The Chart Records Story
Chart Records was a music record label operating out of Nashville, Tennessee, USA, from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s. Chart was best known for turning Lynn Anderson into a major country star. It was founded and owned by Slim Williamson in 1964.
Among the artists who recorded at one time for the label were Junior Samples, Del Wood, Maxine Brown, Jim Nesbitt, Connie Eaton, Red Sovine, Billy Crash Craddock and LaWanda Lindsey. Many of Chart's vocalists were quite young, teenagers or in their early twenties. LaWanda Lindsey was fourteen, Connie Eaton was fifteen, Anthony Armstrong Jones was sixteen and Lynn Anderson was eighteen.
Chart was distributed by RCA Records for several years during the 1960s but Lynn Anderson's success allowed them to go it independently.
In 1965, Slim Williamson hired Joe Gibson to work primarily with the publishing company. Initially, he was handling the paperwork and pitching songs. However, soon his duties encompassed a little of everything. Eventually Mr. Gibson became Chart's Producer and he worked in Sales & Promotion.
In 1968, three music publishing firms in the Chart Records music group were represented internationally by Tree Music. The agreement was worked out by Slim Williamson and Jack Stapp and Buddy Killen of Tree Music.
Early in 1969, Audio Fidelity out of New York City purchased Chart Records. Herman Gimbel, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Audio Fidelity, was responsible for making the arrangements. The announcement came the first week of March, 1969, Chart's fifth anniversary.
Under the corporate umbrella of Audio Fidelity, Mr. Williamson was retained under long term contract as President of Chart Records and a member of the Board of Directors of Chart Records, Inc. Slim Williamson ran the company for Audio Fidelity and, after a couple of years, bought it back at a substantially lower price that he originally sold it for.
In December 1970 Joe Gibson resigned from Chart to form Prize Records and a little later started the highly successful Nationwide Sound Distributors (NSD).
In 1972 Better Sounds, Inc was formed to bring all of Slim Williamson's record business companies under one corporate umbrella. Better Sounds, Inc. held Sixteenth Ave Music (BMI), Sue-Mirl Music (ASCAP) & Slimsongs Music (SESAC).
Shortly after Chart was purchased back from Audio Fidelity, it was turned over to Williamson's oldest son Cliff. Cliff was named president and Bill Walker was named Vice-President.
In mid 1973, Cliff Williamson left Chart to take a position at General Recording Corporation (GRC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Slim Williamson again took control of Chart and immediately struck a distribution deal with Art Cass & Neil Bogart of Buddah Records, Inc. for national distribution and by June 1973 the deal was struck. The move provided the Buddah Group with a country music wing. Chart again had a national distribution deal but it may have been a little too late.
By mid 1973 Chart's artist roster had virtually been depleted. Connie Eaton had moved over to ABC Records, La Wanda Lindsey signed with Buck Owens and Capitol Records, Kenny Vernon and Anthony Armstrong Jones had moved over to Epic Records.
The little label was in hard times. Their major artist at this time was Red Sovine. Red had signed in 1972 and released a few singles and an album (LP) that were very good sellers. A few major stars from years gone by had signed with Chart also. Artists such as Joe & Rose Lee Maphis, Carl & Pearl Butler, Bill Carlisle and others. Mr. Williamson had hoped these major names would help sell some records and it did!
Things went along at a snail's pace through 1973 and early-1974. Then another opportunity presented itself. Donna Lee Worden had written some songs that her husband Bill Worden felt were marketable. Mr. Worden took the songs to Nashville, Tennessee to try and get them recorded. One of the places he took them to was Chart Records. Mr. Williamson was wanting to get out of the record business so he and Mr. Worden struck a deal
In April 1974 Bill Worden & Robert Harris of New Albany, Indiana bought Williamsons’ entire remaining stock in Better Sounds, Inc. The deal included all of Slim Williamson's remaining record & publishing companies. Mr. Williamson was officially out of the record business and essentially this was the end of Chart Records. Although the Worden's were very enthusiastic, as is always with the record business, enthusiasm only goes so far. Donna Lee's songs were eventually recorded by Red Sovine on his It'll Come Back LP.
In late 1974 Red Sovine's contract ran out and he went back to his old home at Starday and had the biggest hit of his career, Teddy Bear, two years later. 1974 also saw the end of Buddah's affiliation.
What was once a major force in country music was now knocked down to the bottom rung on the ladder. Chart Records still had some good talent, but little capital to promote them. Unfortunately sometime in 1975 Chart quietly folded. Today Gusto Records owns the Chart Records catalogue.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------Chart Records Recording Artists
Bill Carlisle signed a recording pact with Chart Records in Sep. 1969.
Jim Nesbitt's Running Bear, released on the Chart Label, rapidly scaled the charts. Nesbitt helped launch the Chart Records label in 1964 with his recording of Lookin' For More In '64.
Kenny Vernon, Chart recording artist and his singing partner, LaWanda Lindsey were winners of the SESAC Award in 1969 for their recording of Eye to Eye. Their followup hit, a country version of the R&B favorite, Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries, was high on the charts nationwide.
Vernon and his band were perennial favorites of J. D.'s in Phoenix (AZ), Caravan East in Alburquerque (N.M.), Hogan's in Colorado Springs (CO) and the Golden Nuggett in Las Vegas (NV).
LaWanda Lindsey began her career at age fourteen and had her first nationally charted record at age sixteen. On November 27, 1967, at age thirteen, LaWanda Lindsey signed a recording contract with Chart Records, Inc. She was one of several quite young artists recording country music for Chart Records during this period (1969 -- 1972). In 1973 she became a protégé of Buck Owens and began recording for Capitol Records.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------Chart Records Country Music Recording Roster, Partial Listing:
- Archie Campbell
- Bill Carlisle
- Billie Crash Craddock
- Bob Jennings
- Bobby Belew
- Bobby Edwards
- Carl & Pearl Butler
- Connie Eaton
- Del Reeves
- Del Wood
- Ginny Wright
- Gordon Terry
- Grant Turner
- Hargus Pig Robbins
- Jerry Lane
- Jim Nesbitt
- Jimmy Gateley
- Joe & Rose Lee Maphis
- Johnny Dollar
- Junior Samples
- Kenny Vernon
- Kirk Kansard
- LaWanda Lindsay
- Lloyd Green
- Lynn Anderson
- Maxine Brown
- Red Sovine
- Terry Gordan
- The Willis Brothers
------------------------------------------------------------Researched, compiled and written by Richard Bell, Roots of Country Music, Nov. 22, 2011.
