INTO TODAY'S MUSEUM

MEANWHILE ACROSS TOWN. . . . .ANOTHER MUSICAL EARTHQUAKE
IS ABOUT TO OCCUR!

AL GREEN

WILLIE MITCHELL. . .THE GENIUS BEHIND AL GREEN. . .

HE RECOGNIZED THE TALENT. . .BROUGHT HIM TO MEMPHIS
& MOLDED HIM INTO THE SUPERSTAR HE BECAME. . .
I MET WILLIE IN '72 AND HAD FUN TALKING ABOUT HIS
RECORDS WITH THE 4 KINGS ON STOMPER TIME. HE LOVED IT!

THE PRISONAIRES....AT HOME

THE PRISONAIRES AT TENNESSEE GOVERNOR'S MANSION, 1953
WITH YOUNG BOB CLEMENT (FUTURE U.S. CONGRESSMAN)

THE 4 DUKES (DUKE)
“CRYING IN THE CHAPEL”

THE SWANEE RIVER BOYS

WANT A TREAT? LISTEN TO THESE GUYS SING. . .THEY RECORDED
FOR MGM AND KING. . .LOOKS ARE DECEIVING!

THE 5 JETS (DELUXE). . .

FINALLY GETTING THEIR JUST DUES
(BILLY DAVIS, TOP RIGHT) THIS IS WHAT THEY GOT
FOR THEIR CAREER ON DELUXE. . .BREAKFAST!

HANK WILLIAMS

THE ABSOLUTE KING OF COUNTRY MUSIC!
BAR NONE!!!

JERRY LEE LEWIS

1957 MEMPHIS EXPLOSION!!
★ OUTRAGEOUS TALENT ★
WITH ALL HIS ISSUES. . . HE'S STILL ALIVE. GO FIGURE!!

MR & MRS JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1958

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

THE TURBANS

LOS ANGELES DJ JOHNNY OTIS GETS THE LATEST
FROM DOOTSIE WILLIAMS

“GEORGE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN. . .SEE MORRIS FOR THE MONEY,
I THOUGHT YOU OWNED THE LABEL. . .” ponders FRANKIE

DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S MISSING FROM THIS PICTURE?
(SEE BELOW)

THE ELEGANTS

ABOUT TO HIT PAYDIRT AND GO NUMBER 1
IN THE COUNTRY WITH “LITTLE STAR”

PHILLY FAVORITES. . .

YVONNE MILLS & THE SENSATIONS, CIRCA 1955

YVONNE BAKER & THE SENSATIONS, EARLY 60's
MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC/LET ME IN

THE RAJAHS RECORDING “I FELL I LOVE” (KLIK)

THE TEEN KINGS

LEFT-TO-RIGHT: JAMES KEITH, LEVESTER LITTLES,
TOMMY KEITH, DRUMMER UNKNOWN, JOHNNY HARRIS (SAX),
WALTER “BUSTER” LOCKMAN, RON BROWN,
BASS UNKNOWN, PHOTO TAKEN JULY 1957

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

FORGET BABE RUTH. . .HERE'S THE GREATEST
BASEBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME: ARTHUR LEE MAYE!
WHY. . .BECAUSE HE MADE GREAT GROUP RECORDS
WHEN HE WASN'T ON THE FIELD!!!

BADDEST WHITE BOYS THAT EVER SANG!!
THE SPARROWS

LEFT TO RIGHT, SAM WOOD,
SAL MANDRONE, BILLY DELIA & DOM DELIA

THE BEL-LARKS (RANSOM & HAMMER)

LITTLE JOE & THE THRILLERS

THE 5 DISCS (EMGE & DWAIN)

THE JAGUARS

THE EL DOMINGOS (CHELSEA)

THE LARKS (APOLLO)

CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE THE PREMIER VOCAL GROUP OF THE EARLY 50'S.
PERHAPS THE VALUE OF THEIR 45s HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.
THEIR APOLLO SIDES COMMANDED MORE THAN ANY OTHER GROUP EXCEPT. . .
MAYBE THE 5 KEYS ON ALADDIN!

THE CASTELLES (ATCO)

THERE WAS NEVER A PICTURE OF THEM WHEN THEY WERE ON GRAND.
LEFT TO RIGHT: CLARENCE SCOTT OCTAVIUS ANTHONY,
GEORGE GRANT (WHITE JACKET) & BILLY TAYLOR

THE WHISPERS (GOTHAM)

TERRY JOHNSON (CENTER) LEAD SINGER. . .
SOON AFTER TO JOIN THE FLAMINGOS

THE DIAMONDS (ATLANTIC)

RUBY WHITAKER & THE CHESTNUTS

THE ORIGINAL SOUL STIRRERS, BEFORE SAM COOKE

IF YOU'RE AS OLD AS ME. . . . .

YOU REMEMBER PLAYING PINBALL MACHINES
WHILE FEEDING NICKELS INTO THE JUKEBOX.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE GOT ALL THE RECORDS THEY NEED,
HERE'S A NEW HOBBY. . .
COLLECT ORIGINAL JUKEBOX TITLE STRIPS LIKE BELOW!

NO FAIR PRINTING THIS ON HEAVY PAPER & CUTTING THEM OUT...
THAT'S CHEATING!!!

TOMMY (DR. JIVE) SMALLS

ALAN FREED
THE KING OF ROCK & ROLL

HE TURNED THE RECORD BUSINESS UPSIDE DOWN
IN THE MID TO LATE 50'S
(BEFORE IT TURNED HIM UPSIDE DOWN)

HE HELPED EVERYBODY. . .
BUT NOBODY WAS THERE WHEN HE FELL!

GO TO:

Gallery 1

Gallery 2

Gallery 3

Gallery 4: Patty's Journey

Gallery 5: Allentown Record Show; Tiffany's Diner Pics

Gallery 6

Gallery 7

Gallery 8

Gallery 9

Gallery 10

Gallery 11