bᵻfˌoːɹ nˈoʊbəlz bɹˈeɪkθɹuː pɹˈoʊɡɹæmɪŋ, ˈɑːɹ ænd bˈiː ˈɑːɹɾɪsts wɜː jˈuːʒuːəli ˈoʊnli hˈɜːd baɪ ˈæfɹɪkənɐmˈɛɹɪkənz, hˌuː ɐtˈɛndᵻd ðɛɹ pɚfˈoːɹmənsᵻz æt nˈaɪtklʌbz ɔnðə sˌoʊkˈɔːld tʃˈɪtlɪn sˈɜːkɪt ænd pˈɜːtʃɪst ðɛɹ ɹˈɛkɚdz ɪn blˈækˈoʊnd stˈoːɹz.
Before Nobles' breakthrough programming, R&B artists were usually only heard by African-Americans, who attended their performances at nightclubs on the so-called Chitlin' Circuit and purchased their records in black-owned stores.