This Week in Texas Music History: Sarg Records
This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll learn about a small record label that had a big impact on Texas music.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
On December 28, 1953, Sarg Records of Luling, Texas, made its first recording, “Korean Love Song,” by country singer Neal Merritt. World War II veteran Charlie Fitch started Sarg Records as a way to supply recordings for his jukebox business. Sarg Records went on to record numerous Texas artists from a variety of ethnic genres. It also released some of the earliest recordings of Willie Nelson and a young Doug Sahm.
Although Sarg Records never earned much money, it helped document and preserve a broad range of musical styles found in Texas by recording dozens of German, Czech, Tejano, country, R&B, and rockabilly artists from throughout the Lone Star State.
Next time on This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll hear how the “Queen of the Accordion” took charge of her Houston realm.
Podcast: Download (2.3MB)
