Record Labels

Episode #830 – Imperial Records, Pt. 3 – 1951-52

RAS2026-03-29T16:58:20+00:00

Air Week: March 30-April 5, 2026

Imperial Records, Pt. 3 – 1951-52

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...