Vee-Jay Records was a record label, specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. It was owned and operated by African Americans. Vee-Jay 78 label; scanned from a 1950s 78rpm gramophone record. ... Vee-Jay 78 label; scanned from a 1950s 78rpm gramophone record. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the full twelve note chromatic scale plus the microtonal intervals and a characteristic eight and twelve-bar chord progression. ... Jazz is an original American musical art form originating around the start of the 20th century in New Orleans. ... Rhythm and blues (or R&B) was coined as a musical marketing term in the United States in 1949 by Jerry Wexler at Billboard magazine, and was used to designate upbeat popular music performed by African American artists that combined jazz, gospel, and blues. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ...

Vee-Jay 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. Vivian's brother, Calvin Carter, was the label's A&R man. Ewart Abner, formerly of Chance Records, joined the label in 1955, first as manager, then as vice president, and ultimately, as president. Flag Seal Nickname: City of the Century Location Location in the state of Indiana, USA Coordinates , Government County Lake Mayor Rudolph Clay Geographical characteristics Area     City 148. ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1953 calendar). ... James C. Bracken was the co-owner and co-founder of Vee-Jay Records, along with his wife Vivian and her brother, Calvin Carter. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The label quickly became a major R&B label, with the first song recorded making it to the top ten on the national R&B charts. Vee-Jay Records filed for bankruptcy in August 1966. The assets were subsequently purchased by label executives Betty Chiapetta and Randy Wood. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...

Major acts on the label included Jimmy Reed, Memphis Slim, John Lee Hooker, Jerry Butler, Gene Chandler, The Four Seasons, Hoyt Axton, Betty Everett, Little Richard (who re-recorded his Specialty Records hits in the early 1960s), and, before he became successful, Billy Preston. Jimmy Reed James Jimmy Mathis Reed (September 6, 1925 - August 29, 1976) was an important United States blues singer notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. ... Memphis Slim (1915 in Memphis, Tennessee-1988 Paris, France) was a blues pianist and singer. ... John Lee Hooker. ... Jerry Butler Jerry Butler, Jr. ... Gene Chandler, was born Eugene Dixon, July 6, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois. ... The Four Seasons are an American pop and doo wop group, distinct from many similar groups of the 1950s and 60s in their traditional Italian-American sound. ... Hoyt Axton (March 25, 1938—October 26, 1999) was an American country music singer-songwriter, and a film and television actor. ... Betty Everett (23 November 1939 - 19 August 2001) was an African-American R&B singer and pianist. ... Little Richard (born Richard Wayne Penniman, December 5, 1932 in Macon, Georgia) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist, and an early pioneer of rock and roll. ... Specialty Records was an American record label. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American soul musician from Houston, Texas, raised mostly in Los Angeles, California. ...

Vee-Jay's jazz releases formed a small portion of the company's releases, but include releases by Wynton Kelly, Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter. The A&R for the jazz releases was Sid McCoy. Wynton Kelly (1931–1971) was an American jazz pianist, born in Jamaica. ... Lee Morgan Lee Morgan (born July 10, 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-died February 19, 1972 in New York City) was a hard bop trumpeter. ... Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter in the 1960s quintet Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz composer and saxophonist. ... Artist and repertoire (A&R for short) is a music industry term that refers to the division of a record label that is responsible for scouting and developing talent. ...

The label also released early Beatles material ("Please Please Me", "From Me to You" via Vee-Jay and "Love Me Do" via its subsidiary Tollie Records), because EMI's autonomous United States company Capitol initially refused to release Beatles records. Vee-Jay's releases were at first unsuccessful, but quickly became huge once the British Invasion took off in early 1964, selling 2.6 million Beatles singles in a single month. Cash flow problems caused by the leasing of the British act's records are generally given as an explanation of the company's demise. The Beatles were an English Rock n Roll group from Liverpool, who continue to be held in the very highest regard for their artistic achievements, their huge commercial success, and their ground-breaking role in the history of popular music. ... Tollie Records was formed in February, 1964 as a sub-label of Vee-Jay Records and closed in May 1965. ... The EMI Group is a major record label, based in Kensington in London, in the United Kingdom. ... Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label, owned by EMI. // History The Capitol Records company was founded by the songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of movie producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, (1910-1971) (owner of Music City, at... The appearance of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, 1964, marked the dramatic start of the British Invasion. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ...

The post-bankruptcy Vee-Jay is not active in producing new recordings, but continues to license the back catalog. The current primary distributors are P-Vine/Blues Interactions in Japan, and Rhino Records in North America. U.S. based record label Collectables Records, a Rhino sublicensee, has been remastering and reissuing Vee-Jay albums on audio CD since 2000. Rhino Entertainment is a specialty record label originally known for releasing retrospectives of famous comedy performers, including Stan Freberg, Tom Lehrer, and Spike Jones. ... Collectables Records was founded in the early 1980s by Jerry Greene, who had previously been associated with Lost Nite Records and both New Yorks Times Square Record Shop and Philadelphias Record Museum record store chains. ...

See also

• List of record labels

The following is a partial list of record labels, both past and present. ...

External links

• Official site
• The Vee-Jay Story - Both Sides Now website