Record Label

Episode #828 – Imperial Records, Pt. 1 – 1947-50

RAS2026-03-15T17:00:29+00:00

Air Week: March 16-22, 2026

Imperial Records, Pt. 1 – 1947-50

Imperial Records was a major player among the indie labels of the late 1940s and the entirety of the 1950s. Started in Los Angels in 1946 by Lew Chudd, a Canadian raised in Harlem, Imperial began filling the ethnic and cultural voids left by the majors at the time. Chudd knew there was a large market for Latino Music in America, so he headed to Mexico...