This engaging history of the independent rock 'n' roll record industry from its raw regional beginnings in the 1940s with R & B and hillbilly music through its decline in the 1960s combines narrative history with extensive oral history material from numerous recording pioneers. The rich oral histories provide abundant on-the-ground information about nurturing new artists such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and B. B. King and then losing them to the bigger labels; developing pressing plants, distribution centres, jukebox circuits, and disk jockey networks; financing these operations, often on shoestring budgets; and creating innovative approaches (including payola) to developing an audience. This exceptional volume contains the author's interviews with major players in the independent music scene, including Joe Bihari of Modern Records; Marshall Chess of Chess Records; Jerry Wexler, Ahmet Ertegun, and Miriam Bienstock of Atlantic Records; Sam Phillips of Sun Records; Art Rupe of Specialty Records; and many more. Behind-the-scenes sources include London Records' remarkable Mimi Trepel; music publishers Gene Goodman and Freddy Bienstock; The Cash Box trade magazine editors Ira Howard, Irv Lichtman, and Marty Ostrow; disc jockey Bill "Hoss" Allen of Radio WLAC, Nashville; recording studio/label owner and erstwhile teenage jukebox operator Cosimo Matassa; and many, many others.