King’s Bread and Butter –
Country!
Hawkshaw – Grandpa Jones – Copas – Delmores
It was probably only appropriate that the Nathan Sydney passed away in the late 1960’s that his catalog was picked up by Nashville’s Starday Records who began re-releasing the material on it’s own Starday label for country and retaining the “King” label for R&B and related material.
Nathan began his record empire with the objective of providing country music for the thousands of migrants coming from the southern States into the northern industrial areas. Later he would do the same for the black population moving into the same areas. So his music came full circle – returning to it’s territorial roots – to Nashville!
The catalog would then go into ping pong mode changing hands rapidly beginning first with Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber (1970) then to “LIN Broadcasting” – next to Tennessee Recording (which once again Leiber and Stoller had ownership interest) and then off to “Gusto Records” (1974).
Finally in 2001 “Collectibles Records” obtained the catalog and they continue releasing to the present day.
On a side note – Nathan would press his own records at his facility in very small press runs – which resulted often in many of his pressings becoming extremely rare and quite collectible today.
Reno and Smiley
Reno and Smiley toward Final Days
Next to James Brown, Nathan seemed to place most of his focus on recording this country duo – a blue grass act who first came together after working and performing together with Tommy Magness and the Tennessee Buddies. Their first recordings were with Magness on Nathan’s Federal label.
It is reported that the duo’s recording of “I’m Using My Bible for a Roadmap” rescued King Records from certain bankruptcy. They broke up for a time in 1964 but came back together in the early 1970’s. The reunion was short lived with the passing of Red Smiley in 1972 at the age of 46. Don Reno continued on performing with his sons right up until his death at the age of 58 in 1984.
Reno and Smiley are inductees into “The International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor”.
Single that Saved the Day
King LP 519 – The Wings Over Jordan Choir
King LP 537 – Various Artists
King LP 550 – Don Reno and Red Smiley
King LP 552 – Don Reno and Red Smiley
King LP 553 – Cowboy Copas
King LP 554 – Grandpa Jones
King LP 555 – Moon Mullican
King LP 556 – Various Artists
King LP 560 – The Wings Over Jordan Choir
King LP 567 – The Swanee River Boys
King LP 572 – Swan’s Silvertone Singers
King LP 573 – The Spirit of Memphis Quartet
King LP 576 – Various Artists
King LP 577 – The Spirit of Memphis Quartet
King LP 586 – The York Brothers
King LP 587 – Hawkshaw Hawkins
King LP 588 – Wayne Rayney
King LP 589 – The Delmore Brothers
King LP 590 – The Brown’s Ferry Four
King LP 591 – The York Brothers
King LP 592 – Hawkshaw Hawkins
King LP 615 – The Stanley Brothers
King LP 617 – Don Reno and Red Smiley
King LP 619 – Cowboy Copas
King LP 621 – Don Reno and Red Smiley
King LP 625 – Grandpa Jones
King LP 638 – Moon Mullican
King LP 639 – Homer and Jethro
King LP 643 – The Carlisle Brothers
King LP 645 – The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys
King LP 646 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 647 – Ferlin Husky
King LP 648 – Webb Pierce
King LP 656 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 664 – T. Texas Tyler
King LP 669 – The Maddox Bros. and Rose
King LP 672 – Hank Locklin
King LP 677 – The Maddox Bros. and Rose
King LP 686 – Jimmy Dean
King LP 689 – T. Texas Tyler
King LP 690 – The Stanley Bros.
