The Imperial Show Band

The Imperial Show Band, led by Tim Whitsett, was a popular national live act in the United States in the 1960s. It is generally regarded as the first integrated band in the state of Mississippi.

Jackson, Mississippi, native Whitsett's first record "Jive Harp" b/w "Pipe Dreams" was released on Imperial Records when he was sixteen years old. Heavily influenced by the sounds of nearby New Orleans, Tim Whitsett & The Imperials (coincidentally) became the hottest band in their home state of Mississippi. They released dozens of R&B, pop, and instrumental records, usually written by Whitsett or co-written with his brother Carson, which were issued on a variety of labels, including Epic, Whitsett's own Rim, and the Jackson label-based Ace, whose president Johnny Vincent was a mentor to Whitsett ont he music businesst. Some of these were sizable local hits throughout the South and became popular when pirated in England. These 45s are now considered collectables, and Tim Whitsett records sell for very high prices on sites like eBay.

On the strength of Carson Whitsett's B-3 organ playing and the Tim Whitsett-led horn section, the group was asked to record for Stax Records (before there was a Booker T. & the MGs and "Green Onions") long before the company was a powerhouse. Later, Chips Moman asked the group to be his house band when he started his American Recording Studio. Tim Whitsett turned down both offers because he had his own label (Rim), publishing company (Gulfway), and the band was having their own success. Moman would hire session men like guitarist Reggie Young and record everyone from Wilson Pickett to Neil Diamond to Elvis Presley.

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