WLAC and Nashboro records

John Richbourg returned to Nashville in 1946. He'd worked at 1510 WLAC-AM in 1942 and after being interrupted by WWII he returned with a vengeance. He became the voice on "Ernie's Record Parade", a nightly show that featured hot new Rhythm and Blues and eventually Rock n' roll. It was the verge of the 1950s and white suburbanite kids were discovering black music. More here.

The program ran on on weekday nights, at 9:oo PM. Ernie Lafayette Young was already operating a bustling mail order business in southern gospel music. He was already supporting gospel programs on WLAC. But now he was also selling the early cross-over artists like Otis redding, James Brown, Joe Simon, etc. But that wasn't' enough for Young . He wanted to play a bigger part. He was creating demand for these artists

Ernie decided to to start a label in 1951. Nashboro Records, started out with Gospel music. then in 1952 they started Excello to move the Rhythm & Blues records. John R was the producer for the first records. These were recorded late at night in the WLAC studios. Later Ernie built a simple studio in the attic above his shop. More here

In 1966 Ernie sold off Excello to AVI Entertainment and currently resides in the hands of MCA Records. They're re-released very little, but in the Uk the rights are held by Ace records which hasn't been so stingy. John R. left WLAC in 1973 and died February 15, 1986 at the age of 75.