Music

Through stories of people, music, and dreams, King Records of Cincinnati tells the history of a recording company which launched countless musical careers.

Starting with a few songs and a dream in 1943, King Records--a leading American independent--launched musical careers from a shabby brick factory on Brewster Avenue in Cincinnati's Evanston neighborhood. Founder Sydney Nathan recorded country singers Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Wayne Raney, and others and later added black acts such as James Brown and the Famous Flames, Bull Moose Jackson, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, Lonnie Johnson, and Freddy King. Meanwhile, King also explored polka, jazz, bluegrass, comedy, gospel, pop, and instrumental music--anything that Nathan could sell. Although King's Cincinnati factory closed in 1971, the company's diverse catalog of roots music had already become a phenomenon. Its legacy lives on in hundreds of classic recordings that are prized by collectors and musicians.

Rock and roll has been as much a part of the north coast city of Cleveland as the lake that hugs it.

Ever since Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed first called the records he was playing ""rock and roll,"" northeast Ohio has been a driving force in this musical phenomenon. From the disc jockeys who spun the music to the musicians who played it, the clubs that welcomed it and fans who encouraged it, rock and roll has been as much a part of this north coast as the lake that hugs it. It was those early years, from the 1950s on, that led Cleveland to becoming the ""Rock and Roll Capital of the World"" and ultimately home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. While the city spawned several widely recognized names, such as the James Gang (with Joe Walsh), the Raspberries (with Eric Carmen), and Bobby Womack, it is the music itself that will keep this town rocking on the shores of Lake Erie, and beyond, for a long time to come.

Chrissie Hynde, Devo..Rubber City Rebels...The Rubber City's rebel musical roots

Music made in Akron symbolized an attitude more so than a singular sound. Crafted by kids hell-bent on not following their parents into the rubber plants, the music was an intentional antithesis of Top 40 radio. Call it punk or call it new wave, but in a short few years, major labels signed Chrissie Hynde, Devo, the Waitresses, Tin Huey, the Bizarros, the Rubber City Rebels and Rachel Sweet. They had their own bars, the Crypt and the Bank. They had their own label, Clone Records. They even had their own recording space, Bushflow Studios. London's Stiff Records released an Akron compilation album, and suddenly there were Akron Nights in London clubs and CBGB was waiving covers for people with Akron IDs. Author Calvin Rydbom of the Akron Sound Museum remembers that short time when the Rubber City was the place.

The nightspots, rock clubs, arenas & more that made the city swing

Cincinnati in the ‘50s and ‘60s offered a stunning array of live music and entertainment venues. Though many of them no longer exist, their memories live on. Fulfilling an “obligation” to mobsters, blues crooner Charles Brown played a residency at the Sportsman’s Club in Newport. Incendiary comedian Lenny Bruce performed at the Surf Club on the city’s conservative west side. Jim Tarbell’s short-lived but iconic Ludlow Garage became a major stop on the national “ballroom” circuit that grew up around rock ‘n’ roll as it matured into its progressive, experimental era. Signaling an end to the ‘60s, Iggy Pop created a sensation at the 1970 Cincinnati Summer Pop Festival at Crosley Field.

Join seasoned journalist Steven Rosen on a tour through historically heady days in the Queen City’s music scene.

Cleveland's Gospel Music documents the history of black gospel music from the 1920s through the 1980s. The gospel quartet groups, radio announcers, solo artists, and promoters established Cleveland as the gospel singers' metropolitan hub. An integral part of Cleveland's history and its rich African-American community, gospel singers didn't sing for money or fame, but sang to the glory of God, often beyond the point of exhaustion. This work is a celebration of the past praises of those who sang tirelessly for some 60 years.

From 1940 to 1970, Cincinnati overflowed with musical opportunities. Hank Williams recorded his hit "Lovesick Blues." Andy Williams, Rosemary and
Betty Clooney, and Doris Day appeared regularly on WLW Radio, which also broadcast Boone County Jamboree. Then came the network television show
Midwestern Hayride and stardom for Kenny Price. Meanwhile, King and Fraternity Records released hundreds of hits for James Brown, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, Cowboy Copas, Lonnie Mack, and the Casinos. In the late 1960s, the Lemon Pipers sang "Green Tambourine," and rock bands ruled Coney Island's Moonlite Gardens. It was a wild, incredible ride while it lasted, and it left such an indelible impression that today Cincinnati is remembered as one of America's top music capitals.

