Jim Stewart (record producer)

Jim Stewart ( born July 29, 1930 in Middleton, Tennessee ) is a rhythm-and - blues producer, who made a name for himself mainly as a co-founder and label owner of Stax Records.

Life

His career in the music scene began Stewart as a country fiddler. At 18, he moved to Memphis, where he worked at Sears and occasionally made ​​appearances. After two years of military service, he returned to Memphis back, joined the Canyon Cowboys and worked for his keep in a bank.

In 1957 he founded with his older sister Estelle Axton his own label, Satellite Records, which was based on the model of Sun Records. In the same year he published a self-penned country song titled Blue Roses. The single was a failure, as well as all subsequent experiments.

In 1959, Stewart Chips Moman at as an engineer and produced in 1960 under the label Satellite with Gee Whiz by Carla Thomas his first hit. After 1961 the instrumental Last Night of the Mar - Keys also had success, it was found that there was already a record label called Satellite Records in California. As a result, Stewart and Axton named her label Stax Records in order. The name comes from the first two letters together the surname of Stewart and Axton. Stax moved into a former theater on East McLemore Avenue in Memphis.

Soon, musicians were from the local area including Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Donald " Duck" Dunn and Al Jackson, from which Stewart put together a label own band, to the times also Isaac Hayes, David Porter, Al Bell and the Memphis Horns were. 1962 Otis Redding wrote his contract with Stax, where he remained until his death in 1967.

In addition, Stewart went into a contract with Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records that allowed Wexler to produce its Atlantic - Artists in the studios of Stax. These included Sam & Dave and Wilson Pickett. Artists who even made ​​recordings for Stax, for example, were Booker T. & the MGs, the Staple Singers, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, William Bell, Rufus Thomas, Albert King, Mel & Tim, Jean Knight, The Emotions, The Soul Children and Richard Pryor.

1972 sold to Al Stewart Stax Bell. 2002 Stewart has been included in the category "Non - Performers " in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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