Early years

National Recording Corporation was incorporated in Atlanta in 1958. Founders were Bill Lowery

Bill Lowery

Bill Lowery was an American music entrepreneur.-Early successes:Lowery was born in Leesville, Louisiana. He studied radio dramatics at Taft Junior College and went on to a number of radio-announcing jobs...

, at the time the number one Country Music disc jockey and already a successful music publisher, and Boots Woodall

Boots Woodall

Dennis "Boots" Woodall was a country musician active from the 1930s to early 1960s in the American South and Midwest. After participating in a number of bands and serving in World War II, he formed the Radio Wranglers, whose name was changed to the TV Wranglers in 1949...

, whose band recorded for Capitol, King, and Bullet Records

Bullet Records

At least three record labels with the name Bullet Records have existed.The earliest one was a record label based in Nashville, USA, which was started in 1945 by Jim Bulliet and C.V. Hitchcock. Bulleit was an early partner in Sun Records...

 and performed on Atlanta TV. A group of businessmen headed by Ray Griggers and Chic Thompson, approached Lowery with the query, "How much would it take to set up a real record company?" One million dollars was reportedly the sum proposed. Grigger's group took over stock sales for the company, but by April 27, 1961, according to the US Bankruptcy archives, the company was in bankruptcy. During the first three years NRC was in business, the company included a record pressing plant, a record distributorship, as well as a recording studio, which boasted a studio band that included NRC artists Ray Stevens

Ray Stevens

Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...

, Jerry Reed

Jerry Reed

Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...

, and Joe South

Joe South

Joe South is a multi-talented American singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Career:...

. NRC-affiliated labels included JUDD, JAX, SCOTTIE and WONDER. Country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 artists who saw early efforts released on NRC included Sonny James

Sonny James

James Loden , known professionally as Sonny James, is an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1...

, Dave Dudley

Dave Dudley

Dave Dudley , born David Darwin Pedruska, was an American country music singer best-known for his truck-driving country anthems of the 1960s and 1970s and his semi-slurred baritone. His signature song was "Six Days on the Road," and he is also remembered for "Vietnam Blues," "Truck Drivin'...

 and David Houston

David Houston (singer)

Charles David Houston was an American country music singer. His peak in popularity came between the mid-1960s through the early 1970s.-Biography:...

. In addition to these artists, Woodall either produced or acquired masters for an album line, which included the "White Rain Girl" Edythe Aymes, Dixieland jazz

Dixieland Jazz

Dixieland Jazz was a Canadian music television series which aired on CBC Television in 1954.-Premise:The series host was Trump Davidson, a cornet player. He also hosted a radio music series on CBC's Trans-Canada Network.-Scheduling:...

 cornetist Sammy Duncan, musician Hank Penny, guitarist Sheldon Bennett, vocalist Darrell Glenn

Darrell Glenn

Darrell Glenn made his mark in the music business with his 1953 recording of "Crying In the Chapel", written by his dad, Artie Glenn....

, and the "King of the One-Liners", comedian Henny Youngman

Henny Youngman

Henry "Henny" Youngman was a British-born American comedian and violinist famous for "one-liners", short, simple jokes usually delivered rapid-fire...

. Their most successful albums were "Robbin' The Cradle" by Chicago vocalist Tony Bellus

Tony Bellus

Tony Bellus is a vocalist and musician whose first recording were with Shi-Fi Records in 1958. His greatest best known song is the Robbin' The Cradle, a self-composed ballad he recorded in Chicago in 1959.The recording of Robbin' The Cradle contained a number of styles and musical combinations...

 and "Rockin' Little Angel" by Ray Smith, released on the Judd Records

Judd Records

Judd Records was started by Jud Phillips, brother of Sun Records co-founder Sam Phillips. Early releases were mostly recorded in Nashville or Memphis, but carried an address of Memphis, New York and Florence...

 label.

A new start

Bankruptcy archives reveal that the company emerged from bankruptcy in 1962, under the presidency of Frederick G. Storey, head of the Storey Theater chain. According to the files, Storey convinced the court to allow NRC to borrow $38,500 from one of his companies. After a fire, which heavily damaged a part of the studio and office located in the former Brookhaven (Atlanta)

Brookhaven (Atlanta)

Brookhaven is an unincorporated community located on the western edge of DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, directly northeast of Atlanta. Most of the area was formerly incorporated as the city of North Atlanta, which disincorporated during the 1960s...

 Elementary School, NRC moved from this original location at 1214 Fernwood Circle to 2871 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, where it operated under Storey's ownership until circa 1970 as a record pressing plant. As new automated record pressing equipment made the NRC plant outdated, Storey closed the plant around 1970.

Another new start

In the late 80's, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

 broadcast syndicator / record producer Johnny Carter was in the process of incorporating his business, and when the State of Georgia rejected his original name request, he suggested an alternate name, and it was under the name National Recording Corporation that the new company began operation, producing syndicated radio and television programs, and setting up a manufacturing facility in Rome, GA, which now includes a state-of-the-art soundstage/studio, one of the largest in Georgia. NRC's extensive library of vintage music performances led to NRC working with the Georgia Music Hall of Fame

Georgia Music Hall of Fame

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame, located in downtown Macon, Georgia, preserves and interprets the state's rich musical heritage through programs of collection, exhibition, education and performance...

 in providing video of Georgia-based artists for exhibition at the museum. There was scant reference to NRC at the museum, which led to hours of investigation of governmental agencies attempting to find out who owned the NRC music library. Upon locating the Storey heirs, Carter purchased their rights in the NRC recordings, reuniting the musical history with the name. Many of the master tapes had been destroyed in the fire, but as an avid collector, Carter had collected almost every NRC recording, and was able to digitally re-create the library. In the process, he found that some of the NRC artists had been given their master tapes when Lowery knew the company was going into bankruptcy. There is an international interest in independent labels in rock and roll's early years, as well as the jazz artists who appeared on the NRC albums. Since Carter's acquisition of the rights to the recordings, most of the NRC releases have been remastered and released on CD.

See also

• List of record labels

National Recording Corporation artists