Fountain Records

1970s-1980s soul label from Chicago, Illinois, founded by Jerry Butler and Calvin Carter. The label had a distribution deal with Stax. Fountain started in 1971 and acted as a recording arm for some of the talent that came through Butler's Songwriters Workshop. The label issued sides on Enchantment, Jackie Ross and Billy Butler & Infinity before closing down in '73 and the workshop ended in ‘78. Butler decided to reactivate the label in between ’79-’80 because a lot of companies were vanishing from that area. Heading up the firm from 1980 onwards were Rodney Massey, general manager; Lawrence Hanks, A&R; James Hudson, sales manager; LeRoy O'Connor, product manager; and Joseph Washington, national promotion manager. The company issued its first single in April, 1980 on the group Omni (2) entitled "Don't Be Selfish”. Other acts on the Fountain label are veteran Dee Clark and Connee Draper. Fountain was later handled by Re -United Record Distributors in Chicago. A.H.