Revetta Sloan was the Wife of Chess Records Leonard Chess. Revetta’s husband Leonard was influential in the development of electric blues, Chicago blues, and rock and roll. The Polish-American record company executive was the co-founder of Chess Records. His label went on to become the home to some of the biggest names in blues, soul, and rock and roll, including Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, and Etta James. He was also a pioneer in marketing and promotion and even opened his nightclub in Chicago.
Revetta Sloan: Bio Summary
| Full name | Revetta Sloan |
| Famous as | 64 at the time of death |
| Date Of Birth | 1919 |
| Place of Birth | Illinois, United States of America |
| Age | 64 at time of death |
| Date of death | 1983 |
| Place of Death | California |
| Husband | Leonard Chess Abner Bernard Spector |
| Children | 3 Children – son Marshall and two daughters, Elaine and Susie |
Who was Leonard Chess’s wife?
Revetta Sloan was born in 1919 in Illinois, United States of America, however, the exact date and month of her birth remains unknown. Revetta was the daughter of two sharecroppers- Ben Sloan and Ida Sloan. She was not the only child of her parents, she had a brother whose name was Burt Saul Sloan. Per Albertochueca, she was the youngest of nine children. Just like her famous husband Revetta was a Jew.
Revetta Sloan got married to Leonard Chess in 1941; the couple went on to have three children: a son Marshall and two daughters, Elaine and Susie. The family moved to Chicago, Illinois, and opened a nightclub called the Macomba Lounge. Revetta had a passion for music and used her business acumen to help Leonard manage the family business.
On October 16, 1969, a few months after selling his namesake label to General Recorded Tape, Revetta’s husband Leonard Chess died of a heart attack. She later got married again to Abner Bernard Spector. Revetta passed away in 1983, at age 64 in California, United States of America.
All you need to Know about Revetta Sloan’s Husband Leonard Chess
In 1938, Revetta Sloan’s Husband, Leonard, and his brother Phil were active in the black nightclub scene on Chicago’s South Side, opening a string of jazz clubs that culminated in the Macomba Lounge. Leonard started involved with Aristocrat Records in 1947, gradually expanding his stake in the firm until he and Phil had total control.
With performers like Muddy Waters, the Chess brothers steered the firm away from black pop, jazz, and other genres and toward down-home blues music.
Chess Records was renamed by the Chess brothers in 1950. The initial releases on the new label included Gene Ammons’ “My Foolish Heart,” Muddy Waters’ “Rollin’ Stone,” and Jimmy Rogers’ “That’s All Right.” Leonard Chess played bass drum on one of Muddy Waters’ sessions in 1951.
Revetta Sloan’s Husband approached Sun Records’ Sam Phillips for assistance in finding and recording new musicians from the South. Phillips provided recordings from Howlin’ Wolf, Rufus Thomas, and Doctor Ross, among others, to Chess. Howlin’ Wolf, in particular, became extremely famous, and Chess Records had to compete for him with other labels that had also received Wolf recordings from Phillips.
Other notable performers, including Bo Diddley and Sonny Boy Williamson, also signed with Chess Records, while Willie Dixon and Robert Lockwood Jr. played key roles behind the scenes.
ALSO, READ; Artis Mills: Everything About Etta James’ husband
Chess Records’ commercial success grew in the 1950s with artists like Little Walter, The Moonglows, The Flamingos, and Chuck Berry, and in the 1960s with artists like Etta James, Fontella Bass, Koko Taylor, Little Milton, Laura Lee, and Tommy Tucker, as well as the subsidiary labels Checker, Argo, and Cadet.
Chess’s music career extended out into various genres as the 1960s proceeded, including gospel, traditional jazz, spoken word, comedy, and more. Chess got into the broadcasting industry in the early 1960s as a co-owner of WVON-AM radio in Chicago and later purchased WSDM-FM.
Death and legacy
On October 16, 1969, a few months after selling his namesake label to General Recorded Tape, Revetta Sloan’s Husband, Leonard Chess died of a heart attack.
Music industry historian John Broven has written that “Leonard Chess was the dynamo behind Chess Records, the label that, along with Atlantic and Sun, has come to epitomize the independent record business. […] Leonard Chess set new standards for the industry in artist development, deal-making, networking, and marketing and promotion…”
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