With humble beginnings in Memphis, TN in the late 1950s, Stax Records quickly becomes one of the most influential record labels on the Black music scene, breaking out iconic artists including Sam & Dave, Booker T. & the MG’s, and Otis Redding. With growing popularity in the Black market, Stax executives and musicians were determined to transcend racial divides and bring their music into the American mainstream.

Stax Records finally breaks through to the white market, with their crossover hit “Soul Man” and Otis Redding’s performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. But Redding’s untimely death, the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., legal obstacles, and ongoing racial tensions in Memphis reveal cracks in the surface at the company.

After the tragic death of Otis Redding and the Atlantic Records merger that left Stax in the dust, Stax promotions director Al Bell steps up to save the company, releasing hit records such as “Soul Limbo” and “Who’s Making Love?.” Stax puts their efforts behind Isaac Hayes, who receives GRAMMY® and Oscar® awards for his work composing the music and theme song for the 1971 box office smash hit “Shaft.”

By the 1970s, Stax is in its prime and decides to give back to the Black community in Los Angeles, CA by putting on the Wattstax benefit concert in 1972 and recording the event as a documentary. However, not long after, money troubles plague the company when their bank goes under and drags Stax down with them, forcing the company to shutter its doors.