Sam Phillips was born poor in north Alabama near Florence. Florence is located on the Tennessee River and is conidered part of the "Shoals" (Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, Florence, and Tucumbia aka The Quad Cities). This area is very famous for it's recording studios, being the birthplace of W.C. Handy (the father of the blues), and of course Sam Phillips. At an early age Sam Phillips fell in love with radio broadcast and followed this vocation to not too distant Memphis, Tennessee (his family is still in the radio business and owns Big River Broadcasting with stations in Decatur and Florence, AL). While doing various radio jobs he opened SUN Records and recorded what would become some of the biggest names in history. Sam's discoveries and promotions went on to forever change the world. Among some of his "finds" were, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbinson, and of course Elvis Preseley. When thinking along these lines I think of quote from John Lennon that states "without Elvis, there wouldn't have been the Beatles".
Here is an interesting article about Sam and recent book. Click HERE for the link.
Now we know, it was all Elvis' fault.
ReplyDeleteSun Studio is open for tours. http://www.sunstudio.com
Neat place but it has been years since I visited. Note there is a shuttle to / from Graceland for the "True Belivers".
My wife was and is good a surprising me. Several years ago she told me to arrange to be off worka Monday and not to ask any questions. My parents picked our kids up at our house early Saturday moring. She had packed our clothes and for me a cooler full of beer and with the top down we headed west with me not knowing where we were going. I had my suspicions we were headed to the casinos in Tunica, Mississippi, but after we passed the last Robinsonville exit for the casinos she only grinned. My next guess was that she had found some cheap airfare and we were flying out of Memphis to some unknown destination. Of course, when I mentioned this she only grinned as we drove past the airport. I was stumped until we pulled into the parking lot of the "Heartbreak Hotel" (at that time part of Elivs Presley Enterprises). We parked and and checked into our room. She had booked some sort of weekend getaway that included accommodations at the hotel, tickets for tours of Graceland, Elvis' car museum, Elvis' personal jet The Lisa Marie, and a shuttle ride to downtown Memphis and a meal at the Elvis Presley Cafe. It was one of the most enjoyable and memorable trips I can remember. Yes, we did go to SUN Records!
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