One of the truly eccentric figures of the record industry, Syd Nathan was the founder and head of the Cincinnati-based King Records. Nathan, who founded the label as an extension to his record store, had an uncanny ability to sense the types of music that African-Americans migrating from the South wanted to hear and seized the opportunity to sign some of the best R&B and country acts of the period. Referred to as "Little Ceasar" because he was short, fat, and ruled his label like a dictator, the label head constantly screamed and intimidated his artists and employees. Yet, despite his tyrannical behavior, Nathan assembled a remarkably diverse and talented roster of artists.