Imperial Records

Imperial Records is a United States based label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd and reactivated in 2006 by label owner EMI. Imperial was formed in 1947, originally releasing Mexican music and rhythm & blues, was famous for recordings of Fats Domino, Frankie Ford, Ricky Nelson, and yodelling country singer Slim Whitman. Imperial was licensed to London Records in the UK. In 1960 Lew Chudd bought Aladdin Records. Minit Records was acquired in 1963 (after Imperial had distributed the independent label since 1960). Throughout the 1950s, Imperial was one of the primary labels issuing a vast quantity of R&B from New Orleans, though their involvement with producer, writer Dave Bartholomew, and later in the 1960s with their distribution and of the...