American Roots Records was formed in 2003 by music enthusiast Jeffrey Paul Catton. Catton is a former owner of the Georgia music club, Uptown Music Cafe and producer of music festivals in Georgia. It was the ongoing friendships with many of the artists that played his club and festivals that led Catton to start American Roots Records. "I'm just a small label but didn't want to be eighty years old and wake up one day wishing I had done this (run a record label). It's not an easy business and certainly very risky, but I just felt this was something I needed to do as part of my life."