Sussex

Sussex Records Inc. was an American, Los Angeles-based record label, founded by music executive and businessman Clarence Avant, that existed from 1969 through 1975. Its catalog is now controlled by Universal Music. History Sussex Records was launched in December 1969 by Avant, who had previously set up another mainly black music label, Venture Records for MGM. An offshoot of Buddah Records, initially it was located at 6430 W Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, at the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga Blvds. In 1972, it moved to 6255 W Sunset Blvd, Suite 1902. All records were distributed by Buddah Records until 1974, when Sussex switched to independent distribution until its closure. The company folded in July 1975, due to unpaid state and federal taxes amounting to $62,000: the Internal Revenue Service padlocked the offices and auctioned off all assets. Many of the label's master tapes disappeared and were presumed destroyed. Bill Withers was the label's best-selling artist with a string of pop and R&B hits and several successful albums. They included three million-selling singles, "Ain't No Sunshine" (#3 pop, #6 R&B, 1971), the label's only chart-topper, "Lean on Me" (#1 pop and #1 R&B, 1972) and "Use Me" (#2 pop and #2 R&B, 1972). His recordings, many self-written and produced, were later purchased by Columbia Records when Withers signed with the label in 1975. In 1971, the label notched another gold disc with the Detroit guitarist Dennis Coffey, who reached #6 on the pop chart and #9 on the R&B chart with "Scorpio". The Presidents had a hit for Sussex in 1970 with "5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years of Love)" (#5 R&B, #11 pop), produced by Van McCoy. The group from Washington D.C., had released the label's first single, "For You", a minor R&B hit, a few months earlier.