Vintage Record Label of the Week - Rodheaver Record Company

If you are interested in the history of gospel music, you might have come across the name of Homer Rodeheaver, a trombonist and composer who was one of the pioneers of this genre in the early 20th century. Personally, I was not familiar with him at all until a number of his records and songs came into my possession.

A lot of them.

Label	Song	Artist	Year
Brunswick	Shall We Gather At the River	Homer Rodeheaver	1925
Brunswick	Mothers Prayers Have Followed Me	Homer Rodeheaver	1925
Columbia	Mothers Prayers have Followed Me	Homer A Rodeheaver	1916
Columbia	Since Jesus Came Into My Heart	Homer A Rodeheaver	1916
Columbia	Somebody Cares	Homer A Rodeheaver	1917
Columbia	Rainbow on the Cloud	Homer A Rodeheaver	1917
Columbia	Since Jesus Came Into My Heart	Homer A ROdeheaver	1917
Columbia	Mothers Prayers Have Followed Me	Homer A ROdeheaver	1917
Columbia	In The Garden	Homer Rodeheaver	1918
Columbia	In The Garden	Virginia Asher and Homor A Rodeheaver	1919
Columbia	When I Look In His Face	Virginia Asher and Homer A ROdeheaver	1920
Columbia	Still Undecided	Virginia Asher and Homer A Rodeheaver	1920
Columbia	When I Look in HIs Face	Homer A Rodeheaver	1920
Columbia	Still Undecided	Virginia Asher and Homor A Rodeheaver	1920
Columbia	When I Look in his Face	Virginia Asher and Homor A Rodeheaver	1920
Columbia	Still Undecided	Virginia Asher and Homer A Rodeheaver	1920
Rainbow	Lifes Railway to Heaven	Homer ROdeheaver with Orchestra	1921
Rainbow	Carry Your Cross WIth A Smile	Homer ROdeheaver with Orchestra	1921
Rainbow	Carry Your Cross WIth A Smile	Homer ROdeheaver with Orchestra	1921
Rainbow	Lifes Railway to Heaven	Homer ROdeheaver with Orchestra	1921
Rainbow	Only the Childlike	Homer Rodeheaver and John Young	1922
Rainbow	God Will Take Care Of You	Homer Rodeheaver	1922
Rainbow	The SLightest Stranger	Mrs Asher and Homer Rodeheaver	1922
Rainbow	CHrist Died	Homer Rodeheaver	1922
Rainbow	Jesus Loves You	Homer Rodeheaver	1923
Rainbow	Somebody Cares	Homer Rodeheaver	1923
Rainbow	KeepOn Singing	Homer Rodeheaver	1923
Rainbow	A Song of Triumph	Homer Rodeheaver	1923
Rainbow	No Disappointment in Heaven	Mrs Asher and Homer Rodeheaver	1923
Rainbow	Take Up Thy Cross	Mrs Asher and Homer Rodeheaver	1923
Rainbow	Glorious City	Homer Rodeheaver	1924
Rainbow	Does Jesus Care	Homer Rodeheaver	1924
Silvertone	Since Jesus Came Into My Heart	Homer Rodeheaver	0
Silvertone	I Love to Tell the Story	Homer Rodeheaver	0
Silvertone	Lily of the Valley	Homer Rodeheaver	0
Silvertone	Can The World See Jesus In You	Homer Rodeheaver	0
Victor	De Brewers Big Hosses	Homer Rodeheaver	1913
Victor	MOthers Prayers Have Followed Me	Homer Rodeheaver	1913
Victor	The Great Judgement Morning	Homer Rodeheaver	1913
Victor	An Evening Prayer	Homer Rodeheaver	1913
Victor	The Old Fashioned Faith	Homer Rodeheaver	1913
Victor	De Brewers Big Hosses	Homer Rodeheaver	1913
Victor	How Sweet Is His Love	Homer Rodeheaver	1913
Victor	The Old Fashioned Faith	Homer Rodeheaver	1913
Victor	Brighten the Corner Where You Are	Homer Rodeheaver	1915
Victor	I Am Coming Home	Homer Rodeheaver	1915
Victor	He Knows the Way	Homer Rodeheaver	1915
Victor	He Knows the Way	Homer Rodeheaver	1915
Victor	I Am Coming Home	Homer Rodeheaver	1915
Victor	Sweeter as the Years Go By	Homer Rodeheaver	1915
Victor	I Walk With the King	Homer Rodeheaver	1915
Victor	Sweeter As the Years Go By	Homer Rodeheaver	1915
Victor	Since Jesus Came Into My Heart	Homer Rodeheaver	1915
Victor	Sweeter as the Years Go By	Homer Rodeheaver	1915
Victor	Since Jesus Came Into My Heart	Homer Rodeheaver	1915
Victor	Since Jesus Came into My Heart	Homer Rodeheaver	1915
Victor	Molly and the Baby Dont You Know	Homer Rodeheaver	1916
Victor	When THe World Forgets	Homer Rodeheaver	1916
Victor	In the Garden	Mrs Wm Asher Homer Rodeheaver	1916
Victor	In the Garden	Mrs Wm Asher Homer Rodeheaver	1916
Victor	My Wonderful Dream	Homer Rodeheaver	1916
Victor	My Wonderful Dream	Homer Rodeheaver	1916
Victor	Molly and the Baby Dont You Know	Homer Rodeheaver	1916
Victor	My Wonderful Dream	Homer Rodeheaver	1916
Victor	When The World Forgets	Homer Rodeheaver	1916
Victor	Molly and the Baby Dont You KNow	Homer Rodeheaver	1916
Victor	Drifting	HomerRodeheaver George Brewster	1917
Victor	Tell It ToDay	Homer Rodeheaver	1917
Victor	Make Somebody Happy Today	Homer Rodeheaver	1917
Victor	Make Somebody Happy Today	Homer Rodeheaver	1917
Victor	Closer to Jesus	Homer Rodeheaver George Brewster	1917
Victor	Tell It ToDay	Homer Rodeheaver	1917
Victor	Tell It Today	Homer Rodeheaver	1917
Victor	Make Somebody Happy ToDay	Homer Rodeheaver	1917
Victor	All the Way to Calvary	Homer Rodeheaver	1920
Victor	All the Way to Calvary	Homer Rodeheaver	1920
Victor	Where the Gates Swing Outward Never	Mrs William Asher Homer Rodeheaver	1920
Victor	Forgive Me Lord	Homer Rodeheaver	1920
Victor	Where the Gates Swing Outward Never	Mrs William Asher Homer Rodeheaver	1920
Victor	Tell Me the Story of Jesus	Homer Rodeheaver	1920
Victor	Carry Your Cross with a Smile	Homer Rodeheaver	1920
Victor	Old Rugged Cross	Mrs William Asher Homer Rodeheaver	1920
Victor	Forgive Me Lord	Homer Rodeheaver	1920
Victor	Old Rugged Cross	Mrs William Asher Homer Rodeheaver	1920
Victor	Forgive Me Lord	Homer Rodeheaver	1920
Victor	Old Rugged Cross	Mrs William Asher Homer Rodeheaver	1920
Victor	The Old Rugged Cross	Mrs William Asher Homer Rodeheaver	1926
Victor	Forgive Me Lord	Homer Rodeheaver	1926
Victor	When I Look in His Face	Mrs William Asher Homer Rodeheaver	1926
Victor	Calling Thee	Mrs William Asher Homer Rodeheaver	1926

