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And you can understand why he was having pop hits because he was doing things like that! He knew exactly how to get his records played.' He flew in 15 Scandinavian prostitutes, fresh from Scandinavia directly to the convention. 'Another crazy stunt that he pulled was there was a big convention for black DJs. And that kind of got to his head and made him think that he could help run the company by gambling. He would take the payroll, and fly to Las Vegas, and gamble it off. Ribas says, 'As they got bigger, he came up with crazy, crazy schemes. According to the box set's compiler, Ribas, business manager Ewart Abner in particular had some unusual practices. Even in the era of payola, the label was known in the industry as being very generous. A missed opportunity perhaps, but then, that same year, label-hopping John Lee Hooker had a big hit with 'I Love You Honey.'ĭespite growing success and trend-setting artists, Vee-Jay was having money problems. Vee-Jay had recorded a novelty song by Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, 'The Twist,' but never released it. Vee-Jay's records were crossing over into the pop charts, but the label could not seem to capitalize on its success. But the Impressions, including Butler's childhood friend Curtis Mayfield, took umbrage at the billing, and they soon disbanded, only to surface big-time later at Motown Records. Jerry Butler & the Impressions soared on the charts, selling nearly a million copies. That changed in 1958 with 'For Your Precious Love' by Jerry Butler & the Impressions.

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Vee-Jay was doing well with regional hits but had yet to crack the mainstream. The Staples went on to international fame with Stax Records. Reed was Vee-Jay's first star and helped the label take on local blues giant Chess Records.Ī year later, Vee-Jay released 'Uncloudy Day' by the Staple Singers, with a 12-year-old Mavis on lead vocals. The Brackens spent the entire $500 on their first recordings - including 'High and Lonesome' by Jimmy Reed - but had no cash to actually distribute those records.Ĭatering to the big blues and gospel market in nearby Chicago was a wise choice. The story of Vee-Jay is littered with irony. Yet three years later, the company folded, leaving behind $3 million in debt, a slew of hits and a rich legacy of black American music captured on the four-disc Vee-Jay: The Definitive Collection box set compiled by Michael Ribas, a longtime fan of the label. Vee-Jay was even the Beatles' first American label.

Thirteen years later, Vee-Jay Records became the country's biggest independent, black-owned record label, and for a time, it was bigger than Motown. In 1953, Vivian and James Bracken from Gary, Ind., borrowed $500 from a pawnbroker to start a record company.