Ardent Studios, home of Hustle & Flow soundtrack, celebrating 40th anniversary

According to the Commercial Appeal, Memphis recording studio Ardent Studios and home of music label Ardent Records is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

According to the Commercial Appeal, Memphis recording studio Ardent Studios and home of music label Ardent Records is celebrating its 40th anniversary. “I don’t know whether the fact that somebody has been in the music business in Memphis for 40 years is a testament to their success or their tenacity — or to their hard-headedness and stubbornness,” says Ardent founder John Fry, 61. “The great thing is, we’re still active and doing well.”

Some of Ardent’s greatest hits include Isaac Hayes’ “Hot Buttered Soul,” B.B. King’s “Blues Summit,” and the soundtrack to “Hustle & Flow.”

8-Ball & MJG, Triple 6 Mafia, Juvenile, and Yo Gotti are just a short list of popular rappers which have recorded at the studio.

When John Fry first started 40 years ago, it’s was reported he was just trying to take a teenage fascination with music and recording and seeing if it could survive outside his family’s house.

“The home studio kind of came to an end in late ’65, early ’66,” he says, “because it was in my parents’ house and they made the decision to sell the house.”