Last week’s tornadoes in Mississippi left much of the Malaco Records complex in ruins in Jackson.
According to WJTV in Jackson, the label headquarters and recording studio were completely destroyed. The company’s warehouse and archives, however, were spared. Many of the employees were inside the buildings when the storm hit last Friday. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
Malaco Records opened in 1967, and has been the home of many major blues and gospel artists. “Misty Blue” by Dorothy Moore was on Malaco in 1975, and the label’s studio has also produced Jean Knight’s “Mr Big Stuff” (1971), King Floyd’s “Groove Me” (1970), Anita Ward’s “Ring My Bell” (1979) and other hits. The label’s slogan was “The Last Soul Company.”
Bobby “Blue” Bland, The Mississippi Mass Choir, Eddie Floyd, David Porter, Z.Z. Hill, Denise LaSalle, Little Milton Campbell, Johnnie Taylor, Walter Hawkins, the Rev. James Cleveland, Dorothy Norwood, Tyrone Davis and many other blues, soul and gospel veterans flocked to the company.
Malaco Christian Distribution was based in Nashville, and the label helped launch the recording-studio careers of such Nashville notables as J. Fred Knobloch and James Stroud.
Label director Tommy Couch Jr. plans to re-open the company next Tuesday in temporary offices in North Jackson.
About the Author
Robert K. Oermann is a longtime contributor to MusicRow. He is a respected music critic, author and historian.View Author Profile
