Curb Records
Encyclopedia
Curb Records is a record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

 started by Mike Curb
Mike Curb
Michael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, NASCAR and IRL race car owner. A Republican, he served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 under Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...

 originally as Sidewalk Records
Sidewalk Records
Sidewalk Records was a record label based in Hollywood, California that was started in 1963 by Mike Curb at the age of eighteen. The company was first formed as Sidewalk Productions and later became a subsidiary label of Capitol Records. Many recordings by Sidewalk Productions appeared on the...

 in 1963. From 1969 to 1973 Curb merged with MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...

 where Curb served as President of MGM and Verve Records.

History

Throughout the years the Curb Companies have had major successes with such artists as the Stone Poneys
Stone Poneys
The Stone Poneys were a folk-rock trio formed in Los Angeles, consisting of Bobby Kimmel , Kenny Edwards , and Linda Ronstadt . Their recordings include Linda Ronstadt's first hit song, a cover of Mike Nesmith's "Different Drum"...

 (featuring Linda Rondstadt), Eric Burdon and War, Sammy Davis Jr., the Osmond Family (including Donny & Marie), Lou Rawls, Exile, the Righteous Brothers, Solomon Burke, Gloria Gaynor, the Hondells, the Arrows (featuring Davie Allan), Lyle Lovett, Roy Orbison, the Electric Flag (featuring Mike Bloomfield and Buddy Miles), the Sylvers, and the Four Seasons. The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons (group)
The Four Seasons are an American rock and pop band who became internationally successful in the mid-1960s. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has stated that the group was the most popular rock band before The Beatles...

 comeback album, Who Loves You
Who Loves You
Who Loves You is a 1975 album by The Four Seasons which introduced the new Four Seasons: John Paiva , Don Ciccone , Lee Shapiro and Gerry Polci...

, including "December 1963 Oh What A Night" which was the first single to spend more than one year on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Curb's roster has included many successful country music artists, such as Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...

, LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...

, Hank Williams, Jr.
Hank Williams, Jr.
Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country...

, Wynonna, Sawyer Brown, Rodney Atkins
Rodney Atkins
Rodney Allan Atkins is an American country music artist. Signed to Curb Records in 1996, he charted his first single on the Billboard country chart that year, but did not release an album until 2003's Honesty, which included the number 4 hit "Honesty ".If You're Going Through Hell, his second...

, the Bellamy Brothers, Chris Hillman's Desert Rose Band, Lee Greenwood
Lee Greenwood
Melvin Lee Greenwood is an American country music artist. Active since the early 1980s, he has released more than twenty major-label albums and has charted more than 35 singles on the Billboard country music charts....

, Steve Holy, the Judds, Hal Ketchum, Jo Dee Messina, Rio Grand
Rio Grand
Rio Grand is an American Texas Country group. Tommy Rennick , Danny Rivera , and Fred Stallcup . All three members are natives of the state of Texas. In addition, Tommy Rennick was previously a member of 37 South and the Allison Paige band...

, Trick Pony (featuring Heidi Newfield), Mel Tillis, T.G. Sheppard, Jim Stafford and Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...

.

In late 2002 Curb Records also acquired a stake in Word Records
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...

 from then-owners Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...

. Curb still holds partnership in Word even though Time Warner's stake was sold to newly formed spin-off Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...

 in 2004.

Four-time GMA Music Award
GMA Music Awards
The Gospel Music Association Dove Awards are presented annually by the Gospel Music Association for outstanding achievements in the Christian music industry. The awards are usually presented during a ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee, that features performances by a number of the industry's newest...

 Female Vocalist of the Year Natalie Grant
Natalie Grant
Natalie Grant is a singer-songwriter of contemporary Christian music. Her work has gained prominence, including four consecutive Dove Awards for best female artist, and with her signature song, Held...

 is signed to Curb Records in addition to the 5 time GMA music award winning group Selah . Throughout the years Curb has had success with other Gospel music artists such as MercyMe
MercyMe
MercyMe is an American Christian rock band founded in Greenville, Texas. The band consists of vocalist Bart Millard, keyboardist James Bryson, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul....

, the Second Chapter of Acts, Degarmo and Key, Patti Cabrera, Michael English, Debby Boone
Debby Boone
Deborah Anne Boone is an American singer and stage actress. She is best known for her 1977 hit, "You Light Up My Life," which spent a then record ten weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and led to her winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist the following year...

, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Barlowgirl, Francesca Battistelli
Francesca Battistelli
Francesca Battistelli is an American Christian musician from New York City, New York. She was originally an independent artist and had released an independent album, Just a Breath, in 2004. Her first studio album on Fervent Records, My Paper Heart, was released on July 22, 2008...

, Big Daddy Weave
Big Daddy Weave
Big Daddy Weave is a contemporary Christian band composed of Mike Weaver , Jay Weaver, Jeremy Redmon, and Joe Shirk. Their popular songs include: "Every Time I Breathe", "Audience of One", "In Christ", "Fields of Grace", "Without You", and "What Life Would Be Like". They are signed to Fervent...