Cleveland has always been a music town. And thanks to Cleveland deejay Alan Freed, who booked the first venue for rock enthusiasts, music fans have never lacked for places to go see their favorite acts perform in person. This book honors the astute owners and their venues-from yesterday to today-that present fans with the music they crave. The early clubs helped usher in Cleveland as the designated Rock and Roll Capital of the World. Today's venues continue the tradition, thus ensuring that music lovers of all ages, and attitudes, get to enjoy their rock and roll on the North Coast, with all its variety and talent. Because of them, musical memories continue to be made.

Squire's Warren Junior Military Band had an emotional appeal that endeared it to audiences of all ages. Considered one of northeastern Ohio's richest artistic assets, the band's members, who hailed from the entire region, were filled with pride, tradition, patriotism, and a sense of discipline. The original VFW Boys Band was formed in 1927, with Donald W. "Squire" Hurrelbrink becoming director in 1930. In 1957, the name changed to the Warren Junior Military Band. Travels took the band from the East Coast to the West Coast, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and to audiences abroad, amassing an impressive record of Midwest, Canadian, European, American Legion, and VFW National Championships. Throughout the years, the band performed at numerous prestigious events and for an impressive number of dignitaries, as well as a phenomenal number of local, civic, and patriotic festivities. Members were privileged to have Squire's leadership for 66 years. Alumni continued to lead, direct, and pass on the values they learned under Squire's guidance. Finally, in 2010, the band ended its long legacy.

Established in Cincinnati in 1856 by German immigrant Franz Rudolph Wurlitzer, the music dealer became the largest outlet for band instruments in the United States by 1865. During the silent film era in the early twentieth century, Wurlitzer manufactured nearly 2,250 theater organs, affectionately dubbed "Mighty Wurlitzers." Many of these instruments still provide concert music today. During the Big Band era of the 1930s to 1950s, the company's colorful coin-operated jukeboxes were such popular fixtures in bars and dance halls that the U.S. Postal Service honored them with a commemorative stamp. Although the company was sold in 1988, the Wurlitzer name continues to be held in high esteem by the city of Cincinnati.

Columbus has long been known for its musicians. Unlike New York, San Francisco, Kansas City, Nashville, or even Cincinnati, however, it has never had a definable scene. Still, some truly remarkable music has been made in this musical crossroads by the many outstanding musicians who have called it home. Since 1900, Columbus has grown from the 28th- to the 15th-largest city in the United States. During this period, it has developed into a musically vibrant community that has nurtured the talents of such artists as Elsie Janis, Ted Lewis, Nancy Wilson, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Dwight Yoakam, Bow Wow, and Rascal Flatts. But, in many instances, those who chose to remain at home were as good and, perhaps, even better.

Everyone loves to have fun! Over the years, Cantonians have enjoyed a wide variety of amusements, from traveling theatrical shows to community-wide celebrations. Louis Schaefer opened the town's first opera house in 1868, attracting some of the 19th century's biggest stars to Canton. The tradition of first-rate entertainment continued in the 20th century, with stars like Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and Guy Lombardo gracing the stage of the Moonlight Ballroom. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, Canton enjoyed a cultural renaissance with the development of many arts organizations still cherished today, including the Players' Guild, Canton Symphony Orchestra, and Canton Museum of Art. In 1955, the city celebrated its sesquicentennial with the biggest parade in Canton's history.

Cincinnati, Ohio, might have seemed like an unlikely choice to host the nation's largest annual R&B concert, but thanks to local promoter Dino Santangelo, the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival would become the Granddaddy of Them All. The first festival was held in 1962 at the Carthage Fairgrounds, but the event would continue to grow—moving to Crosley Field in 1964 and then Riverfront Stadium in 1971—to become the nation's biggest two-day stadium concert. The Ohio Valley Jazz Festival would eventually feature the most popular R&B artists of the day and draw audiences from as far as 500 miles away. The festival pioneered stadium concert production, generated millions for the regional economy, and eased the Greater Cincinnati community's difficult cultural transition throughout the turbulent 1960s and 1970s.