King of Them All: The Story of King Records
PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):
Friday, Oct. 10, at 9 PM
Saturday, Oct. 11, at 2 AM
Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):
Saturday, Oct. 11, at 1:30 PM
King of Them All tells the untold story of King Records, the underdog label that transformed American music. Founded in the 1940s by Syd Nathan, King pioneered an “all under one roof” model where songs could be recorded, pressed, and shipped in days. That daring approach produced music that reshaped entire genres: James Brown’s explosive soul, Little Willie John’s velvet R&B, Hank Ballard’s rock ’n’ roll, and the Stanley Brothers’ high-lonesome bluegrass. The film plays like a listening session with history. Rare reels pulled from archives, private collections, and evocative imagery immerse viewers in the sights and sounds of a changing America. Candid reflections from Seymour Stein, alongside artists Vince Gill and Christian McBride, connect King’s legacy to the present, track by track, showing how its catalog continues to influence music today. More than music history, King of Them All restores King Records to its rightful place — a community of rule-breakers and innovators who left behind a soundtrack that still reverberates across generations.
