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Sunday, 5/31/2026, 10pm - Juke In The Back

KCSM
Published May 1, 2026 at 6:45 PM PDT
Fats Domino
Fats Domino

Imperial Records, Part 7 - 1955, Part 2.

Last week in the first part of 1955, It was alluded to Fats Domino's big crossover breakthrough and in June it happened when "Ain't It A Shame" topped the R&B chart and crossed over to a whopping #10 on the Pop chart. It became the biggest selling R&B record of 1955 and along with Chuck Berry's "Maybellene" helped to usher in Rock n' Roll. Though 1955 was a strong year for Fats, Dave Bartholomew, The Spiders and Imperial's New Orleans roster, the Los Angeles vocal groups were also making a dent with The Barons and The Jewels having a few solid releases. Blues legend Roosevelt Sykes stops by Imperial for a quick few singles, while guitarist Jimmy Nolen gives us a glimpse of his future greatness. We're keeping those records spinning in part seven of the Imperial Records Story.

He began recording Rhythm & Blues in 1947 and by '49, he had hired Dave Bartholomew to scout talent in fertile New Orleans. The Braun Brother had beat him to The Crescent City by recording Paul Gayten and Annie Laurie first, but with Bartholomew's help, Chudd was able to sign Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Archibald and Jewel King, dominating the New Orleans R&B scene. This week, we continue our Imperial series with part four, focusing on Imperial's R&B releases from 1953. Fats Domino dominated the Imperial roster, racking up four charting singles in '53, one going all the way to #2 nationally. Lew Chudd sent bluesman T-Bone Walker to New Orleans to work with bandleader and producer Dave Bartholomew and record at Cosimo Matassa's famous J&M Recording Studio, while the "unsung hero" of this series, Lil' Son Jackson continued recording in Fort Worth, TX. We'll hear the debut singles from Bobby Mitchell & The Toppers as well as some rare sides from Lil' Willie Gibson, "Boogie Bill" Webb and Rose Mitchell. We're keeping those records spinning as we feature part four of the Imperial Records Story.
KCSM HD1 (Jazz 91)