Founded by a white conservative bank teller who played country fiddle music, Stax became the preeminent soul music label in America, and became identified with the civil rights movement of the 1960s and '70s.
Stax legend Isaac Hayes at the historic site of the original Stax Records studio
Between 1959 and 1975, Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee, released international chart-topping hits such as "Soul Man," "Dock of the Bay," "Green Onions," "Midnight Hour," "Respect Yourself" and the theme from Shaft. The label's artists included Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Booker T. and the MGs, Wilson Pickett, Isaac Hayes - even Richard Pryor and Jesse Jackson. Its story is entwined with the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the rise of black nationalism in the 1970s.
Booker T. & the MGs
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