The History of STAX RECORDS

nytimes.com — Stax, eventually owned by the marketing innovator Al Bell, gave birth to the Memphis Sound — a funkier, less refined analogue to Detroit soul — and some of the most influential recordings of the 1960s: “Soul Man,” “Respect” (written by Redding), “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay” and “Who’s Making Love?,” among many others.