Yellow Dog Records

For the bootlegger, see Yellow Dog (bootlegger).
Yellow Dog Records
Founded2002 (2002)
FounderMike Powers
GenreBlues, soul, folk, Americana
Country of originUnited States
LocationMemphis, Tennessee
Official websiteyellowdogrecords.com

Yellow Dog Records is an American independent record label based in Memphis, Tennessee, that features authentic American music: blues, soul and Americana. It was founded in 2002 by Mike Powers to support independent musicians on its roster with recording, production, promotion and distribution.[1]

Artists on the label have received numerous awards and played with notable musicians, including Eden Brent - Blues Music Award recipient for 2009 Acoustic Artist of the Year and Acoustic Album of the Year for Mississippi Number One,[2] plus the winner of the Blues Foundation's 2006 International Blues Challenge;[3] Fiona Boyes – the first Australian and the first woman to win the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge and three time Blues Music Award nominee;[4][5] Mary Flower – 2008 Blues Music Award nominee for Acoustic Artist of the Year;[6] and Terry Robb – 19 time Best Acoustic Guitar Muddy Award winner from the Cascade Blues Association and Oregon Music Hall of Fame member.[7][8]

The label name is inspired by the Yellow Dog Railroad and its role in American music history. The Yazoo Delta railroad, known as the "Yellow Dog", was a renowned rail line running through the heart of the Mississippi delta in the early 1900s.[9] References to the Yellow Dog appear in early blues songs by W.C. Handy, Bessie Smith,[10] Charlie Patton, Lucille Bogan and Big Bill Broonzy.[9]

In January 2016, Yellow Dog Records was a recipient of the 2016 Keeping the Blues Alive Awards, presented by the Blues Foundation.[11]

  1. ^ "Yellow Dog Records Roster Boasts Some of Today's Best Blues, Americana Artists". Voanews.com. 2008-04-28. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
  2. ^ "2009 Blues Awards recipients". Blues.org. 2009-05-09. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  3. ^ "2006 International Blues Challenge results". Blues.org. 2006-01-29. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  4. ^ "Two finger-pickin' females". Oregonlive.com. 2008-04-28. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  5. ^ "Q&A with Fiona Boyes". Roanoke.com. 2006-07-28. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  6. ^ "Blues Foundation Member Spotlight". 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  7. ^ D'Antoni, Tom. "Terry Robb: Coffee Shop Conversations #79" Oregon Music News. Retrieved on 08 October 2017.
  8. ^ "Portland's Musical Renaissance Man With a Heart Made of Steel". Cascadeblues.org. 2009-12-01. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  9. ^ a b "Origins of The Term Yellow Dog by Max Haymes". Earlyblues.com. 2002. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  10. ^ "Yellow Dog Blues by Bessie Smith". 1925. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2009-05-11 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ "The Blues Foundation to Honor Blues Patrons at January Awards Ceremony in Memphis | The Blues Foundation". Blues.org. 2015-11-11. Retrieved 2015-11-16.