Users' questions

Where did race records originate?

Where did race records originate?

race records, sound recordings of the early 20th century that were made exclusively by and for African Americans. The term is sometimes said to have been coined by Ralph S. Peer, who was then working for OKeh Records.

Who coined the term race records?

Ralph Peer
A term for 78 r.p.m. phonograph records made especially for black consumers from 1921-1942. The term was coined by Ralph Peer of Okeh records to apply to jazz, blues, and gospel music; it was replaced by “rhythm-and-blues” after World War II.

What were race and hillbilly records?

Virtually all of these firms adopted in their catalogs, and marketing, the category of “race records” to designate music of African-Americans and “hillbilly” or “old time” music to describe music of rural whites.

What record label was first capitalized on race records?

During the mid 1920s, Columbia, Okeh, Victor, and Paramount all began to release race records featuring religious songs and sermons by African American pastors. In 1925, Reverend Calvin P. Dixon recorded a sermon with Columbia records, becoming the first to do so on a major race record.

Where did race records and hillbilly genres originate?

“Race records” and “hillbilly music” were constructed musical categories, introduced by Okeh Recording Company in 1921, that became institutionalized categories as other recording firms adopted their use. …

Who was the targeted audience of race records?

The target audience for race records was the African American working class. The records were recorded by African Americans and were intended for African Americans to listen to.

What was the name of the first African American owned record company?

Black Swan Records
How The First Black-Owned Record Label, Black Swan, Was Obscured By History Decades before Motown, Black Swan Records was the world’s first major Black-owned record label.

Was Harry Pace black or white?

Harry Herbert Pace (January 6, 1884 – July 19, 1943) was an American music publisher and insurance executive. He was the founder of Black Swan Records, the first record label owned by an African American with wide distribution capabilities.

Are there any black owned record labels?

Black Swan Records The label, known as the first black-owned record label, was named after Elizabeth Greenfield, a famous 19th-century black vocalist who was referred to as “the black swan” because of her voice. The label had its own distribution.

Are there any black-owned record labels?