WMNR Fine Arts Radio

At the beginning of the rock era independent record labels emerged as powerhouses of pop, rock, and R&B. Cameo-Parkway was among the biggest.

American Jukebox® 195: The Cameo-Parkway Story - In the history of recorded music there are many record labels that have had their time in the sun as leaders in the industry. This goes back for a hundred years to labels such as Edison and Victor and then Decca and Columbia. In the 1950’s, at the dawn of the rock era, a few new record labels took root and defined the times. They were small and independent but grew mighty and influential. The artists they signed provide the soundtrack of a generation - the Baby Boom generation.

One such label that shone brightly in the early years was Cameo Records, and then with its subsidiary, Parkway, as Cameo-Parkway. From 1957-1967 Cameo-Parkway’s product output was tremendous. With many many big hits and their fair share of mistakes, like not signing Barbra Streisand, Cameo-Parkway remains the sound of '60s teenagers learning all the new dances and defining their likes on the radio and jukeboxes. This is the story of Cameo-Parkway.