Ani DiFranco

Righteous Babe Records is an American independent record label. It was created by progressive folksinger Ani DiFranco in 1990 to release her own songs in lieu of being beholden to a mainstream record company. Righteous Babe Records was originally called Righteous Records, and the original pressings... of Difranco's debut album have it listed as such. However, Difranco then discovered a pre-existing gospel music label with that name, and to differentiate herself, added the "babe". Located in DiFranco's hometown of Buffalo, New York, Righteous Babe expanded in the late 1990s to release albums for emerging non-mainstream artists. In 1995, an abandoned 19th century historical landmark, the Asbury Delaware United Methodist Church was scheduled to be demolished by the City of Buffalo. The church was built in 1876 and had become derelict with no upkeep. In 1999, Righteous Babe Records offered to buy the building from the city. Restoration efforts began in 2000, and by 2006 it had been converted into an entertainment venue. Originally referred to as "The Church", the name was affectionately changed to "Babeville." It has a 1,200-seat concert hall and is the current home of the label.
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