50 years of Stax in Memphis June 22nd 2007

Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the MGs, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Mavis Staples, Mable John, the Soul Children and Angie Stone. Additional Stax stars and special guests will be announced shortly.

In an unparalleled celebration of Stax Records' 50th anniversary, the heart and soul of the legendary label's lineup will reunite onstage for "50 Years of Stax: A Concert To Benefit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music." The event will be held Friday, June 22 at Memphis' Orpheum Theater at the foot of Beale Street...
Founded by Jim Stewart (the "ST") in 1957, and co-owned by Estelle Axton (the "AX"), Stax's contribution to popular music, both sonically and socially, continues to be felt to this day. Stax, a racially integrated label in a then notoriously segregated city, released hit after hit from such seminal soul artists as Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs, the Bar-Kays, Isaac Hayes, Sam & Dave, the Staple Singers, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, and William Bell amongst many, many others.

The Stax studio, in a cavernous former theatre with a sloping floor, featured an atypical layout with no directly parallel surfaces where soundwaves would "ping pong" around the room, resulting in a very live, reverberant sound. The Stax studio sonics-- combined with the prominent use of horns, a heavy gospel influence, uniquely emotional vocal deliveries, and a delayed backbeat-- resulted in what came to be recognized as the "Stax Sound."

The Stax Sound defined such classic compositions as "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay," "Respect Yourself," "Hold On I'm Comin'," "Mr. Big Stuff," "Soul Man," "Green Onions," "Knock on Wood" and "I'll Take You There."

This year, on Stax's 50th anniversary, Concord Music Group announced the relaunch of Stax Records as the creative home for present-day soul stars (Angie Stone, Soulive, Lalah Hathaway and Leon Ware), alongside heritage artists such as Isaac Hayes, who has now returned to the label home of his hits. Throughout the year,Stax is participating in a reissue campaign that includes the just released "Stax 50th Anniversary Celebration" 2 CD Deluxe Box, new individual artist "Best Of" CDs, and many rare or currently unavailable Stax albums, from such artists as Carla Thomas, the Staples Singers, Booker T and the MGs, Isaac Hayes and much more.

Isaac Hayes, a key artist both in Stax's past and future, adds: "I am excited to be part of this concert . . .it will be like old times!""

Tickets for the "50 Years of Stax" show go on sale on Monday, May 7, and may be purchased at Ticketmaster.

Source: PR Web