What began as a tiny record store in an old movie theater at the corner of McLemore Avenue and College Street in Memphis, Tennessee, grew to become one of the most important music recording studios in the world. When the modest Capitol Theater in the heart of Soulsville USA was transformed into Stax Records in 1959, it began launching the careers of unknowns who would become icons, cranking out a massive catalogue of smash soul hits by the likes of Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, the Staple Singers, Wilson Pickett, Luther Ingram, Albert King, The Bar-Kays, Booker T & the MGs, Johnnie Taylor, Rufus and Carla Thomas and dozens of other artists whose influence remains vital in the music of today. On its many and varied labels, Stax Records also recorded such legends as Big Star, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Bill Cosby, Moms Mabley and the Grammy-winning comedic genius Richard Pryor.
Today, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, located at the original site of Stax Records, pays tribute to all of the artists who recorded there with a rare and amazing collection of more than 2,000 interactive exhibits, films, artifacts, items of memorabilia and galleries designed to keep Stax alive forever. Because it is the only soul music museum in the world, it also spotlights America's other major soul music pioneers, including the sounds of Muscle Shoals, Motown, Hi and Atlantic Records, spotlighting the contributions of such soul pioneers as Ike & Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, The Jackson Five, Ann Peebles, Al Green, Sam Cooke, James Brown, Ray Charles and many others.
Satellite Records (renamed to 'Stax' in 1961) was founded in 1959 by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. The first successful artists recorded by Satellite were vocalists Rufus and Carla Thomas, a father-daughter duo whose work attracted Atlantic Records, with whom Stewart made a contract giving ownership of master tapes and first choice on releasing recordings. Another of the early bands signed to the company was a Memphis group, The Mar-Keys, formerly known as The Royal Spades. Shortly thereafter, pianist Booker T Jones joined the label and, along with members of The Mar-Keys, began performing as Booker T and the Memphis Group; this band's sound exemplified the style that Stax was looking for.
In 1962, Stax created a subsidiary label, Volt Records, used for rhythm and blues music. The first artist released by Volt was Otis Redding, their most successful artist. Another hit-making act was Sam and Dave, sent to Stax by Atlantic. Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler frequently brought his artists to Memphis for recording sessions at Stax. In the BBC documentary Soul Deep he reported putting Wilson Pickett and Booker T and the MGs' guitarist Steve Cropper in a motel room "with a bottle of Jack"; the night's work produced the soul standard 'In the Midnight Hour'.
In 1968, contract renegotiations fell through with Atlantic; Stewart sold the label to Gulf and Western in March of that year. Although Stax had lost their most valuable artists - Sam and Dave, who were signed to Atlantic and Otis Redding, who had died shortly before the move between companies - they recovered quickly, building on such new artists as Isaac Hayes, whose Hot Buttered Soul album went triple-platinum in 1969. However, Stax's record sales were down overall under Gulf and Western's management. In 1970, Stewart and Al Bell, Stax's sales director, purchased the label back. Stax subsisted on its own for a short period until 1972, when negotiations with Columbia Records began.
In 1972, Al Bell and Stax recording artists staged a concert, Wattstax, which drew over 100,000 predominately African-American Los Angelenos. The event, known as the "Black Woodstock," was MC'ed by Reverend Jesse Jackson and filmed by director Mel Stuart (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory). The festival featured performances by Stax recording artists and humour from a then little-known Richard Pryor.
Stax Timeline
1957 - First Tennessee banker Jim Stewart begins recording country music in his wife's uncle's garage in North Memphis. Satellite Records is launched.
1958 - Stewart moves his "recording studio" to Brunswick, Tennessee. Stewart's sister Estelle Axton, then employed by Union Planters, mortgages her home to pay for recording equipment for the company.
1959 - Stewart and Axton move to the old Capitol Theater, currently abandoned on McLemore Ave.
1960 - WDIA disc jockey Rufus Thomas hustles over to the studio with his daughter, Carla and together they cut Satellite's first hit, 'Cause I Love You'.
1961 - Local high school R&B band The Mar-Keys cut an instrumental hit, 'Last Night' that sends Satellite Records soaring. Stewart takes the first two letters from his last name (ST) and adds the first two letters of his sister's last name (AX) to form the new label name - STAX RECORDS. For the next 14 years, the hits from the corner of McLemore and College cannot be stopped.
