THE GOLDEN ERA OF THE 50sby Opal Louis NationsThe Nashboro Record Company was set up by Ernest L. Young, a small-time real estate businessman, as an extension to his burgeoning retail and mail order operation at 177 Third Avenue North in Nashville. Young’s principal interest at first was gospel music, and its growing appeal was nurtured by John R. (Richbourg) who was paid by Young to spread the word over megawatt Nashville radio station WLAC.Shortly after Nashboro’s inception, Excello was created by Young and Richbourg to better serve gospel devotees in the southern states. Excello blossomed almost exclusively as a gospel label for four years before switching to rock, country and R&B with the aid of Jay Miller down in Crowley, La. During this short span of time, Young and Richbourg, with the help of Gene Nobles and the Rev. Dr. Morgan Babb who broadcast from out of Ernie’s Record Mart itself, created a gospel sound which was earthy, original and technically uncomplicated.Young and Richbourg launched the careers of The Famous Boyer Bros. from Winter Park, Florida whose Step By Step (Excello’s initial release) did well enough to encourage further exploration. Richbourg himself auditioned and took part in taping some of the early gospel artists at WLAC. Excello signed hard-singing quartets such as The Silvertone Singers, an exciting aggregation who had recorded for Mercury in New Orleans, and The Sons of the South (aka Southern Sons) with whom Jimmy Jones, the great basso profundo, shared mikes.The juvenile Candi Staton and The Jewel Gospel-Aires waxed for Excello. Staton is currently on the bestseller gospel charts. Artists less commercially successful yet equally talented include the Waldo and Hendrix Singers. The Young Gospel Singers, from whom the Waldos came, cut for Mercury and RCA before coming to Excello. The Sermonairs made one Excello single, then faded into oblivion.The fascinating and wonderfully eccentric Bro. (Rev.) Henry Edwards, who helped many of the aforementioned artists by organizing concerts for local church folk, is included. Sadly, only one single was ever issued by Edwards who is remembered in Nashville today as an extraordinary cook.The Excello Gospel Collection is a first-ever reissue package of great musical and historical significance and should fit nicely alongside other previously reissued Excello 1950s collections from other genres.