Stax Record Label Art Print Painting - Memphis Soul - Memphis Tennessee

As far as record labels go, Stax Records is an American institution and its importance to the history of music is unmatched.  Originally founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax in 1961.  They operated a sister label knows as Volt Records.

Stax featured several popular ethnically integrated bands, including their house band, (the incredible as Booker T. & the M.G.'s), and also featured a racially integrated team of staff and artists which was unprecedented during the racial strife taking place during the sixties in the south.  

The studio had a "one studio, one equipment set up"  policy which allowed them to create a completely original and identifiable sound.  The sound was based on gospel, blues, country and early forms of R&B, a sound that soon became known as Southern Soul or Memphis Soul music.

There have been many historic and amazing record labels in the history of recorded music, but few have invented their own genre which is exactly what Stax did.