Independent Record Labels of the Early Rock Era

Year Founded

• 1942
       o
       o  Savoy (Herman Lubinsky) Newark, Newark, New, Jersey
       o
       o  Beacon (Joe Davis) New York, New York
       o
       o  Excelsior (Leon & Otis Rene) Los Angeles (Exclusive in 1944)
• 1943
       o
       o  Apollo (Ike & Bess Berman) New York, New York
       o
       o  Premier (Robert Sherman) Los Angeles (becoming Atlas in 1945)
• 1944  
      o
      o   Regis (Irving Berman) Newark, New Jersey
      o
      o   Premier (Robert Sherman) Los Angeles  early 1944 becoming Atlas by October, 1944
      o
      o   National (Al Greene) New York, New York
      o
      o  DeLuxe (Jules Braun) New York
      o
      o  King (Syd Nathan) Cincinnati, Ohio
      o
      o  Gilt-Edge (Richard Nelson) Los Angeles, California
• 1945
      o
      o    Melodisc (Daniel O'Brien) Los Angeles,California
      o
      o    Majestic (Jimmy Walker et al) New York
      o
      o   Gulf - Gold Star (1946) (Bill Quinn) Houston, Texas
      o
      o   Manor (Irving Berman) Newark, New Jersey
      o
      o  Modern (Jules, Joe & Saul Bihari) Los Angeles
      o
      o  Philo (Ed & Leo Mesner) became Aladdin in 1946 Los Angeles
      o
      o  Bronze (Leroy Hurte) Los Angeles
      o
      o  Four Star (Richard Nelson) Los Angeles (replaced Gilt-Edge)
      o
      o  Super Disc (Irving Feld & Viola Marsham) Los Angeles
• 1946
      o
      o  Fortune (Jack and DeVora Brown) Detroit, Michigan
      o
      o  Harlem (J. Mayo Williams) New York
      o
      o  Swing Time/Down Beat (Jack Lauderdale) Los Angeles
      o
      o   Juke Box (Art Rupe) Los Angeles, California
      o
      o  Sterling  (Al Middleman) New York
      o
      o  Bullet (Jim Bulliet) Nashville
      o
      o  Mercury* (Irving Green) Chicago
      o
      o  Specialty (Art Rupe) Los Angeles
• 1947
      o
      o  Aristocrat-Chess (1951) (Leonard & Phil Chess) Chicago
      o
      o  Atlantic (Ahmet Ertegun & Herb Abramson) New York                       
  1948
      o
      o  Freedom (Sol Kahal) Houston
      o
      o  Jubilee (Jerry Blaine) New York
• 1949
      o
      o  Regal (Dave and Jules Braun) Linden, New Jersey
      o
      o  Macy's (Macy Lela Wood) Houston
      o
      o  Peacock (Don Robey) Houston
      o
      o  Imperial (Lew Chudd) Los Angeles
• 1950
      o
      o  Tennessee (Alan and Reynolds Bubis) Nashville, Tennessee
      o
      o  Dot (Randy Wood & Gene Nobles) Gallatin, Tenn
      o
      o  RPM (Lester (Bihari) Los Angeles, California
      o
      o  Trumpet (Willard & Lillian McMurry) Jackson, Miss
• 1951
      o
      o  Red Robin (Bobby Robinson) New York
      o
      o  Nashboro-Ernie Y (Ernie Young) Nashville
• 1952
      o
      o  Herald/Ember (Al Silver) New York
      o
      o  Duke (James Mattias) Memphis
      o
      o  Sun (Sam Phillips) Memphis
      o
      o  Vee-Jay (James & Vivian Bracken) Chicago
      o
      o  Meteor (Lester Bihari) Memphis, Tennessee
      o
      o  Liberty (Al Bennett) Hollywood
• 1953
      o
      o  Starday (Pappy Daily/Jack Starnes) Beaumont, Texas. Moved to Nashville 1957
      o
      o  Rama (George Goldner) New York
      o
      o  Cadence (Archie Bleyer) New York
      o
      o  Excello (Ernie Young) Nashville, Tenn
• 1954
      o
      o  Spark (Mike Stoller/Jerry Leiber) Los Angeles
• 1955
      o
      o  Ace (Johnny Vincent) Jackson, Miss