Label Guide: Hotlanta

Hotlanta was a subsidiary of GRC (General Recording Corporation), launched in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia. Hotlanta and its sister labels GRC and Aware were founded and owned by Michael Thevis, an associate of the Gambino crime family who was responsible for roughly 40 percent of the legal and black-market pornography distributed across the U.S., according to court files. The record labels were Thevis' response to an ongoing FBI investigation, establishing a handful of legitimate businesses as fronts for his illicit pursuits.

Regardless of Thevis' motivations for entering the music business, the Hotlanta label released quality soul music by artists such as Loleatta Holloway, Frederick Knight, King Hannibal and Sam Dees. In 1976 Thevis was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison for conspiracy to commit arson and distribution of obscene materials. GRC and its subsidiary labels were sold to Thevis' secretary Laverne Bowden.

Thevis made national headlines by escaping from prison in 1978, immediately earning a spot on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. Though the target of a manhunt, he quickly tracked down the prime witness in his case, killing him and an associate with a shotgun. In 1980 Thevis was convicted on murder charges, receiving a sentence of 28 years to life. (Michael Thevis biography)