Updating...BSW Records Celebrates 20 Memorable Years
25 May 2007Fiercely independent records label BSW Records will celebrate it’s 20th anniversary, June 12, 2007. The past 20 years have been an incredible odyssey from its humble beginnings to its powerhouse operations and multiple successes in the music and entertainment industry.
What began in 1987 as a casual conversation between three friends in a Texas tavern has evolved into one of the world’s leading independent records labels. The records label derives its name from the first letter of the last name of the three friends - Ron Bates, Ralph Sacrau and Frank Willson. When Bates and Sacrau later left the company to pursue other interests, Willson became and remains as BSW Records’ sole owner, president and chief executive officer.
A full-service company, BSW Records and its component divisions operate under the leadership and control of its president. The company’s structure includes Music Production Recording, Artist Development/Management, A&R Department and Worldwide Distribution/Leasing, all directly under the record label’s management.
BSW Records superior CD albums and live performances at national and international venues by some of its most outstanding artists attracted and riveted the attention of other movers and shakers in the music entertainment industry. Additionally, the company’s used its vast worldwide distribution system to distribute albums and promotional materials for artists who were not recorded on the BSW Records label.
A classic example of BSW Records’ attention to working with outstanding artists, is its very first performing and recording artist - Candee Land of Seguin, Texas. she has performed with Roy Clark, Ronnie Milsap, Dwight Yoakum, Clint Black and Willie Nelson, among others, and has recorded with Johnny Bush. She has performed at many venues in the United States, toured Europe repeatedly, recorded two highly successful CD Albums, and has received numerous awards and Grammy nominations.
Moving boldly into the 21st century and new millennium, BSW Records continued its steady growth and successful productions. Among highlight accomplishments early on in the new decade, on May 7, 2001 it released the Tennessee Fat Cats “Heavy Duty” CD album. Formerly known as the world famous “Nashville Cats”, they stand tall among the creme de la creme of country music groups.
Later that same month, on May 26, 2001, the West Texas Music Hall of Fame presented Larry Butler, one of BSW Records recording artists, with the coveted “2000 Entertainer of the Year” award. A Texas-size reason for the award was the Larry Butler/Willie Nelson “Memories of Hank Williams Sr.” CD album released in 2000 on the BSW Records label. The album was an instant success, racking up phenomenal airplay time on radio stations around the world and enjoying tremendous sales. Still later that year, in September, another stellar success was achieved when the company released the Butler/Nelson album “Memories of Hank Williams Sr.- Volume 2.”
