D-Town Recording Studios
Mike Hanks set up D-Town records as a competitor to the more popular Motown Records which was just down a couple of blocks on Grand Boulevard. Operating the label and a studio out of his house on Grand Blvd., Hanks also operated a studio on the corner of McGraw and Lawton, a couple of blocks south of the Motown studio. Nicknamed "The Pig Pen", the McGraw studio burnt down in the 1980's but by which time the studio had long disappeared.
D-Town never gained the notoriety of Motown but did succeed in producing a number of hits for Lee Rogers, The Fantastic Four, Jr. Walker, Johnny West, Gladys Knight, Jimmy Ruffin, Ronny Love, D. Edwards and a handful of gospel groups. Labels included Spin, Star Maker, Soul, Spartan, MRC, Exit, and Serock in addition to D-Town.
Hanks was instrumental in the development and promotion of the Golden Room at The Twenty Grand. Ironically, he was killed in front of the Twenty Grand ballroom in 1970.
D-Town never gained the notoriety of Motown but did succeed in producing a number of hits for Lee Rogers, The Fantastic Four, Jr. Walker, Johnny West, Gladys Knight, Jimmy Ruffin, Ronny Love, D. Edwards and a handful of gospel groups. Labels included Spin, Star Maker, Soul, Spartan, MRC, Exit, and Serock in addition to D-Town.
Hanks was instrumental in the development and promotion of the Golden Room at The Twenty Grand. Ironically, he was killed in front of the Twenty Grand ballroom in 1970.
