Don Robey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Don Deadric Robey November 1, 1903 Houston, Texas, United States |
| Died | June 16, 1975 (aged 71) Houston, Texas |
| Other names | Deadric Malone |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, record company and nightclub owner, record producer, credited as songwriter |
| Known for | Peacock Records, Duke Records |
Don Deadric Robey (November 1, 1903 – June 16, 1975)[1] was an American record label executive, songwriter, and record producer. As the founder of Peacock Records and the eventual owner of Duke Records, he was responsible for developing the careers of many rhythm and blues artists in the 1950s and 1960s.[2] He was the first African American record mogul, 10 years prior to Berry Gordy's Motown label[3][4] (though the first Black-owned label, Black Swan Records, belonged to Harry Pace in the 1920s).[5]
Robey was notorious for his controversial business practices;[6] he reputedly used criminal means, including violence and intimidation, as part of his business model,[7] though he was held in high regard by some of the musicians who worked for him.[8] He was credited with writing or co-writing many of the songs recorded by Duke/Peacock artists, either under his real name, or under the pseudonym of Deadric Malone. However, in many cases, he was merely a publisher and was not involved in the writing. Many other label owners paid little for songs and controlled the publishing, but Robey was one of the few to disguise the real writers, making it nearly impossible to assess who wrote what on Duke, Peacock, Back Beat, and his other labels.[9]
- ^ "The Dead Rock Stars Club – The 1970s". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
- ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 364. ISBN 1852279370.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Corcoran 2015was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hogan, Ed (November 1, 1903). "Don Robey Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "The History of Black-Owned Record Labels". JSTOR Daily. July 19, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
vaporouswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Friedman, Josh Alan (October 27, 2008). Tell the Truth Until They Bleed: Coming Clean in the Dirty World of Blues and Rock 'n' Roll. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 18. ISBN 978-0879309329 – via Google Books.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
bhofwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Deadric Malone Biography, AllMusic