Alligator Records

Alligator Records
Founded	1971
Founder	Bruce Iglauer
Genre	blues
Country of origin	United States
Location	Chicago, Illinois
Official website	www.alligator.com

Alligator Records is an American, Chicago-based independent blues record label, founded by Bruce Iglauer in 1971.^[1] Iglauer was also one of the founders of the Living Blues magazine in Chicago in 1970.

Iglauer started the label with his own savings to record and produce his favorite band Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers,^[2] whom his employer, Bob Koester of Delmark Records, declined to record. Nine months after the release of the first album, he stopped working at Delmark Records to concentrate fully on the band and his label.^[3] Only 1,000 copies of the Taylor's debut album were made, whilst Iglauer also took over managing the group. Other early releases for the fledgling label included recordings by Big Walter Horton with Carey Bell and Fenton Robinson. In 1976, Koko Taylor's I Got What It Takes was nominated for a Grammy Award, and Albert Collins soon signed to the label. Iglauer mainly acted as the label's executive producer.^[4]

In 1982, the label won its first Grammy Award for the album, I'm Here, by Clifton Chenier. The second Grammy came in 1985 for Showdown! by Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, and Robert Cray. In 1991, a 20th anniversary compilation album was issued.^[4]

Since its founding, Alligator Records has released over 250 blues and blues/rock albums, as well as a now-defunct reggae series. Present and past Alligator artists include Marcia Ball, Koko Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Eddy Clearwater, Sam Lay, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Roomful of Blues, Eric Lindell, JJ Grey & MOFRO, Lee Rocker, Cephas & Wiggins, and Michael Burks. More recently, veterans Charlie Musselwhite and James Cotton have re-signed to the label.

Alligator celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2011 and noted that it returned a profit for the previous year.^[5]

Current

• Marcia Ball
• Selwyn Birchwood
• Elvin Bishop^[6]
• Buckwheat Zydeco^[3]
• Toronzo Cannon
• Tommy Castro^[3]
• Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater
• Shemekia Copeland
• James Cotton
• Jesse Dee
• Rick Estrin & The Nightcats
• Guitar Shorty
• The Holmes Brothers
• The Kentucky Headhunters
• Lil' Ed and The Blues Imperials
• Moreland & Arbuckle
• Anders Osborne
• Roomful of Blues
• Curtis Salgado
• Jarekus Singleton
• Joe Louis Walker

Past

Gaye Adegbalola Luther Allison[3] Carey Bell[4] Billy Boy Arnold Lonnie Brooks[4] Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown Roy Buchanan[4] Michael Burks Cephas & Wiggins Little Charlie & the Nightcats Clifton Chenier[4] William Clarke Albert Collins[4] Johnny Copeland[4]

Robert Cray[4] Tinsley Ellis[7] JJ Grey & Mofro Buddy Guy Corey Harris Joe Higgs Dave Hole Big Walter Horton[4] Long John Hunter Smokin' Joe Kubek Sam Lay Lazy Lester Eric Lindell Lonnie Mack[4] Janiva Magness Charlie Musselwhite

Kenny Neal[4] Professor Longhair[4] Fenton Robinson[3] Otis Rush Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women Son Seals The Siegel-Schwall Band Hound Dog Taylor[3] Koko Taylor[4] Sonny Terry Rufus Thomas Maurice John Vaughan[4] Johnny Winter[3]

See also

• List of record labels
• Chicago record labels
• Mutabaruka

References

1. Trakin, Roy Alligator Records Founder Bruce Iglauer to Receive A2IM Lifetime Achievement Award Hollywood Reporter. August 4, 2015
2. "Past Honorees - Chicago". Chicagomag.com. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
3. "Alligator Records Albums of the Month". Blues.about.com. 2012-04-09. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
4. "Alligator Records : Encyclopedia of Popular Music Oxford Reference". Oxfordreference.com. 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
5. Howard Reich (2011-10-11). "Alligator Records celebrates 40th anniversary at SPACE - Chicago Tribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
6. Emerson, Dan Lowertown Blues Festival takes over Mears Park on Saturday Twin Cities Pioneer-Press. August 4, 2015
7. Dickens, Tad Tinsley Ellis helps Blue Ridge Blues Blues & BBQ Festival celebrate 10 years Roanoke Times, August 4, 2015

External links

• Official website