Leedon Records

Leedon Records was an Australian record label active from 1958 to 1969. It was founded by American entrepreneur Lee Gordon in early 1958.

In Australian in the 1950s and early 1960s, locally distributed labels such as His Masters Voice, London Records, Pye and Parlophone and indigenous labels such as Coronet and W&G Records had few Australian rock'n'roll artist on their rosters; their main focus was on local releases of British and American artists or, local mainstream vocalists or artists, as well as others.

The advent of Leedon Records in 1958, soon after the establishment of Australia's first Top 40 charts, played a significant role in the development of Australia's local rock and pop scene, especially in the decade following the label's acquisition by Festival Records in 1960.

Entrepreneur Lee Gordon had broken into the Australian entertainment scene in 1955 with a record-setting tour by vocalist Johnnie Ray, followed by a string of star-studded "Big Show" jazz/pop package tours featuring stars including Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Thelonious Monk. In 1957 he promoted the first rock'n'roll bill to tour Australia, headlined by Bill Haley & the Comets Leedon and its sister label Lee Gordon Records as an adjunct to his hugely successful tour promotion business. Through his American connections, Gordon had promoted many historic jazz tours and in January 1957 he brought the first rock'n'roll tour to Australia, featuring. He then secured the Australian release rights to the American Roulette Records label and signed a pressing and distribution deal with the Australian Record Company (which was later taken over by CBS Records).

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