Juggy Murray (November 24, 1923 – February 8, 2005) was an American record label owner, producer and singer-songwriter. He co-founded

Sue Records ''Sue Records was also the name of a Louisiana-based record company which owned Jewel Records (Shreveport record label).'' Sue Records ("The Sound of Soul") was an American record label founded by Henry 'Juggy' Murray and Bobby Robinson in 1957. ...

which launched the career of

Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner were an American musical duo consisting of husband and wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner's band the Kings of Rhythm and backing voca ...

. Subsidiary labels under the Sue were Symbol,

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

Eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

and Crackerjack. Murray recorded artists, including Don Covay,

Jimmy McGriff James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. Biography Early years and influences Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, United States, McGriff started playing pi ...

Inez Foxx Inez Foxx (September 9, 1937 – August 25, 2022) and her elder brother Charlie Foxx (October 23, 1933 – September 18, 1998) were an American rhythm and blues and soul duo from Greensboro, North Carolina. Inez sang lead vocal, while Charli ...

, and

Baby Washington Justine Washington (born October 13, 1940), usually credited as Baby Washington, but credited on some early records as Jeanette (Baby) Washington, is an American soul music vocalist, who had 16 '' Billboard'' R&B chart entries in 15 years, mo ...

, as well as releasing solo records.

Life and career

Murray was born in Charleston, South Carolina and raised in

Hell's Kitchen Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, is a neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is considered to be bordered by 34th Street (or 41st Street) to the south, 59th Street to the north, Eighth Avenue to the ea ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. His nickname, "Juggy", derived from his near-blind grandfather, who would ask Murray to bring his favorite jug and fill it up with liquor. Murray worked in real estate in Harlem before he and producer Bobby Robinson co-founded

in 1957. Initially, they intended to sell R&B music to the African American community in New York, but in 1958 with "Itchy Twitchy Feeling" by

Bobby Hendricks Robert Raymond Hendricks (February 22, 1938 – March 25, 2022)

was a

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...

hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In 1960, Murray signed

to Sue Records. He offered a $25,000 advance for a four-year contract after hearing their demo. Their debut single, "

A Fool in Love "A Fool in Love" is the debut single by Ike & Tina Turner. It was released on Sue Records in 1960. The song is Tina Turner's first professional release although she had been recording with Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm since 1958. It was the ...

", peaked at No. 2 on the R&B chart and crossed over into Hot 100. Their success continued with a string of hits, including "

I Idolize You "I Idolize You" is a song written and produced by Ike Turner. It was released by Ike & Tina Turner in 1960 as the second single from their debut album ''The Soul of Ike & Tina Turner''. Overview After years with male front-men backing his Kings o ...

," "

It's Gonna Work Out Fine "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" is a song written by Rose Marie McCoy and Joe Seneca (also known as Sylvia McKinney). It was originally released by Ike & Tina Turner in 1961 as a single from their album ''Dynamite!'' (1962). The record is noted for b ...

," and " Poor Fool." Murray even managed them for a period. In 1962, Ike & Tina Turner along with Placid Music Corporation sued Murray, Sue Records and Sue's publishing affiliate Saturn Music for breach of contract and royalties. In 1962, Murray signed Barbara George to the label. He paid $25,000 for her contract from A.F.O. Records. A.F.O. Records were distributed by Sue. As the Sixties progressed, Sue's sub labels produced hits such as "

Mockingbird Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the family Mimidae. They are best known for the habit of some species mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians, often loudly and in rapid succession. ...

" by brother-and-sister duo Inez & Charlie Foxx and "She Blew a Good Thing" by The Poets on Symbol Records. In July 1965, Murray signed guitarist Jimi Hendrix to an exclusive two-year contract to Sue Records, but no recordings were released. Sue was originally licensed by Decca Records and issued on London Records until 1964, after Murray reached an agreement with Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records. After a breach of contract involving Decca issuing recordings which weren't affiliated with Sue, Murray terminated their agreement and returned to Decca in 1966. In 1968, Murray took a $100,000 loan from United Artists that was secured by Sue assets. After failing to pay off the debt, United Artists assumed ownership of Sue Records masters and Saturn Music publishing. He also lost the "Sue building" which consisted of offices and Juggy Sound Studio in Manhattan. Murray moved to California and recorded a few singles. In the 1970s, he launched Juggernaught and Jupiter Records. He released his debut album ''Inside America'' on his Jupiter label in 1976, which was popular on the UK dancefloors. The title track made the Top Forty in Britain. That album was followed by ''Rhythm and Blues'' in 1977. He continued to work into the new millennium, producing and promoting up and coming artists. Speaking of

, Murray once said, "I would rather record her than eat."

Death

Murray died on February 8, 2005, at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York. Though Murray was 81 and suffering from

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

, he and Baby Washington had been working on recording comeback material.

Discography

Albums

* 1976: ''Inside America'' (Jupiter 1101) * 1977: ''Rhythm And Blues'' (Jupiter 1402)

Singles

* 1966: "Soul At Sunrise" / "Just A Minute" (Sue 45-140/142) * 1969: "Oily" / "The Spoiler" (SUE 9) * 1970: "Buttered Popcorn" / "Thock It To Me Honi" (SUE 14) * 1972: "Built For Speed (Part 1 And 2)" / "Built For Speed (Part 1)" (Pony 1A / 1B) * 1976: "Inside America — Pt. I" / "Inside America — Pt. II" (Jupiter JUP-902) * 1976: "Disco Extraordinaire (Part I)" / "Disco Extraordinaire (Part II)" (Jupiter JUP-903)

References

External links

Respect: Soulwalking

via Spectropop.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Juggy 1923 births 2005 deaths Businesspeople from Charleston, South Carolina Record producers from South Carolina Sue Records artists 20th-century American businesspeople Businesspeople from New York City