, Building 429, Fernando Ortega, Downhere, Group 1 Crew, Nicole C. Mullen
Nicole C. Mullen
Aileen Nicole Coleman-Mullen, known professionally as Nicole C. Mullen, is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and choreographer. She was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio.-Music career:...

, Larry Norman, Jonathan Pierce, Plumb, Point of Grace, Salvador
Salvador (band)
Salvador is a Christian band. The band began with Art, Nic, and Josh Gonzales as part of the worship band in their home church located in north east Austin, Texas. Which was called King of Glory church...

, Jamie Slocum, Steller Kart, Jaci Velasquez
Jaci Velasquez
Jacquelyn Davette Velasquez is an American Contemporary Christian and Latin Pop singer—in both English and Spanish languages....

 and Mark Schultz.

In 2006
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....

 Curb launched a sister rock label, Bruc Records, the name of which is an acronym for "Blues, Rock, Urban, Country" (the name is also "Curb" spelled backwards). Straight to Hell by alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...

 artist Hank Williams III
Hank Williams III
Shelton Hank Williams, known as Hank 3 , is a neotraditional country and punk metal singer, drummer, bassist, and guitarist. In addition to his honky tonk recordings, Williams' style alternates among country, punk and metal...

 was the first album to be released on the new imprint.

Curb Foundation

Curb Records supports charitable programs through the Mike Curb Family Foundation. Some of the supported programs include; the Mike Curb Family Welcome Center at Second Harvest, Curb Youth Symphony, Curb Young Musicians Competition, Curb Concerto Competition, the Curb Family Humane Center, the Curb Junior Achievement Center in Los Angeles and Nashville, the Curb Family Pediatric Center, the Nashville Boy Scout Conference Center, the Patriots Theatre at Fort Campbell, the Curb Family Education Oasis Center and the Stella Curb Teacher Development Classrooms.

The Curb Foundation is very active in Education including the Curb Center at Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...

 (which has launched the Curb Creative Campus Program), the Curb College for Music Business at Belmont University
Belmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.-Belmont Mansion:Belmont Mansion...

, the Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication at Cal State University, the Curb Beaman Jubilee Singers Chair at Fisk University
Fisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...

, the Curb College of Arts, Music and Sciences at Daytona State College, the Business and Law Chair and Facility at Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college and a member of the Claremont Colleges located in Claremont, California. The campus is located east of Downtown Los Angeles...

, the Curb Learning Lab for Music and Entertainment at Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...

, the Curb Keller Dormitories at Neve Yerushalayim
Neve Yerushalayim
Neve Yerushalayim is a network of Orthodox Jewish colleges for Jewish women, with a based in Har Nof, Jerusalem.Founded in 1970 by Rabbi Dovid Refson as an institution for young college-age female Baal teshuvas , Neve Yerushalayim has since broadened its mandate to offer Jewish studies programs...

 in Jerusalem University and the Curb History Institute at Rhodes College
Rhodes College
Rhodes College is a private, predominantly undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Originally founded by freemasons in 1848, Rhodes became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in 1855. Rhodes enrolls approximately 1,700 students pursuing bachelor's and master's...

.

Projects

In conjunction with Curb's educational projects, Curb has purchased and restored Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....

's first home in Memphis, TN, the Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...

 Museum in Nashville, TN, the Historic RCA Studio B, and Columbia's Historic Quonset Hut which was the first recording studio on Nashville's famed Music Row. These historic facilities are being used by students at the various Curb supported colleges and universities for the purpose of studying music history.

In October 2008 the 6,000 seat Curb Event Center at Belmont University
Belmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.-Belmont Mansion:Belmont Mansion...

 in Nashville, TN hosted the Town Hall Presidential debate between Senators John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

 and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

.

Curb Records - Europe

In the United Kingdom, Curb artists (apart from those sub-licensed to majors) are eligible for the UK 'independent' charts. In January 2006, Curb scored a top ten hit with Brian Kennedy
Brian Kennedy (singer)
Brian Edward Patrick Kennedy is an Irish singer-songwriter and author, known for his ballads, and has represented Ireland at Eurovision 2006. He is the younger brother of musician Bap Kennedy.-Personal life:...

 and Peter Corry's
Peter Corry
Peter Corry performed as Dean Martin in The Rat Pack, starred in Night of 1,000 Stars at the Royal Albert Hall and performed in The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber...

 'Tribute to George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...

', an EP featuring recordings of You Raise Me Up
You Raise Me Up
"You Raise Me Up" was the debut single from Westlife's fifth studio album, Face To Face.This version is considered by many to be the most popular , of all the various versions of the same song. The single peaked at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's 13th Number One. It was the first...

amongst others. Earlier major hits in Europe with the Four Seasons, the Osmonds, LeAnn Rimes, and Soundtracks such as Coyote Ugly.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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