Duke-Peacock
| Duke-Peacock | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | ABC Dunhill (1973-1975) |
| Active years | 1952-1975 |
| founder | Don Robey , David J. Mattis , Bill Fitzgerald |
| Seat | Houston , Texas |
| Sub-label |
Peacock Records Duke Records Back Beat Records Songbird Records |
| Genre (s) | Blues , rhythm and blues , jazz , gospel |
Duke-Peacock was an American independent record company that emerged from a partnership between Duke Records and Peacock Records in 1952 . In 1953, Peacock founder Don Robey took over the management of both record labels . In 1973 Duke-Peacock was sold to ABC-Dunhill .
history
The Duke label, founded in Memphis , Tennessee in 1952, entered into a partnership with the Peacock label, which has been based in Houston , Texas since 1949 , just a few months after it was founded by David J. Mattis and Bill Fitzgerald . In 1953 the two independent labels merged and were henceforth run by Peacock founder Don Robey . The new company was located in Robey's "Bronze Peacock Dinner Club" nightclub in Houston. The merger expanded the portfolio of the blues , jazz , rhythm and blues and gospel- oriented Peacock labels to include early rock 'n' roll and pop performers from the country- influenced Duke repertoire. Both labels were continued as their own record brands.
Robey employed Irving Marcus and Dave Clark for sales and promotion . Johnny Otis , Bill Harvey , Joe Scott and Robey himself were all producers. The artists at Duke-Peacock were usually also looked after through the company's own concert agency. Robey was reluctant to tolerate artists' own management.
In 1957 the subsidiary label Back Beat Records was founded, which released Soul from 1960 . Songbird Records followed in 1963 as a gospel label.
On May 23, 1973 Robey Duke-Peacock sold to ABC-Dunhill , but remained ABC as a consultant and took care of the further use of the Duke-Peacock catalog. With his death two years later, the issues on the labels of the Duke Peacock group also ended.