Marshall Chess (born March 13, 1942) is an Americanrecord producer, the son ofLeonard Chess who co-foundedChess Records.

Marshall worked for sixteen years withChess Records; founded by his father Leonard and his uncle Phil. He did everything from pressing records and loading trucks to producing over 100 Chess Records projects and eventually heading up the label as President after their acquisition by GRT in 1969. In the late 1960s, Marshall also ran his own Cadet Concept imprint as a division ofChess Records. He created and produced the Rotary Connection, which became the springboard forMinnie Riperton’s career. He signedJohn Klemmer and created a new format which was heralded as the first jazz-fusion album,Blowin' Gold. He signed the underground black rock legendsBlack Merda. His Cadet Concept also imported and released the only American hit, "Pictures of Matchstick Men", by the British rock groupStatus Quo. He also created and produced the controversial psychedelicized blues albumsElectric Mud byMuddy Waters andThe Howlin' Wolf Album byHowlin' Wolf. He restored his reputation by producing the jam albumFathers & Sons with Waters,Mike Bloomfield,Otis Spann,Paul Butterfield,Duck Dunn,Sam Lay andBuddy Miles in 1969.

Departing from Chess Records in 1970 after the death of his father, Marshall was hired as the founding president ofRolling Stones Records, a record label controlled by the English rock group. Marshall Chess had known the band since 1964, when they had used Chess studios in Chicago to record songs while touring the United States. He was an active executive manager, touring with the band, and being involved with record production as well as outside business interests. In 1977, Chess resigned from Rolling Stones Records because he felt that too much drugs, sex, and rock n roll was undermining his health and his ability to work in the company.^[1] He was replaced by Earl McGrath on the advice of Atlantic Records headAhmet Ertegün, the Stones' record distribution partner. Chess wound up with a heroin addiction and spent years trying various therapies fromprimal scream toLSD while living in New York'sCatskills.^[2]

As well as music, Chess produced three films in the 1960s and 1970s:The Legend of Bo Diddley,Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones, and the unreleased concert tour documentaryCocksucker Blues byRobert Frank.

During the 1980s and 1990s Marshall produced projects for bothSire Records andIsland Records. From 1979 to 1981 he also managed as well as co-produced (with Ed Stasium) the Sire band , Alda-Reserve. He worked with rap starKRS-One, developing an audio comic book project,Break The Chain, for Marvel Comics.

In 1984, Marshall Chess became a partner in publishing companyARC Music, which he began actively heading in 1992. In 2003, Chess was featured in the filmGodfathers and Sons directed byMarc Levin, for thePBS seriesThe Blues, produced byMartin Scorsese.^[3] In the film, Marshall produces a hip hop version of the classic Chess track “Mannish Boy” featuring rappersChuck D andCommon recording with original members of theElectric Mud band.

In 1999 Chess founded the Czyz Recordsrecord label, with his cousin Kevin. The first record released on Czyz Records was theMurali Coryell album2120, named after Chess' old Chicago address at 2120 South Michigan. Czyz (pronounced "Chez" or "Chaz") was the original Polish surname of Leonard and Phil Chess when they arrived in America from Poland.^[4]

In the year 2000, Marshall, his sonJamar Chess and Juan Carlos Barguil founded Sunflower Entertainment, a specialty music publishing and licensing house that focuses on independent Latin music and iconic American songs.

Marshall has been onSirius Satellite Radio's Blues Channel since 2007 hosting theChess Records Hour, a three times a week show featuring the music and history of Chess Records. Chess was executive music producer on two movies which dramatise the history of Chess Records:Cadillac Records (2008), andWho Do You Love?, (2008) directed byJerry Zaks.^[5]

In 2012, Marshall co-founded Revolution Songs, a music publishing and sync licensing company.^[6]

He is married to Robin Chess, a cooking teacher; they have a son,Jamar Chess.^[7]

Chess's relationship with his father was a tough one. He described Leonard as "a rough character. He never played catch with me. Instead, he taught me how to shake hands." And when Marshall, age 21, first started working at Chess records, he asked his father what he was supposed to do, and Leonard told him: "You stupid motherfucker, your job is watching me."^[2]

• Marshall Chess in-depth interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' August 2010

• Sunflower Entertainment
• Vakero
• Marshall Chess @ Pbs.org