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The Story of Stax: Episode 1

The Story of Stax

Episode 1

BBC Radio 2 - The Story of Stax, Episode 1

Beverley Knight tells the story of the rise and the fall of the legendary label Stax.

Beverley Knight tells the story of the fall and the rise and the fall of the legendary Memphis soul label Stax.

Another chance to hear Beverley Knight tell the story of the legendary Memphis soul label Stax.

In December 1967 the great soul singer Otis Redding was killed in a plane accident, depriving the musical world of one of its great singers, and costing his record label, Stax, their leading light, both artistically and commercially.

A matter of weeks later, the company also discovered that - due to a catastrophic business error - they no longer owned the rights to their back catalogue. The label that brought us Otis, Booker T & The MGs, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, Eddie Floyd, Rufus & Carla Thomas and many , many more was on its knees with no prospect of survival ahead.

But within three years, Stax was one of the most successful African American companies in the world, boasting an entirely new roster of stars like Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers and William Bell and expanding into concert promotion, film production, Broadway musicals and the world of rock music. They released 30 albums and 28 singles in a three month period.

Their 1972 Wattstax festival in Los Angeles boasted the largest bill of soul artists ever assembled performing to the biggest audience of African Americans ever seen paying the lowest admission fee in history thanks to an innovative use of sponsors. And that was before the multi-album, multi-platinum record releases from the show hit the shops, and the huge grossing feature documentary hit the cinemas. And then Isaac Hayes won an Oscar for "Shaft".

In 1974, an ambitious expansion into mainstream rock music came badly undone for the company and Stax was wound up in January 1976.

The Stax alumni come together to tell the story of this great label.

First broadcast in 2016.

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The fall and rise and fall of the great Memphis soul label.

BBC Radio 2 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced Light Programme.

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