Cat Records was a short-lived subsidiary of
Atlantic Records, specializing in
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
music.
The label was founded in April 1954 to cash in on the popularity of R&B records among white teenager which were called "cat" records in
the South, hence the name of the label.
A total of 18 singles were released, on both 78 r.p.m. and 45 r.p.m. records, over nearly two years before the label was discontinued. Its biggest hit was "
Sh-Boom
"Sh-Boom" (sometimes referred to as "Life Could Be a Dream") is an early doo-wop song by the R&B vocal group The Chords. It was written by James Keyes, Claude Feaster, Carl Feaster, Floyd F. McRae, and William Edwards, members of The Chords, a ...
" by
The Chords.
Other artists on the label included
"Little" Sylvia Vanderpool and
Mickey Baker
MacHouston "Mickey" Baker (October 15, 1925 – November 27, 2012) was an American guitarist, best known for his work as a studio musician and as part of the recording duo Mickey & Sylvia.
Early life
Baker was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His ...
,
Floyd Dixon
Floyd Dixon (February 8, 1929 – July 26, 2006) was an American rhythm-and-blues pianist and singer.
Life and career
Dixon was born in Marshall, Texas. Some sources give his birth name as Jay Riggins, Jr., although Dixon himself stated that ...
,
Rose Marie McCoy
Rose Marie McCoy (April 19, 1922 – January 20, 2015) was an American songwriter. She began her career as an aspiring singer before becoming a prolific songwriter during the 1950s and 1960s. Many artists have recorded some of the over 800 so ...
, and
Margie Day
Margie Day (born Margaret Hoffler,[Biography at C ...](_blank)
.
References
External links
Cat Records discography
{{Authority control
Defunct record labels of the United States
Record labels established in 1954
Rhythm and blues record labels