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| Peacock Records | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1949 (1949) |
| Founder | Don Robey |
| Defunct | 1979 (1979) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Houston,Texas, U.S. |
Peacock Records was an Americanrecord label, founded in 1949 byDon Robey inHouston,Texas, United States.
Robey established the record label in 1949 after two years of beingblues singerClarence "Gatemouth" Brown's manager, and Brown not finding commercial success withAladdin Records. Named after Robey's Houston nightclub, the Bronze Peacock, the record label's roster expanded to include such notablerhythm and blues artists asMarie Adams,James Booker,Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown,Little Richard,Memphis Slim, and former gospel singerJackie Verdell. In 1953,Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog" (later covered byElvis Presley) was a hit for Peacock.[1][2] The label also dabbled injazz, releasing albums by vocalistBetty Carter and saxophonistSonny Criss.
In 1952, Robey gained control of theDuke Records label ofMemphis, Tennessee, and formed Duke-Peacock Records.[1]
Peacock also had a very successful gospel music division, which released music from such notable gospel artists as theDixie Hummingbirds, theMighty Clouds of Joy, theSensational Nightingales,[1] theFive Blind Boys of Mississippi, ReverendCleophus Robinson, the Gospelaires, thePilgrim Jubilee Singers, the Loving Sisters, and gospel/jazz group Together (1975), which included saxophonist Felix "Top Cat" Dixon.
At the end of 1963, the label launched the gospel subsidiary labelSong Bird Records which featuredInez Andrews.[1] In the later 1960s, Peacock again began to issue secular soul singles by artists such as Jackie Verdell, the Inspirations,Little Frankie Lee,[3] Al 'TNT' Bragg and Bud Harper. This later Peacock label featured a bright multi-colored peacock tail on an otherwise blue label background, and it is these later records which are often sought byNorthern soul collectors.
The Duke-Peacock family of labels (which also included Back Beat and Sure Shot) was sold toABC Dunhill Records of Los Angeles on May 23, 1973, with label founder Don Robey staying with ABC as a consultant until his death in 1975. The label name was changed to ABC/Peacock in 1974.
After ABC was sold toMCA Records in 1979, MCA briefly operated an MCA/Songbird label with new signings including Little Anthony (ofLittle Anthony and the Imperials) andDan Peek (formerly of the groupAmerica). The previous rosters of both ABC-Peacock and ABC-Songbird were dropped (MCA later reissued several Peacock and Song Bird albums at budget price). MCA briefly revived the Peacock name for a series of CD reissues ("Peacock Gospel Classics") in the late 1990s. Along with the MCA back catalog, the Peacock and Song Bird masters are now controlled by theGeffen Records unit ofUniversal Music Group.
