Syd Nathan (1904-1968) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to a Jewish family. Biographers often note that he suffered from poor eyesight and health complications most of his life. He dropped out of high school and began a series of short-term jobs, including one at a record shop. Nathan opened his own record store during World War II, and, after having trouble in obtaining discs from major labels, began manufacturing discs.

The first King record was released in November 1943 and Nathan incorporated the music label King Records in 1944. King Records included multiple divisions (including Queen, Federal, De Luxe and Bethlehem records) and released material until 1975. It became one of the first and largest independent record labels in the United States. It was also one of the few to have a racially integrated workforce. The King Records headquarters building was located at 1540 Brewster Avenue in Cincinnati's Evanston neighborhood. It housed a record-pressing plant (created in 1944), recording studios, marketing offices, and other departments, which meant that it was one of the few vertically integrated recording companies able to make a record from start to finish under one roof. Starting with country music in the 1940s, King Records expanded to record a variety of musical styles including blues, rhythm and blues, gospel, bluegrass, and more. Several local artists, including Otis Williams and Bootsy Collins, also recorded at King. According to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, "His greatest claim to fame was his association with James Brown, including the groundbreaking album Live at the Apollo."

Nathan died in 1968 in Miami, Florida. He was inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. The citation for the award states, "In the process of working with Black R&B and white country artists, Nathan helped effect a cross-pollination of the two worlds, thereby helping lay the groundwork for the musical hybrid known as rock and roll." The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum inducted him in 2006. The King Records building in Evanston still stands.

Citations: - Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum. "Sydney 'Syd' Nathan." Accessed March 10, 2023 from https://www.bluegrasshall.org/inductees/sydney-syd-nathan/ - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "Syd Nathan." Accessed March 10, 2023 from https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/syd-nathan. -“This is your Life…Sydney Nathan: King of King” (1968). Box 1, Folder 2, MS-017 Halper Family King Studios Photograph collection, University Archives and Special Collections, Xavier University Library, Cincinnati, Ohio - Swartsell, Nick. “What does a National Historic designation do for the King Records site?” September 23, 2002. WVXU news. Accessed March 10, 2023 from https://www.wvxu.org/local-news/2022-09-23/what-does-national-historic-designation-do-king-records.