The postwar explosion of independent rhythm and blues record companies included an extremely important group of African American-owned firms that played hardball with the big boys long before Berry Gordy established Motown. Heading the list were Vee-Jay Records in Chicago, Don Robey’s hard-boiled Duke/Peacock empire in Houston, and Bobby Robinson’s Harlem-based Fury and Fire logos. Robinson accrued his early industry experience from behind the counter of Bobby’s Record Shop, located down the block from the Apollo Theatre. The store opened for business on August 20, 1946, and it became a gathering place for record buyers and music luminaries alike. Stars would wander down between their Apollo shows, and label honchos would stop by to see what was selling. Along the way, Robinson learned the ingredients that went into a hit.

• Handling Note: **Please allow an additional 72 hours for this item's shipment.**
• Genre: R&B
• Format: CD
• Internal ID: JITRE
• Format Detail: 3CD Special 3 CD Digi Pak with Booklet
• Released: 3/2/18