King LP 693 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 697 – Various Artists
King LP 699 – Doc Journell with Grady Heserr and The Texans
King LP 701 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 713 – Various Artists
King LP 714 – Cowboy Copas
King LP 718 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 719 – The Stanley Brothers
King LP 720 – Cowboy Copas
King LP 721 – T. Texas Tyler
King LP 728 – Ferlin Husky
King LP 738 – Hank Locklin
King LP 744 – Doc Journell
King LP 750 – The Stanley Brothers
King LP 751 – Charlie Ryan
King LP 752 – The Maddox Brothers and Rose
King LP 756 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 760 – The Parker Brothers Choir
King LP 772 – The Stanley Brothers
King LP 776 – Reno and Smiley and the Gang
King LP 782 – Jimmy Osborne
King LP 785 – The Delmore Brothers
King LP 587 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 788 – The Galatian Singers
King LP 791 – The Stanley Brothers
King LP 805 – The Stanley Brothers
King LP 808 – Hawkshaw Hawkins
King LP 809 – Grandpa Jones
King LP 810 – The Kelly Brothers
King LP 813 – Various Artists
King LP 814 – The Mighty Faith Increasers
King LP 816 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 817 – Cowboy Copas
King LP 820 – The York Brothers
King LP 822 – Grandpa Jones and The Brown’s Ferry Four
King LP 824 – Cowboy Copas
King LP 825 – Bill Duncan
King LP 828 – Charlie Moore and Bill Napier
King LP 832 – Big Ben’s Banjo Band
King LP 833 – The All-Stars of Polka Land
King LP 835 – Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins
King LP 840 – Texas Ruby
King LP 841 – Romy Gosz
King LP 843 – Jimmy Logsosn
King LP 845 – Grandpa Jones
King LP 847 – Various Artists
King LP 848 – Homer and Jethro
King LP 850 – Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins
King LP 853 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 858 – Hawkshaw Hawkins
King LP 560 – Cecil Surratt and Smitty Smith
King LP 861 – Don Reno and Red Smiley
King LP 864 – The Stanley Brothers
King LP 869 – Various Artists
King LP 870 – Hawkshaw Hawkins
King LP 872 – The Stanley Brothers
King LP 873 – Hawkshaw Hawkins
King LP 874 – Don Reno and Red Smiley
King LP 876 – Various Artists
King LP 884 – Various Artists
King LP 888 – Grandpa Jones
King LP 890 – Various Artists
King LP 891 – Clyde Moody
King LP 892 – Jimmie Osborne
King LP 894 – Cowboy Copas
King LP 910 – The Delmore Brothers
King LP 911 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 918 – The Stanley Brothers
King LP 920 – The Delmore Brothers
King LP 922 – Moore and Napier
King LP 924 – The Stanley Brothers
King LP 932 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 936 – Moore and Napier
King LP 941 – Jimmy Osborne
King LP 942 – The Memphis Quartet
King LP 944 – The York Brothers
King LP 945 – The Four Internes
King LP 948 – Swan’s Silvertone Singers
King LP 951 – The Trumpeteers
King LP 954 – The Spirit of Memphis Quartet
King LP 957 – Swan’s Silvertone Singers
King LP 966 – Surratt and Smith
King LP 967 – Grandpa Jones
King LP 984 – Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins
King LP 1005 – Homer and Jethro
King LP 1006 – Various Artists
King LP 1014 – Moore and Napier
King LP 1021 – Moore and Napier
King LP 1029 – Don Reno and Bill Harrell
King LP 1033 – Don Reno and Bill Harrell
King LP 1037 – The Galatian Singers
King LP 1042 – Grandpa Jones
King LP 1044 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 1050 – Various Artists
King LP 1054 – Brother Claude Ely
King LP 1055 – Don Reno
King LP 1068 – Arthur Prysock
King LP 1069 – Ralph Stanley
King LP 1089 – Kay Robinson
King LP 1091 – Reno and Smiley
King LP 1093 – The Stars of Virginia
King LP 1107 – The Mighty Clouds of Joy
King LP 1109 – The Galatian Singers
King LP 1114 – The Marion Gaines Singers
King LP 5020 – The Spirit of Memphis Quartet
King LP 5021 – The Wings Over Jordan Choir
King LP 5022 – Swan’s Silvertone Singers
King LP 5023 – Various Artists
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