The Aristocrat Record Corporation

U.S. record company, launched on April 10, 1947 by husband-and-wife Charles and Evelyn Aron, in partnership with Fred and Mildred Brount and Art Spiegel. Leonard Chess, a Chicago bar owner, joined the staff in September 1947, initially as a member of the sales staff. Chess invested aggressively in the company, and by the late 1940s had bought out all of the parters except the Arons. Phil Chess also invested in the company, although he was not directly involved in company operations initially. When the Arons separated in 1948, Phil Chess and Evelyn Aron ran the company. The Chess brothers acquired Evelyn Aron's remaining interest in Aristocrat in May, 1950 and became the company's sole owners. One month later, the company was reorganized as Chess Record Corp.. The early Aristocrat catalog was a mixed bag of pop, novelty, jazz and rhythm-and-blues. Sammy Goldberg, a talent scout, was responsible for signing many artists in the latter category, including Jump Jackson And His Orchestra, Andrew Tibbs, Clarence Samuels and Sunnyland Slim, who in turn recruited Muddy Waters. Due in part to Waters popularity and Leonard Chess' increasing control of the company, Aristocrat began to establish itself as an emerging contender in the rhythm-and-blues market.