In 1925, Lester Melrose sold his share of the store and became a freelance A&R man, combining the roles of talent scout and record producer.
[1] Among the artists he recorded and brought to the world's attention were Joe "King" Oliver, Big Bill Broonzy, Sonny Boy Williamson, Memphis Minnie, Roosevelt Sykes,Memphis Slim, Lonnie Johnson, Big Joe Williams, Bukka White, Washboard Sam, Champion Jack Dupree, Jazz Gillum, Arthur Crudup, Victoria Spivey and Leroy Carr.
[citation needed] The Melrose sound dominated Chicago blues before World War II,[3] but the arrival of large numbers of Southern African Americans in Chicago during and after the war brought Melrose's dominance to an end as a harder, deeper blues sound proved more popular with the new audience.
[1] His older brother Walter Melrose (1889 – 1973) was a music publisher who received songwriter credit for several songs identified with the Original Dixieland Jass Band, including the standards "High Society" and "Tin Roof Blues", both of which were hits as late as the 1950s.
A third brother, Franklyn Melrose (1907 – 1941), was a jazz pianist who also used stage names of Kansas City Frank and Broadway Rastus.