Category 5 Records was an independent

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

based in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2005, the label included eight different

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artists in its roster. The label was owned by Raymond Termini and was disestablished in 2009.

History

Category 5 Records was founded in January 2005 by its president, Raymond Termini. Tony Benken, formerly a promotion director of the

Broken Bow Records BBR Music Group (formerly Broken Bow Records) is an American record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in July 1999 by Benny Brown, the label specializes in country music. The label's executive vice president is Jon Loba. Craig Morgan ...

label, was signed as vice president of promotion for Category 5. Carl Strube, formerly president of Critique Records, was the label's vice president and general manager. Portions of the label's proceeds were given to hurricane relief funds. The first act signed to Category 5 was Craig Hand, whose debut single "Direct Connect" was released in February 2006. Other acts signed to the label included

Travis Tritt James Travis Tritt (born February 9, 1963) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 20 ...

Sammy Kershaw Samuel Paul Kershaw (born February 24, 1958) is an American country music artist. He has released 16 studio albums, with three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications among them. More than 25 singles have entered the Top 40 on the ...

, Donovan Chapman, and

Jerrod Niemann Jerrod Lee Niemann (born July 24, 1979) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He has released one single for Category 5 Records (2006); three albums for Sea Gayle Music/Arista Nashville: ''Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury'' (2010), '' ...

. Tritt and Kershaw had previously been on major labels, and Chapman was previously on

Curb Records Curb Records (also known as Asylum-Curb and formerly known as MCG Curb) is an American record label started by Mike Curb, originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963. From 1969 to 1973, Curb merged with MGM Records where Curb served as President of ...

. Kershaw's 2006 album ''

Honky Tonk Boots ''Honky Tonk Boots'' is an album released in 2006 by American country music artist Sammy Kershaw. His only release for the Category 5 Records album, it was also his first studio release since 2003's '' I Want My Money Back''. The album's lead-off s ...

'' was the label's first full album release. In 2007,

sued the label for breach of contract and fraud.

Roster

* Donovan Chapman *Craig Hand *

George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...

(courtesy of Bandit Records) *

*Odiss Kohn *Shauna *

References

{{Authority control American country music record labels American independent record labels Record labels established in 2005 Record labels disestablished in 2009