In this latest of his series on independent record companies, Mike Homel explores Chicago’s Vee-Jay Records. Like Detroit’s Motown, which came later, Vee-Jay was a black-owned business. However, Vee-Jay differed from Motown, and from the Windy City’s larger Chess Records, in important ways. First, Vee-Jay had more variety, recording major performers in pop music (Jerry Butler, Betty Everett, Dee Clark), doo wop (Spaniels, El Dorados), blues (Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker), gospel (Staples Singers, Swan Silvertones), and jazz (Eddie Harris). Second, Vee-Jay briefly scored with major white acts – the Beatles and the Four Seasons. But mighty sales require business acumen, and Vee-Jay’s financial mistakes sunk the company at the peak of its popularity.