Stax Record Era

Our lead characters come to age during this nation's first attempt to address a wide range of social issues triggered by constitutional end to segregation. Even with the abolition of Jim Crow laws, it was challenging for black and white musicians to "play mixed" -- particularly in the American South.

Stax Records

Founded in Memphis in 1957, Stax Records is the global moniker for Southern "soul" music. Originally known as Satellite, it was founded by Jim Steward and his sister Estelle Axton and changed its name borrowing the first two letters of each of their last names. Famous artists on their label include Rufus and Carla Thomas, Booker T. & the MGs (an interracial instrumental quartet that also served as the company’s rhythm section and house band), Sam and Dave, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, and Otis Redding. A later iteration of the company added artists Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, and the Dramatics.

Once of the most popular soul music labels of the time shadowed only by Mowtown, Stax launched the careers of legendary artists as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Rufus & Carla Thomas, Booker T & the MGs and many others. Read more about Stax Records.

Watts Stax 1972

According to Wikipedia, Watts Stax was a benefit concert organized by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 riots in the African-American community of Watts, Los Angeles.[2][3] The concert took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20, 1972. The concert's performers included all of Stax's prominent artists at the time. The genres of the songs performed included soul, gospel, R&B, blues, funk, and jazz. Months after the festival, Stax released a double LP of the concert's highlights, Wattstax: The Living Word. The concert was filmed by David L. Wolper's film crew and was made into the 1973 film titled Wattstax. The film was directed by Mel Stuart and nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Documentary Film in 1974.

Listen to Rev. Jesse Jackson's inspirational message to the gathering: