Kent Records was a Los Angeles–based

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

, launched in 1958 by the

Bihari brothers The Bihari brothers, Lester, Jules, Saul and Joe, were American businessmen of Hungarian Jewish origin. They founded Modern Records in Los Angeles and its subsidiaries, such as Meteor Records, based in Memphis. They were significant figures in th ...

. It was a subsidiary of Crown Records Corporation. Kent was a follow-up to

Modern Records Modern Records (Modern Music Records before 1947) was an American record company and label formed in 1945 in Los Angeles by the Bihari brothers. Modern's artists included Hadda Brooks, Etta James, Joe Houston, Little Richard, Ike & Tina Turn ...

, which ceased operations in 1958. The label reissued Modern's singles, including recordings by

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...

. By 1964, Kent had signed acts such as

Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo consisting of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. ...

and released new material. Other acts signed to the label included Z.Z. Hill,

Johnny Otis Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes (Greek language, Greek: Ιωάννης Αλέξανδρος Βελιώτης)); December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was a Greek American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, ...

, and Lowell Fulsom. Modern Records was revived in 1964 with successful singles from

the Ikettes The Ikettes, originally The Artettes, were a trio (sometimes quartet) of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right. In the 1960s they had chart-toppe ...

. Initially, Kent issued only singles, but issued albums from 1964 until the early 1970s. Kent was later bought by Ace Records, England, which uses the label name to release

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

and

Northern Soul Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British Mod (subculture), mod scene, based on a particular style of African American music, Black American ...

music.

Selected Discography

Albums

* 1964:

, ''Rock Me Baby...14 Great Hits'' (compilation) * 1964: B.B. King, ''Let Me Love You'' * 1964: '' Ike & Tina Turner Revue Live'' * 1965: ''Live! B.B. King on Stage'' * 1965:

Lowell Fulson Lowell Fulson (March 31, 1921March 7, 1999) was an American blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. He also recorded for contractual reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, he was the most i ...

, ''Soul'' * 1965: Z.Z. Hill, The Soul Stirring Z.Z. Hill * 1966: Ike & Tina Turner, '' The Soul of Ike & Tina'' * 1967: Lowell Fulson, ''Tramp'' * 1967: B.B. King, ''The Jungle'' * 1967: Smokey Hogg, ''Original Folk Blues'' * 1967: Z.Z. Hill, ''A Whole Lot of Soul'' * 1967: B.B. King, ''Boss of the Blues'' (compilation) * 1967: Lowell Fulson, ''Now!'' * 1968: B.B. King, ''From the Beginning'' (compilation) * 1968: The

Show featuring Mighty Mouth Evans &

Shuggie Otis Johnny Shuggie Otis (born Johnny Alexander Veliotes Jr.; November 30, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, and multi-instrumentalist. Otis's composition " Strawberry Letter 23" as recorded by The Brothers Johnson topped ...

, ''Cold Shot!'' * 1970: Ike & Tina, '' Festival of Live Performances'' * 1970: '' Preston Love's Omaha Bar-B-Q'' * 1970:

Big Joe Turner Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him". Turner's greatest fa ...

, ''Turns on the Blues'' * 1970: Various Artists – ''Rock and Roll Festival, Volume 1'' * 1970: '' Neil Merryweather, John Richardson And Boers'' * 1970: B.B. King, ''Turn on to B.B. King'' (compilation) * 1970: Guitar Slim Green featuring Johnny and Shuggie Otis, ''Stone Down Blues'' * 1971: ''The Greatest Hits of B.B. King, Volume 1'' (compilation) * 1971: ''The Great

Roy Milton Roy Bunny Milton (July 31, 1907 – September 18, 1983) was an American R&B and jump blues singer, drummer and bandleader. Career Milton's grandmother was Chickasaw. He was born in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and grew up on an Indian reservation bef ...

, Roots Of Rock, Vol. 1'' (compilation) * 1971: '' Z.Z. Hill's Greatest Hits: Dues Paid in Full'' (compilation) * 1973: B.B. King, ''The Original Sweet Sixteen'' (compilation)

Singles

References

Defunct record labels of the United States {{US-record-label-stub

Selected Discography

Albums

Singles

See also

References