Judd Records

Judd Records was started by Jud Phillips, brother of Sun Records co-founder Sam Phillips. Early releases were mostly recorded in Nashville or Memphis, but carried an address of Memphis, New York and Florence (Phillips' hometown). Judd Records was named for its founder but the name was misspelled in the artwork of the label having two "D's." From Judd 1016 on, the label was pressed and distributed by National Recording Corporation, and the label sported the NRC logo and/or the words "National Recording Corporation - Atlanta, GA". According to Jud Phillips' son, NRC acquired the Judd label originally on a handshake deal.

Judd's biggest single was "Rockin' Little Angel" by Ray Smith, which topped out at #22 on the Billboard charts. Another Judd artist who went on to score on other labels was Tommy Roe. Roe's initial recordings on Judd were originally released on Mark Four, a label produced by Roe's manager, Cleve Warnock, but recorded at the NRC Studios in Atlanta. The only Judd album, Ray Smith's "Rockin' Little Angel", has been released on CD by NRC. Other Ray Smith single cuts have been released on CD by London-based Ace Records. NRC, Judd, and affiliated labels are owned and administered by Johnny Carter, president of National Recording Corporation.

See also

* List of record labels