The "Godmothers on Record" collection here at Black Girls Love Vinyl pays tribute to a group of extraordinary black women who reshaped the recording industry.

Featuring: Juanita Stinnette Chappelle, Evelyn Joyce Johnson, Vivian Carter, Barbara Gardner Proctor, Johnnie Mae Matthews, Victoria Spivey to Sylvia Robinson, these trailblazers shattered barriers, leaving an indelible mark on recorded music.

Their legacies are honored and preserved within our very own record collection at BGLV, ensuring that their pioneering contributions endure as part of the vibrant tapestry of musical history.

Photo credit: SING | History of Women in Vinyl

JUANITA STINNETTE CHAPPELLE

Born in Baltimore, MD, Jaunita Stinnette Chappelle was not only a singer, but also a Vaudeville performer. Alongside her husband Thomas E. Chappelle, she played a pivotal role in co-founding Chappelle and Stinnette Records in NYC during the Harlem Renaissance era in 1921. Their record label stood out as one of the earliest owned and operated by African Americans in which they produced six records and five that featured their own performances.

Photo credit: James Fraher | Texas State Historical Association

EVELYN JOYCE JOHNSON

In the late 1940s, Johnson was the primary business manager of Buffalo Booking Agency, assisting Don Robey in Houston, TX. In 1949 Peacock Records was born and Johnson continued working behind the scenes, playing a crucial role in creating, developing, and operating one of the most commercially successful African-American owned music enterprises alongside Robey that later merged with Duke Records in 1952. Johnson was directly involved in recording, managing, booking, and promoting a large number of influential artists in Blues, R&B, Gospel and Pop during their rise to stardom. Over 25 years, musicians affectionately referred to Evelyn as "Mother Superior" for her shrewdness personality and highly respected contributions to the recording industry.

Photo credit: WFYI | Indianapolis’ Public Radio, TV & News Station

VIVIAN CARTER

In 1950 Vivian Carter and her business partner, James Bracken opened up Vivian’s Record Shop at 1640 Broadway in Gary, Indiana’s Midtown District. In 1953, Carter and Bracken borrowed $500 to begin their new record company journey, Vee-Jay Records, which quickly began to take off in Chicago. Vee-Jay Records was one of the first African-American owned record labels to achieve significant success. The label was instrumental in promoting Blues, R&B, jazz and early rock n’ roll, featuring artists like The Beatles (in the U.S.), The Four Seasons, John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Reed.

Photo credit: Chicago Sun-Times files

BARBARA GARDNER PROCTOR

Proctor worked as a social worker with the Urban League in Chicago for about a year before transitioning to a different career. While working late, she often listened to the radio, which inspired a career change. Proctor started by cataloging records at Sid McCoy’s record shop and then progressed to writing Liner Notes for Vee-Jay Records. In 1962 as the PR Director, Proctor facilitated the trade of records by The Beatles, who had not yet gained popularity in the United States and arranged for Vee-Jay Records to sign the group to a short-term contract.

Photo credit: UNCLE STYLUS

JOHNNIE MAE MATTHEWS

Matthews was a Blues and R&B singer, songwriter and record producer from Bessemer, Alabama. Known as the “Godmother of Detroit Soul” she borrowed $85 from her husband’s paycheck to become the first African-American woman to own and operate her own record label, Northern Recording Company in 1958. Matthew’s played a crucial role in the development of Detroit’s music scene, such as mentoring and producing careers of David Ruffin, The Funk Brothers, members of the Temptations, Berry Gordy of Motown and many more.

Photo credit: Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library

VICTORIA SPIVEY

Born in Houston, Texas, Victoria Spivey moved to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1926, where she was signed by Okeh Records and recorded her first song, "Black Snake Blues" and later moved on to New York City. In 1961, she founded Spivey Records with Len Kunstadt utilizing her industry connections and expertise to attract a roster of talented musicians, featuring recordings by Big Joe Williams, Roosevelt Sykes, Lonnie Johnson and many more. Notably, a young Bob Dylan played harmonica on a 1962 session for the label. Known for high-quality production and authentic blues, Spivey Records left a lasting legacy of many recordings for record collectors and music lovers alike.

Photo credit: Michael Ochs Archives

SYLVIA ROBINSON

Sylvia Robinson co-founded Sugar Hill Records with her husband, Joe Robinson, in 1979. The label played a crucial role in the early development of hip-hop music, producing the first successful rap single, "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang, which introduced rap to a global audience and marked the beginning of commercial hip-hop. Under her leadership, Sugar Hill Records became a powerhouse in the industry, signing and producing landmark acts like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, whose single "The Message" is widely regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop songs of all time. Robinson's impact on the music industry was profound, earning her the title "Mother of Hip-Hop" due to her pivotal role in bringing rap music to the mainstream.

Our mission is to shed light on the often-overlooked narratives of black women who have blazed trails in the vinyl industry.

With enduring love,

BGLV

Sources:

  • Juanita Stinnette Chapelle, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juanita_Stinnette_Chappelle)

  • Wood, Rodger (published: 30 May 2013, updated: 8 May 2021). “JOHNSON, EVELYN JOYCE 1920–2005,” Texas State Historical Association. (https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/johnson-evelyn-joyce)

  • O’Donnell, Maureen (13 January 2019) “Barbara Proctor, pioneering ad woman whose success drew White House praise, dies,” Chicago Sun-Times (https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/1/13/18396801/barbara-proctor-pioneering-ad-woman-whose-success-drew-white-house-praise-dies)

  • Hillery, Louise (5 July 2018). “Vivian Carter: From Gary Roosevelt High School to Introducing The Beatles,” Indiana History Blog. (https://blog.history.in.gov/tag/ vivian-carter/)

  • Hillery, Louise. “Vivian Carter,” Hoosier Women. (http://www.louisehillery.com/ vivian-carter/)

  • Indiana Commission for Women, 2019 “Writing Her Story” (https://www.in.gov/icw/files/Carter,-Vivian.pdf)