Air Week: April 27-May 3, 2026

Imperial Records was a major player among the indie labels of the late 1940s and the entirety of the 1950s. Started in Los Angels in 1946 by Lew Chudd, a Canadian raised in Harlem, Imperial began filling the ethnic and cultural voids left by the majors at the time. Chudd knew there was a large market for Latino Music in America, so he headed to Mexico City and recorded some Mexican jump bands that sold very well. He then included square dance records which also racked up sales as now square dances could be held without callers. He began recording Rhythm & Blues in 1947 and by ’49, he had hired Dave Bartholomew to scout talent in fertile New Orleans. The Braun Brother had beat him to The Crescent City by recording Paul Gayten and Annie Laurie first, but with Bartholomew’s help, Chudd was able to sign Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Archibald and Jewel King, dominating the New Orleans R&B scene. This week, we continue our Imperial series with part seven, focusing on Imperial’s R&B releases from the second half of 1955. Last week in the first part of 1955, Matt The Cat alluded to Fats Domino’s big crossover breakthrough and in June it happened when “Ain’t It A Shame” topped the R&B chart and crossed over to a whopping #10 on the Pop chart. It became the biggest selling R&B record of 1955 and along with Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene” helped to usher in Rock n’ Roll. Though 1955 was a strong year for Fats, Dave Bartholomew, The Spiders and Imperial’s New Orleans roster, the Los Angeles vocal groups were also making a dent with The Barons and The Jewels having a few solid releases. Blues legend Roosevelt Sykes stops by Imperial for a quick few singles, while guitarist Jimmy Nolen gives us a glimpse of his future greatness. Matt The Cat keeps those records spinning as he features part seven of the Imperial Records Story on this week’s “Juke In The Back.”

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