September 1961: Stax Records

Satellite Records, based in Memphis, Tennessee, changes its name to Stax Records, the word "Stax" combining the first two letters of the last names of company owners Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. The first single released on the soul label was the Mar-Keys' "The Morning After," a follow-up to their earlier Satellite hit, "Last Night."

Note: I couldn't pinpoint the exact date of the name change. The earliest mention I could find is in the September 11 issue of Billboard magazine.

* Short history (from www.bluescentric.com): @

* Timeline (from www.staxmuseum.com): @

* "Birth of Stax": (by Robert Gordon): @

* Jim Stewart biography and timeline (from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame): @ and @

* "Soulsville, U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records" (book by Rob Bowman): @

* Lesson plan for teachers (from www.pbs.org; includes links to artists' websites): @

* Listen to "Morning After": @

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