Imperial Records

==Early years to 1979==
When Imperial was founded in 1947, it concentrated on [[rhythm and blues]] (R&B) and [[country music]]: [[Fats Domino]], [[Frankie Ford]], [[Ricky Nelson]], and [[Slim Whitman]].<ref name="Larkin50"/> In the UK, Imperial was distributed by [[London Records]].<ref name="Larkin50"/>

During the 1950s and 1960s, Imperial released jazz albums by [[Sonny Criss]], [[Charlie Mariano]], [[Papa Celestin]], [[Erskine Hawkins]], and [[Harold Land]].<ref name="New Grove">{{cite book |last1=Gardner |first1=Mark |editor1-last=Kernfeld |editor1-first=Barry |title=The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz |date=2002 |publisher=Grove's Dictionaries |location=New York |isbn=1-56159-284-6 |page=172 |volume=2 |edition=2nd }}</ref>

Imperial bought [[Aladdin Records|Aladdin]] in 1960 and [[Minit Records]] in 1963, having distributed Minit since 1960.<ref name="Larkin50"/> During the 1950s, Imperial was one of the primary labels issuing a vast quantity of R&B from New Orleans through their involvement with producer and writer [[Dave Bartholomew]] and in the 1960s with their distribution (and purchase, a few years later) of Minit.<ref name="Larkin50"/>

In 1963, after Imperial lost Fats Domino and Ricky Nelson to rival record companies, Chudd sold the label to [[Liberty Records]].<ref name="buying">{{cite book |last=Zhito |first=Lee |title=Liberty Records Buying Imperial Label, Pub Firm |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VgsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1 |access-date=4 January 2019 |date=24 August 1963 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media (Billboard) |page=1}}</ref>

Under Liberty's management, the label enjoyed success with [[Irma Thomas]], [[Johnny Rivers]], [[Jackie DeShannon]], [[Classics IV]], and [[Cher]].<ref name="Larkin50"/> During the [[British Invasion]], Liberty (whose recordings were distributed by EMI in the UK) licensed [[the Hollies]], [[Billy J. Kramer]], the [[The Dakotas (band)|Dakotas]], and the [[The Swinging Blue Jeans|Swinging Blue Jeans]] from EMI.<ref name="Larkin50"/> Recordings by the [[The Bonzo Dog Band|Bonzo Dog Band]] and [[Kim Fowley]] were issued in the U.S. by Imperial.

By 1970, the label had become part of Liberty's merger with [[United Artists Records]] but was phased out shortly after, with its roster transferred to United Artists. EMI acquired the Imperial Records catalogue with its acquisition of UA Records in 1979.<ref name="Larkin50"/>