Music
Station:
HBO (US)
Status:
Running
Start:
2024-05-20
Rating:
0/10 from 0 users
STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. tells the story of an underdog record label comprised of Black and white collaborators who ushered in the groundbreaking, industry-altering soul music of Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, The Staple Singers, Sam & Dave and many others that defined a generation. Driven by instinct and defying the notion that Black artists needed to be "made marketable," the Memphis-based label went from ultimate outsider to one of the most influential producers of Black music – finding its place inside the broader mainstream record industry. Stax became more than a record label; it transformed into a beacon of Black freedom. It is a quintessentially American story of an audacious group of individuals who dared to make their own music on their own terms creating an institution that has continued to help define our culture long after the label itself has gone.
There is no Next Episode of STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. planned.
S1E2 - Soul Man
Though Stax gains headway in the white market, Otis Redding's death and intensifying racial tensions in Memphis reveal signs of trouble.
Air Date: 20 May 2024 21:00 (CDT)
S1E3 - Respect Yourself
Despite severe business setbacks, Stax Records rises again with Isaac Hayes's Oscar and Grammy winning work for 1971 smash hit Shaft.
Air Date: 21 May 2024 20:00 (CDT)
S1E4 - Nothing Takes the Place of You
By the 1970s, a booming Stax expands to Los Angeles and gives back to the Black community with the benefit concert Wattstax. But when their bank goes under and the company faces other legal setbacks; Stax prepare to shutter its doors.
Air Date: 21 May 2024 21:00 (CDT)