Hickory Records

Also appears as "Hickory Records Inc." (since ca. '62) or "Hickory" only (since ca. '64).
For unofficial releases, see [l=Hickory Records (3)].
US label based in Nashville, Tennessee, and formed by [a=Roy Acuff] and his partner in the [l=Acuff Rose Music] publishing firm [a=Fred Rose] around 1955.
Its biggest stars included [a=The Newbeats], [a=Sue Thompson], [a=Don Gibson], [a=Donovan] and [a=Frank Ifield]. Acuff himself recorded on the label from time to time and his son [a=Roy Acuff Jr.] was signed to the label. Hickory was an independent label in spite of distribution agreements with [l=MGM Records] (1972-76?), [l=ABC Records] (1977-79) and [l=MCA Records] (1979-80). Acuff-Rose Music was sold to Gaylord Broadcasting, owners of the Grand Ole Opry in 1985; it was sold to [l=Sony/ATV Music] in the late 1990s