Jim Stewart (1930–2022), Stax Records co-founder
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2 min readJim Stewart was a record producer who co-founded the iconic Memphis label Stax Records.
- Died: December 5, 2022 (Who else died on December 5?)
- Details of death:Died at the age of 92.
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Stax Records
Stewart played fiddle in a Memphis country music group, the Canyon Cowboys, before starting his own record label in 1957, Satellite Records. His sister, Estelle Axton, went into business with him, and they renamed their company with the first letters of their two last names, Stax. They set up shop in a defunct South Memphis movie theater, the Capitol Theater, around the same time Stewart discovered a love for R&B music, and they began recording R&B artists almost exclusively. Stax Records became legendary for its southern soul sound, recording music by artists including Otis Redding (1941–1967), Booker T. & the M.G.'s, Sam & Dave, and Wilson Pickett (1941–2006), as well as launching the career of Isaac Hayes (1942–2008) as a songwriter and session musician.
As Stax experienced financial trouble in the 1970s, Stewart’s life savings were lost in the company’s bankruptcy. Stax was later acquired by Fantasy Records and it continues to be active today. Stewart was no longer involved with the company after its 1976 bankruptcy, but he made occasional appearances at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Stax Music Academy. In 2002, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Tributes to Jim Stewart
Full obituary: Commercial Appeal
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