The story of R&B, gospel, and early rock were embellished by many performers, artists, and personalities. The early influencers behind the scenes also included people like Art Rupe, a native of Pittsburg who lept into the entertainment industry with both feet after the Second World War, co-founding a small West Coast label called Juke Box Records in 1944. Breaking away from his partners, he would later form a label of his own: Specialty Records. His keen ear for what he termed the “secret [that] lay in a big band sound with a churchy feel” was spot on. Specifically, he took the stigma out of the ‘race’ of ‘race records’ of the day and targeted larger audiences. There were dozens of performers that came from the Specialty stable, chief among them being Roy Milton, Percy Mayfield, Sam Cooke and, of course, Little Richard Penniman. Art Rupe passed away this month at the age of 104 and we’ll be sharing the early-to-mid-century classic pieces from a cross-section of Specialty performers that spanned the gospel, R&B and rock genres that Art helped bring into the mainstream.

No.	Artist	Title	Album	Buy
1	Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers	Little Joe's Boogie	Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers
2	Roy Milton & His Solid Senders	R.M. Blues	Specialty Profiles: Roy Milton
3	Camille Howard	You Don't Love Me	The Specialty Story
4	Paul Gayten	My Rough And Ready Man	R&B Outbreak CD 2
5	Percy Mayfield	Strange Things Happening	Poet of the Blues
6	Percy Mayfield	Please Send Me Someone To Love	Blues Masters Vol. 3: Texas Blues
7	Joe Liggins	One Sweet Letter	Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers
8	Lloyd Price	Lawdy Miss Clawdy	Sound Of The City, The – New Orleans [UK] Disc 1
9	Marvin & Johnny	Wine Woogie	The Rough And Rowdy Roots Of Rock 'n' Roll, Vol. 5
10	Jesse & Marvin	Dream Girl	Specialty Profiles: Larry Williams
11	Joe Houston Orchestra	All Night Long	Loud, Fast & Out of Control: The Wild Sounds of the '50s [Box] Disc 4
12	Marvin Phillips	Mamo Mamo (Specialty 554)	R&B Humdingers Volume 12
13	Tony Allen & the Champs	Nite Owl	Doo Wop Box, Vol. 3: 101 More Vocal Group Gems from the Golden Age of Rock-N-Roll Disc 2
14	Little Richard	Keep A Knockin' (ART RUPE)	The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection
15	Little Richard	Tutti Frutti	The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection
16	Don & Dewey	Farmer John	Jungle Hop
17	Larry Williams	Short Fat Fannie	The Rock 'N' Roll Era: 1957
18	Larry Williams	Bony Maronie	Loud, Fast & Out of Control: The Wild Sounds of the '50s [Box] Disc 2
19	Larry Williams	Dizzy Miss Lizzy [Album Version]	Specialty Profiles: Larry Williams
20	Art Neville	That Old Time Rock And Roll	His Specialty Recordings
21	Art Neville	Belle Amie	His Specialty Recordings
22	Hollywood Flames	Buzz Buzz Buzz	Doo Wop Box Disc 2
23	Don & Dewey	Koko Joe	Jungle Hop
24	The Original Gospel Harmonettes	Get Away Jordan	Good News (Vol 3) Get Away Jordan
25	Dorothy Love Coates & The Original Gospel Harmonettes	Love Lifted Me	Nuggets Of The Golden Age Of Gospel, 1945-1958
26	Sam Cooke And The Soul Stirrers	He's So Wonderful	The Complete Specialty Recordings [Disc 3]
27	Sam Cooke, The Soul Stirrers	Come and Go To That Land	101 Great Black Gospel, Vol. 1
28	Swan Silvertones	Trouble In My Way	Gospel Music
29	Clifton Chenier	Eh, Petite Fille	Bayou Blues
30	Clifton Chenier	Boppin' The Rock	Bayou Blues
31	Frankie Lee Sims	Lucy Mae Blues	Blues Masters Vol. 3: Texas Blues
32	John Lee Hooker	My Baby's Got Something	No Friend Around
33	Little Richard	Shake A Hand	The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection
34	Professor Alex Bradford	What Folks Say About Me	The Great Gospel Men: 27 Classic Performances By The Greatest Gospel Men
35	Brother Joe May	Testimony	The Great Gospel Men: 27 Classic Performances By The Greatest Gospel Men