Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips

Record producer Sam Phillips, the head of Sun Records in the 1950s, was an important figure in the early era of rock and roll. He is credited with discovering Elvis Presley.

Fast Facts:

Born January 5, 1923 in Florence, Alabama
Died: June 30, 2003
Full Name: Samuel Cornelius Phillips
Part of the first group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986

Background

Phillips started his career as a radio DJ in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, an early "open format" station (meaning that it played music from both white and black musicians). He opened his own recording studio in 1950 in Memphis, Tennessee, where he recorded what is widely considered to be the first rock and roll record: "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, a band that featured a young Ike Turner. In 1952, Phillips founded Sun Records

Influence and Discoveries

After recording some early tracks with Elvis, Phillips would go on to record with many more notable early rock and roll performers, including Charlie Rich, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and BB King.

Phillips company did not see any genuine financial success, however, until the 1955 Carl Perkins song "Blue Suede Shoes," which became a nationally-popular hit.

Categories

Entertainment | Music | Rock | Blues | Country

| View Note History

Also try: Sun Records

The Mahalo Top 7

Official Site: Sam Phillips
Wikipedia: Sam Phillips
Rockabilly Hall Of Fame: Sam Phillips
Biography: Sam Phillips
Article: "Sun Records Founder Sam Phillips Dies" (2003)
Profile: Sam Phillips
Video: Sam Phillips on David Letterman

Sam Phillips News and Gossip

Google News Search: Sam Phillips
BBC News: Sam Phillips: "Rock'n'roll Guru" (2003)
Looking Closer: "Interview With Sam Phillips"
Rolling Stone: "The Sun Sessions" (2003)

Sam Phillips Photos

Google Image Search: Sam Phillips
Yahoo Image Search: Sam Phillips
Live Search Images: Sam Phillips
Snap Images: Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips Videos

Daily Motion: Sam Phillips Interview
YouTube: Interviews About Elvis
Southern Music: Sam Phillips The Man Who Invented Rock 'N' Roll Speech
YouTube: Sam Phillips and Sun Records "Imperfectly Perfect !!"

Sam Phillips Biographies, Articles, and Blogs

Musician Guide: Sam Phillips Biography
NPR: Sam Phillips The Sound And Legacy Of Sun Records (2001)
Blog Critics: Sam Phillips (2003)
1987 Inductees: Sam Phillips
History of Rock: Sam Phillips' Sun Records
County Music Hall Of Fame: Sam Phillips's Story
ZMagazine: Sun Records & Ginsberg's Holy Soul
MusicBizAdvice.com: August 2003 Sam Phillips (2007)

Sam Phillips Time Line

1923: Born
1945: Worked for WREC Radio in Nashville, Tennessee
1950: Memphis Recording Service
1951: Recorded Ike Turner and his band featuring Jackie Brenston
1951: Recorded Howlin Wolf
1952: Recorded Johnny London
1953: Signed Elvis Presley
1955: Sold Elvis's contract to RCA Records for $35,000
1969: Sold the Sun catalog to Shelby Singleton
1986: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1987: Inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame
1991: Received a Grammy Trustees Award for his lifetime achievements
1998: Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame
2001: Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame
2003: Died of Respiratory Failure

Sam Phillips Merchandise

Amazon.com: Sam Phillips
eBay: Sam Phillips
CD Universe: Sam Phillips

Related Pages on Mahalo

Sun Records | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum | Elvis Presley | Johnny Cash | Jerry Lee Lewis | B.B. King | Conway Twitty | Muddy Waters | Ike Turner | Roy Orbison

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