Art Rupe, a record mogul who helped discover Little Richard and Sam Cooke and whose independent Specialty label became a force in early rock, soul, and gospel music, died on April 15 at his home in Santa Barbara, Calif. He was 104 years old.
The Arthur N. Rupe Foundation confirmed his death. The cause of death was not revealed.
In 1939, he set out for Los Angeles to earn his fortune in the film industry. After that failed, he turned to music. His first attempt at recording pop records failed due to his inability to compete with the major labels’ advertising and distribution systems.
Subsequently, he chose to concentrate on “race music,” which was the phrase for rhythm-and-blues and gospel at the time. It was a market that the major labels mainly ignored “the crumbs off the table of the recording industry,” as he put it.
In 1970, Specialty Records was reactivated as a reissue label, and it was sold to Fantasy Records 20 years later. The catalogue is presently owned by Concord Music. In 2011, Mr Rupe was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Mr Rupe was married three times. His survivors include a daughter, Beverly Rupe Schwartz and a granddaughter.