<back - SAM PHILLIPS and SUN RECORDS - Sam C. Phillips (Jan 5,1923-July 30, 2003) was born in Florence, Alabama. Phillips hoped to study law but instead opted for a career in radio broadcasting and engineering. His first DJ job was in Muscle Shoals, Alabama at WLAY. By 1945, he was in Memphis on WREC. Five years later, Sam Phillips opened up the Memphis Recording Service, on Union Ave in downtown Memphis. Phillips developed a relationship with the Los Angeles-based Bihari Brothers, who were about to launch RPM, a subsidiary of Modern Records.

Sam Phillips produced tracks for Modern Records by B.B. King, Rosco Gordon and Walter Horton. In 1951, he also started an association with Chess Records in Chicago. After recording Howlin' Wolf he offered to lease the masters to Chess. Sun Records was born in February 1952. Sam's brother Judd Phillips joined the company to handle promotion. Until the arrival of Elvis Presley and Rock n' Roll a few years later, Sun Records was largely a Blues label. Rufus Thomas had the first hit on Sun Records with Bear Cat. The success of Bear Cat and the follow-up Tiger Man enabled Sun to get national distribution deals. Sun Records had further success with recordings by Jr. Parker, and Little Milton Campbell. With a strong understanding and appreciation of the Blues, Phillips had desire to mix the music with the Country. In 1953 when 19-year-old truck driver named Elvis Presley wandered into the studio to record 2 songs as a gift for his mother. With backing from guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley’s first commercial recording more than fulfilled Phillips’ dream. Released in the summer of 1954, it was a two-sided hit featuring Arthur Crudup's 'That's All Right, Now Mamma' and Bill Monroe's 'Blue Moon of Kentucky'. Sam Phillips and his artists had merged Country music with the Blues to create a new sound. With the success of Elvis, other young Country singers were drawn to Sun Records. Among them were Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Billy Lee Riley. He concentrated on this new music, dubbed 'Rockabilly'. Sun Records produced hit after hit such as Carl Perkins 'Blue Suede Shoes', and Jerry Lee's 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On'. Sun Records was first and foremost a singles label, only 12 albums were issued on Sun Records. The only Sun albums that stayed in print past the early 1960s were the 7 albums by Johnny Cash. On July 1, 1969, In 1986 Sam Phillips was inducted into the Rock&Roll Hall of Fame. Then in 1998, the Blues Hall of Fame, and finally in 2001, the Country Music Hall of Fame. MP3's - Blue Moon of Kentucky | Blue Suede Shoes | Whole Lotta Shakin' | Red Hot |