James Hobart Stanton

James Hobart Stanton. . , (Side one) , One of the first record companies to issue Bluegrass recordings, Rich-R Tone was also the first record company in East Tennessee., Founded in late 1945 Rich R-Tone (pronounced "richer tone") was based in Johnson City during its early year when it issued the first recordings by the Stanley Brothers and Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper. Releases by less-known bluegrass and traditional country artists captured a cross section of rural music from Johnson City and the surrounding area., Rich-R-Tone was founded by James Hobart Stenton. Known as Jim or Hobe, he was born on April 2, 1919, in the Embreeville area , a mining community south of Johnson City. In 1925, the family moved to Johnson City. Stanton's father became a circulation manager for the Press-Chronicle. Still in school, Stanton began working for a comporny that serviced records to Jukeboxes. Around 1942, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, to work for Wurlitzer Jukeboxes inspired by Cincinnati based Syd Nathan, who launched King Records in 1943. Stanton resolved to start his own label. Starting with country music, Nathan built an impressive R&B roster that later included James Brown., Returning from Cincinnati in 1946, Stanton opened the Record Shop at 113 W. Main St. in Johnson City, with local performer Buffalo Johnson being the label's first artist. Rich-R-Tone operated from the back of the store, and Stanton had portable equipment that he toted to makeshift studios, occasionally recording at his house on Pine Street., In 1947, Stanton signed the Stanley Brothers and Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper. The previous year, Bill Monroe had made the first bluegrass recordings, and the Stanleys became the second bluegrass act on record. Carter and Ralph Stanley were performing on WCYB in Bristol when Stanton became aware of them. They recorded five singles for Rich-R-Tone over the course of three sessions held at Bristol station WOPI in 1947 and 1948. One of their songs. "Little Glass of Wine", became very popular in East Tennessee, leading to a deal with Columbia Records. In 1952, they returned to Rich-R-Tone for two more singles before eventually signing with King Records., On another road trip, Stanton discovered Wilma Lee and Stony Cooper performing on WWNC in Asheville, North Carolina. They, too, were signed away from Rich-R-Tone to Columbia Records after one well-selling regional hit., Covering a four-state area, Stanton sold records out of the back of his automobile. He built a roster of early bluegrass and traditional country artists, including the Bailey Brothers, Jim Eanes, and the Sauceman Brothers. Soles remained localized., In July 1952, Stanton complained that the local newspaper had mischaracterized West Main Street as a "skid row" and that he had lost foot traffic as a result. He closed the store and moved Rich-R-Tone to Campbellsville, Kentucky, merging with Acme, another small traditional country label. Stanton soon returned to Tennessee, first to Morristown, then Nashville. Like Syd Nathan, Stanton entered the R&B and Black gospel fields, but his focus shifted to custom work in which the artists covered the recording and pressing costs., After placing Rich R-Tone on hiatus in the mid-1950s, Stanton later revived it in Nashville., During the 1970s, Stanton began billing Rich-R-Tone as "America's oldest bluegrass label " Although never exclusively bluegrass, Stanton recorded the rural music of East Tennessee and the surrounding area , not as folkloric preservation, but as living, thriving music., Stanton died in Nashville on July 15, 1989., (Caption) James Hobart Stanton, left at a Johnson City, Tennessee store event celebrating Rich-R-Tone release #446 (The Bailey Brothers), Spring 1949 photo courtesy Ted Olson., (Side two) , 7 Genres of Music call Tennessee home. More songs are written, recorded and played live here than anywhere else in the world., The Soundtrack of America is made in Tennessee. Tennessee music pathways connect you to the people, places and events that shaped music history., From big cities to small communities, this statewide program identifies, explains and preserves the legacy of music in Tennessee. Be it a story of the past, a star of the present or the promise of the future Tennessee Music Pathways let you Follow the Music.