Little Star Records was an
independent label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...
that was founded by music industry veteran
H. B. Barnum
Hidle Brown Barnum (born July 15, 1936) is an American pianist, arranger, record producer, songwriter, and former child actor.
Biography
After winning a nationwide talent contest at the age of four and starring in the film ''Valley of the Su ...
in
1961
Events January
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015).
** Aero Flight 311 ...
.
Among the artists that recorded for the label include
Jimmy Cavallo
James Cavallo (March 14, 1927 – December 2, 2019) was an American musician best known for performing with his band in the 1956 movie, ''Rock, Rock, Rock'', by pioneering music DJ Alan Freed. Jimmy and the Houserockers were the first white ba ...
,
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor hi ...
and
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
, who recorded under the pseudonym, "The World Famous Upsetters", marking his first non-gospel recordings since 1957 on the label.
The label folded in 1963 but was recently re-established in the new millennium.
American independent record labels
Vanity record labels
Soul music record labels
{{US-record-label-stub