| Monument Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Sony Music Entertainment |
| Founded | 1958; 68 years ago (1958) |
| Founder | Fred Foster Buddy Deane Jack Kirby |
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Official website | monument-records |
Monument Records is an American record label co-founded in 1958 byFred Foster. Originally founded inWashington, D.C., the label moved toNashville in 1960, and experienced success over the next two decades with a number of artists includingRoy Orbison,Dolly Parton,Willie Nelson,Ray Stevens,Kris Kristofferson,Charlie McCoy,Boots Randolph,Jeannie Seely, and others.
After financial struggles and bankruptcy,CBS Records acquired the Monument catalog in the 1980s. CBS successorSony Music reactivated the label in 1997 as a country label and relaunched it in 2017.[1]
After working in record promotions for several years, in March 1958 Fred Foster co-founded Monument Records and publishing company Combine Music with business manager Jack Kirby and well-knownBaltimore disc jockey "Buddy" Deane.[2] Founded in Washington, D.C., the label's name was inspired by theWashington Monument.[3]
For the label's first release, Foster tookBilly Grammer toRCA's Nashville studio to record "Gotta Travel On" withChet Atkins. Having spent all but $80 of Monument's initial $1,200 of funding, Foster negotiated for Monument to be the first label distributed byLondon Records.[3] Grammer's single, released in October 1958, was a crossover hit, reaching #4 on theU.S. pop chart, #5 on theU.S. country chart, and #14 on theU.S. R&B chart in 1959, selling over 900,000 copies.[4] It also spawned a nationwidedance craze called "The Shag". Later in 1959, Monument co-founder "Buddy" Dean sold his 30% share of the company back to Foster before moving toPine Bluff, Arkansas. He boughtKOTN, a radio station, in the early '60s.
In early 1959,Wesley Rose,Roy Orbison's manager and the president ofAcuff-Rose, approached Foster about signing the singer to Monument Records, and Foster said yes. As Orbison began recording for the label, his signature sound was realized, leading to a string of 18 hit singles and five best-selling LPs, beginning with the 1960 release "Only the Lonely."[5] Also in 1960, recognizing he was spending more than half of his time in Nashville for recording sessions with Monument artists, Foster moved Monument Records and Combine MusicHendersonville.[5][3] By 1961, London Records' roster of labels the company was distributing had grown to more than forty independents, prompting Foster to move Monument to the independent-distributor network.
In addition to Orbison, Monument became home to a number of other artists includingThe Velvets,Bob Moore,Boots Randolph,Charlie McCoy,Tony Joe White,Ray Stevens,Kris Kristofferson,Larry Jon Wilson,Larry Gatlin, andRobert Mitchum.Willie Nelson,Tommy Roe,Connie Smith were also signed to Monument for short times. The label was responsible for developing a number of artists includingJeannie Seely,Dolly Parton, andGrandpa Jones.[5] In 1962, Monument Records made history when it released "Too Many Chicks" and "Jealous Heart" by Leona Douglas, the first country & western recording by an African-American woman.[6]
Foster started asoul and R&B labelSound Stage 7 in 1963. Artists on Sound Stage 7 includedJoe Simon,The Dixiebelles,Arthur Alexander, andIvory Joe Hunter. Another Monument sublabel was Rising Sons Records.[7] In 1971, Foster signed a worldwide distribution agreement withCBS Records. The distribution agreement lasted until 1976. Foster switched distribution toPolyGram which lasted until 1982, and then CBS handled distribution again until 1990.
Fred Foster invested heavily in a banking venture in the 1980s, and sustained disastrous financial losses, which led to Monument filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1983 and the sale of its publishing counterpart, Combine Music, to Entertainment Music Co. in 1985.[8] CBS Records acquired the Monument catalog, and its successor company,Sony Music, reactivated the label in 1997 as a country label. Some successful artists signed to Monument during this era wereLittle Big Town andDixie Chicks.[9] Monument Records catalog is managed by Sony Music'sLegacy Recordings unit.
In January 2017, Sony Music announced that it had revived the Monument label in a joint venture with Sandbox Entertainment CEO and managerJason Owen and songwriter/producerShane McAnally. Owen and McAnally serve as co-presidents and have signed artistsCaitlyn Smith,Walker Hayes, andTigirlily Gold.[1]
leona douglas jealous heart.
