Vee-Jay Records was founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken (later that year, Mr. & Mrs. Bracken), who used their first initials for the label s name. The first song they ever recorded made it to the top ten of the national rhythm & blues charts. In a short time, Vee-Jay was the most successful black-owned record company in the United States. By 1963, they were charting records faster than some of the major labels. Vee-Jay were the first U.S. Company to have the Beatles and, in one month alone, in early 1964, they sold 2.6 million Beatles singles. Two years later, the company was bankrupt. This is the story of the rise and fall of a black music dynasty and the rare soul legacy they left behind that changed the sound of Chicago and brought soul music to the world.