Founded by Harold 'Pappy' Daily, who co-founded Starday Records and produced George Jones for many years, after he split with Starday in the 1950s. D Records was a vehicle for Daily to try out new artists, typically including Texas honky tonk music, western swing, rockabilly, Tex Mex and Cajun, with artists such as the Big Bopper, Willie Nelson and George Jones.

In 1958, Daily sold his distribution business to his sons, Bud and Don, who also took over the D Records catalogue when Daily died in 1987. However, they were more interested in their music publishing business, Glad Music, than in finding new artists and the label became inactive.

But, more recently, Pappy’s grandson, Wes Daily, has come into the business and started looking for new writers and artists to revive the label.