Meteor Records
| Company type | Record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music industry |
| Founded | November 1952 |
| Founder | Lester Bihari |
| Defunct | 1957 |
| Headquarters | Memphis , United States |
| Products | Rhythm and blues records |
Meteor Records was an R&B record label headquartered in Memphis, founded in November 1952 by Lester Bihari, a member of the Bihari brothers who operated Modern Records out of Los Angeles. The label’s strategy centered on broadening its artist base by concentrating on musicians from the Southern United States and utilizing local studios for recording.
The label’s inaugural release, "I Believe" / "I Held My Baby Last Night" by Elmore James, became its most notable hit. However, by 1956, the emergence of the teenage rock 'n roll audience led to a decline in interest for Southern blues styles. Meteor Records produced its last record in 1957 before the Bihari brothers merged their business activities back into their Los Angeles operations. Despite limited financial success, Meteor served as a pioneering effort to diversify musical genres.
The present-day version of Meteor Records was established in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1986. Its debut release was Cubic Feet's Across the River (1988). Pete Solley took on the role of in-house producer, including work on Nuke the Soup’s first album. In early 2025, Meteor issued Nuke the Soup's third studio album, with production credits to Kevin Killen and Gerry Leonard.
Roster
Elmore James was the initial artist signed and recorded Meteor’s first release, followed by Bep Brown with "Round House Boogie" / "Kickin' The Blues Around." The label frequently signed acts that Sun Records had overlooked, including James, Rufus Thomas, Junior Thompson, Charlie Feathers, and Malcolm Yelvington. In 1953, Bihari acquired licensing rights for jazz artist Al Smith’s tracks originally recorded for Chance Records.
Musicians associated with Meteor include:
- Elmore James
- Bep Brown
- Chicago Sunny Boy
- Rufus Thomas
- Charlie Feathers
- Malcolm Yelvington
- Earl Forest
- Smokey Hogg
- Sunny Blair
- Little Milton
- Jimmy Haggett
- The Velvatones
- Minnie Thomas
- The Del-Rios
- Junior Thompson
- Cubic Feet (current roster)
- Nuke the Soup (current roster)