1962 - The Mar-Keys evolve into Booker T and the MGs - forming the house band for the next eight years of Stax hits, beginning a b-side, 'Green Onions'. 'Georgia' crooner Otis Redding comes to the studio and begins a career that shoots straight to the top of the R&B as well as the pop world. William Bell hits with 'You Don't Miss Your Water'.
1963 - Rufus Thomas begins his dance-craze hit parade with 'The Dog', 'Walking The Dog' and 'Can Your Monkey Do the Dog?'
1965 - Sam & Dave come on the Stax scene. Immediately, local musicians and Stax writers Isaac Hayes and David Porter take them under their wing and crank out an endless streak of hits including 'I Take What I Want', 'Soul Man', 'You Don't Know Like I Know', 'Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody' and 'Hold On, I'm Coming'.
1966 - Eddie Floyd 'Knocks On Wood' Carla Thomas hits on 'B-A-B-Y', Albert King cuts the 'Crosscut Saw' and Sam & Dave hit again with 'You Got Me Hummin''.
1967 - Stax takes its show on the road to Europe - shaking the whole continent with Booker T & the MGs, Carla Thomas, The Mar-Keys, Sam & Dave and then wiping the audience out with Otis Redding. Redding slays the hippies at the Monterrey Pop Festival in California. The Bar-Kays score with 'Soul Finger'. The year ends on a sour note as Otis Redding's plane goes down into Lake Monono, Wisconsin, killing Redding and most of The Bar-Kays who were touring with him.
1968 - '(Sittin' on) The Dock of The Bay', released posthumously, goes to number one on both the pop and R&B charts. Martin Luther King is assassinated in Memphis in April; riots ensue. Film company Gulf & Western buys Stax from Jim Stewart, Estelle Axton and Al Bell in exchange for stock.
1969 - In an effort to create a new catalogue, Al Bell launches an aggressive release campaign - releasing 27 albums and 30 singles in one month. Stax hits hard with 'Time is Tight' by Booker T as well as 'Who's Making Love' by Johnnie Taylor. Isaac Hayes unleashes Hot Buttered Soul, his first of a string of million selling long-form albums.
1970 - Stewart and Bell re-purchase Stax from Gulf & Western --expanding the label into jazz, comedy, country, spoken word, African and rock.
1971 - Isaac Hayes becomes a mega-superstar with the release of the soundtrack to Shaft, which eventually wins Grammys and an Oscar.
1972 - The Staple Singers come on board with 'I'll Take You There' and 'Respect Yourself'. Luther Ingram scores with '(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right'. Bell negotiates a lucrative deal for CBS to distribute Stax. Stax takes almost its entire current roster of artists to Los Angeles and puts on the Wattstax concert to raise money for Watts charities and films a documentary not only of the concert, but also of everyday life for African-Americans at the time.
1973 - CBS begins ordering large quantities of records, paying large advances, then warehousing them. Unusual music business practices at Stax are investigated. IRS begins investigating Stax about another employee found carrying $100,000 in cash through an airport.
1974 - Stax experiences extreme cash flow problems and cannot pay its bills or high overhead - including salaries for over 200 local employees. Stax becomes involved in a string of lawsuits and counter-suits involving Union Planters Bank, CBS and Stax Records.
1975 - A record pressing company sues Stax, and Stax cannot not meet payroll. Stax owes millions to Union Planters and loses most of its artists. Al Bell is indicted by a federal grand jury for bank fraud. Isaac Hayes sues Stax. Al Jackson is murdered. Union Planters forecloses on the publishing arm of Stax. Three small creditors - encouraged by Union Planters - force Stax into involuntary bankruptcy December 19, 1975.
1977 - Stax's master tapes are sold at bankruptcy auction for a fraction of their value - $1.3 million. Fantasy Records in California buys the Stax catalog from Nassi & Assoc.
1981 - Union Planters deeds Stax Recording Studios to Southside Church of God in Christ for $1.00.
1989 - Southside Church of God in Christ tears down Stax Recording studio.
2000 - Soulsville announces plans for Stax Museum of American Soul Music and Stax Music Academy.
2003 - The 17,000 square-foot Stax Museum of American Soul Music finally opens its doors to rave reviews. The three-day grand opening, "Soul Comes Home", features press conferences, parties, film screenings and live performances by the likes of Booker T & the MGs. Mavis Staples, Al Green, Linda Lyndell, Mable John, Rance Allen, Isaac Hayes and numerous other Stax Records Legends.
2004 - The Stax Museum continues to offer new programs, events and exhibits. It continues to build its membership base and has become one of the most talked about music tourist destinations in the world.
Read about Emperor Rosko and the Stax Tour