CELEBRATING STAX

It's obvious that Motown Records -- and The Supremes in particular -- served as the inspiration for Dreamgirls.

And while there hasn't been a Broadway play-turned-hit movie based on Stax Records, the story of its rise, peak, fall and resurrection is perfectly suited for the stage and the big screen.

The Stax story also is tailor-made for a documentary. This summer, PBS will air a Stax doc in conjunction with the yearlong 50th anniversary celebration of the soul music company that was the home to Isaac Hayes (above), Booker T. and the MG's and The Staple Singers, among others.

March will be a big month for Stax, which went bankrupt in 1975 and was acquired in 2004 by the Concord Music Group. Stax 50, a two-disc, 50-song collection of major Stax singles, is due March 13 and will formally inaugurate Concord's relaunch of the label.

And on March 15, Hayes, Eddie Floyd and others are scheduled to perform during the SXSW music conference/festival in Austin, Texas, as part of the Stax 50 Revue.

More info about Stax can be found at www.concordmusicgroup.com.