Sue Records

Founded in 1957 in New York City by Henry “Juggy” Murray Jr., Sue Records became one of the first Black-owned independent labels to break into the mainstream. It specialized in R&B, soul, and early funk, releasing music that bridged the raw energy of the 1950s with the groove of the 1960s. Key artists included Ike & Tina Turner, Barbara George, Baby Washington, and The Soul Sisters. The label’s sound was gritty, emotional, and unmistakably urban — influencing later soul and Northern Soul movements.

Nerd Fact: Sue Records was the first U.S. label to sign the British group The Soul Agents, featuring a young Rod Stewart on vocals — a deal that briefly linked New York soul with the emerging London R&B scene of the early ’60s.