Song Bird Records was started at the end of 1963

1963 in music

-Events:*January 1 – The Beatles start a 5-day tour in Scotland to support the release of their new single, "Love Me Do".*January 4 – At Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy, Dalida receives a Juke Box Global Oscar for the year's most-played artist on juke boxes....

 as a second gospel music subsidiary of Houston, Texas based Duke/Peacock Records

Peacock Records

Peacock Records was a record label started in 1949 by Don D. Robey in Houston, Texas."Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton was a bit hit for Peacock in 1953. Other significant rhythm & blues artists on Peacock were Marie Adams, James Booker, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Little Richard, Memphis Slim, and...

. Significant artists on this record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

 included the powerful contralto Inez Andrews

Inez Andrews

Inez Andrews is an American gospel singer and recording artist.-Biography:In 1957, Andrews became a member of the gospel group The Caravans; she auditioned for Albertina Walker and Dorothy Norwood, and they sent for her in Chicago...

 (formerly of The Caravans

The Caravans

The Caravans is a Jubilee Gospel group that was started by Albertina Walker . The group reached its peak popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, launching the careers of a number of artists, including: Delores Washington, Albertina Walker, Bessie Griffin, Cassietta George, Dorothy Norwood, Inez...

), The Gospelettes with Liz Dargan (formerly of Andrews’ group The Andrewettes), mixed vocal group The Kansas City Melodyaires (later known as Mildred Clark & The Melodyaires), The Jackson Southernaires and their younger siblings The Williams Brothers, Reverend Oris Mays and the Christian Harmonizers, all of whom with the exception of , Christian Harmonizers, continued with the label into the 1970’s. The label also featured a one-off album (It's Gospel Time) by The Sons Of The Birds, being the sons of the famous Peacock group The Dixie Hummingbirds

The Dixie Hummingbirds

The Dixie Hummingbirds are an influential American gospel music group, spanning more than 80 years from the jubilee quartet style of the 1920s, through the "hard gospel" quartet style of Gospel's golden age in the 1940s and 1950s, to the eclectic pop-tinged songs of today.-History:Formed in 1928 in...

. Andrews scored a small hit on the rhythm and blues singles charts in April 1973

1973 in music

-January–April:*January 9 – Mick Jagger's request for a Japanese visa is rejected on account of a 1969 drug conviction, putting an abrupt end to The Rolling Stones' plans to perform in Japan during their forthcoming tour.*January 14...

 with the title track of her album Lord Don’t Move The Mountain. That same year, the Duke/Peacock family of labels (which also included Back Beat and Sure Shot) was sold to ABC Records

ABC Records

ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....

 of Los Angeles, with label founder Don Robey

Don Robey

Don Robey was an American record label executive, songwriter and record producer, who used criminal means as part of his business model...

 staying with ABC as a consultant until his death in 1975

1975 in music

-January–April:*January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case....

. The label name was changed to ABC/Songbird in 1974

1974 in music

-January–April:*January 3 – Bob Dylan and The Band kick off their 40-date concert tour at Chicago Stadium. It's Dylan's first time on the road since 1966.*January 17...

.

After ABC was sold to MCA Records

MCA Records

MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...

 in 1979

1979 in music

See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...

, MCA briefly operated an MCA/Songbird label with new signings including Little Anthony (of Little Anthony & The Imperials

Little Anthony & The Imperials

Little Anthony and the Imperials is a rhythm and blues/soul/doo-wop vocal group from New York, first active in the 1950s. Lead singer Jerome Anthony "Little Anthony" Gourdine was noted for his high-pitched falsetto voice, influenced by Jimmy Scott...

) and Dan Peek

Dan Peek

Daniel Milton 'Dan' Peek was a musician best known as a member of the rock band America from 1970 to 1977, together with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell...

 (formerly of the group America), the previous rosters of both ABC-Peacock and ABC-Songbird having been dropped (MCA later reissued several Peacock and Song Bird albums at budget price). Along with the MCA back catalog, the Peacock and Song Bird masters are now controlled by the Geffen Records

Geffen Records

Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...

 unit of Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...

.