I became curious.

Homer Rodeheaver was a gospel singer who worked with evangelist Billy Sunday in the early 20th century. He was known for his booming voice and his use of trombone as a musical instrument.

Rainbow Records was established in 1920 by Rodeheaver, who wanted to produce and distribute recordings of Christian gospel music, hymns, and spirituals. He had gained popularity while travelling with Billy Sunday and began to record his songs to sell as records. He was one of the first gospel singers to use radio and film as media for spreading his message. He also wrote many songs himself, such as "The Old Rugged Cross" and "Since Jesus Came Into My Heart".

Rainbow Records was based in Chicago, Illinois, and later moved to Winona Lake, Indiana, where Rodeheaver had his headquarters. The label featured recordings by Rodeheaver himself, as well as other singers and groups that he worked with or promoted, such as Virginia Asher, Charles Alexander, Homer Hallman Quartet, and The Gospel Singers. Rainbow Records also recorded some secular music, such as jazz and blues, but its main focus was on gospel.

Rainbow Records were standard lateral-cut "78" double-sided disc records. The audio quality was not very high, as they were all acoustically recorded. Some of them seem to have been recorded and pressed by Gennett Records, another independent label that operated in Indiana. Rainbow Records lasted until 1955, when Rodeheaver retired from the music business.

Rainbow Records is an important part of the history of gospel music, as it captured some of the earliest and most influential recordings of this genre. It also reflects the vision and passion of Homer Rodeheaver, who dedicated his life to spreading the gospel through music.

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Previous Record Labels:

• Homokord
• Cairophone
• Vocalion
• Apollo
• Madison
• Cameo
• Grey Gull

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(c) All images and photographs, unless otherwise specified, are created and owned by me.
(c) Victor Wiebe

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