ABSTRACT
An American record issued in 1926-1927 by the Starck music stores. There were about 100 items, from Pathé masters. [Rust 1978.]
Booking agent Jack Starnes (“Star-”) and record distributor Pappy Daily (“day”) started Starday in Beaumont, Texas, in June 1953. Don Pierce joined in September, and, as the only full-time partner, was made president. The first hit, Arlie Duff’s “Y’All Come” (#104; 1953; #7 C&W) came in late 1953. Starnes signed George Jones in January 1954, and Jones became the label’s mainstay (Starnes, though, sold his share of Starday to Pierce and Daily in 1955). In January 1957, Starday began running Mercury Records’country division as a joint venture, Mercury-Starday, and Pierce moved the label to Nashville. When Mercury-Starday dissolved in July 1958, Pierce assumed full ownership of Starday and rebuilt the catalog around old-time and bluegrass artists who had been jettisoned by the major labels. There were a few major hits-including Red Sovine’s “Giddyup, Go” (#737; 1965; #1 C&W, #82 pop), Frankie Miller’s “Blackland Farmer” (#424; 1961; #16 C&W, #82 pop), Cowboy Copas’s “Alabam” (#501; 1960; #1 C#W, #63 pop), and Johnny Bond’s “Ten Little Bottles” (#704; 1965; #2 C&W, #43 pop)—but Starday essentially operated as a catalog business. Pierce aggressively marketed via mail order. As the receipts began to diminish, Pierce sold Starday to Lin Broadcasting in 1968 for $2 million. The label was eventually acquired by Nashvillebased GML, which revived the Starday imprint, scoring a number one country hit with Red Sovine’s “Teddy Bear” in 1976. New product is occasionally issued on Starday, but it remains primarily a reissue label.
