10/21 Stax Records

I had never heard of Stax Records until I had to research it this morning. I learned that apparently Stax Records had a huge influence on music culture and the music that we listen to today. It started in Memphis, Tennessee and soon became one of the most important recording studios in the world. Musicians such as Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, and Booker T. & the MG's were all recorded and established at Stax Records. This recording company was actually founded by a white American couple, but they allowed people of all colors and ethnic backgrounds to record and produce music there. Although Stax was only around for about twenty years, the studio played an important role in the creation and distribution of southern soul music styles, although they also released gospel, jazz, and blues records. It went bankrupt shortly after 1975 when it failed to beat its rival, Motown Records. But it is still remembered to this day and is considered an establishent that went against the odds in a time where most people saw everything as white or black, not both at the same time. It successfully helped integrate African-American music into a world of discrimination and prejudice.