Monument Records
| Monument Records | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Parent company | Sony Music Entertainment |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Founder |
Fred Foster Buddy Deane |
| Defunct | 1990 |
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
Monument Records was an American record label in Washington, D.C. named for the Washington Monument, founded in 1958, by Fred Foster and Buddy Deane (a prominent Baltimore disc jockey at WTTG). Buddy Deane soon left the company, and in the early 60's bought KOTN in Pine Bluff, Arkansas where he retired until his death. Foster relocated to the Nashville suburb of Hendersonville, Tennessee. Monument's releases include a variety of genres, including rock and roll, country, jazz and rhythm and blues.
In the beginning, Monument was the first of London Records distributed labels. Monument Records' first release in October 1958, was also the label's first hit. Billy Grammer's "Gotta Travel On", became a US Top 5 Billboard record chart success which sold over 900,000 copies. It also spawned a nationwide dance craze called "The Shag". The signing of the former Sun Records singer, Roy Orbison, brought more success to Monument Records, beginning with the 1960 release, "Only the Lonely". By 1961, London Records was distributing more than forty independent companies, prompting Foster to move Monument to the independent-distributor network.
In 1962 Monument Records made history when it released Too Many Chicks and Jealous Heart by Leona Douglas, the first country & western recording by an African-American woman.
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