Memphis Heroes: Sam Phillips

Sun Studio

If you have any familiarity with music, then you know Sun Studio stands distinct from the crowd. Home to some of the greatest music legends of all time - B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley - Sun Studio put Memphis on the map as a major hub of rock and roll and blues. 

The man who started this enterprise deserves just as much recognition. 

The Man Behind The Studio

Sam Phillips moved to Memphis in the mid-1940s and worked as an announcer and sound engineer for a local radio station. Phillips fell in love with the city and its music scene, especially in the heart of Beale Street. After a few years, Phillips took a leap of faith and started his own studio, “Memphis Recording Service.” His acceptance of amateur artists led to the discovery of superstars like B.B. King and Howlin’ Wolf (whom Phillips deemed as his greatest discovery in his career). 

A Studio For A New Style

During these early years Phillips began to cultivate and record artists in a new emerging style: rock and roll. This exciting, fresh style combined jazz, blues, gospel, and country with a twist of its own distinct flare. With its origins based in both traditionally black and white music styles, rock and roll quickly became popular as it appealed to a wide variety of audiences. Historians have pointed out that rock and roll developed at a pivotal moment in American history by presenting a unifying, multicultural music style during the Civil Rights Movement. Phillips played a crucial role in the development of rock and roll, and in 1951 he recruited Jackie Benston and the Delta Cats to record “Rocket 88,” the first rock-and-roll album.

Sam Phillips with Johnny Cash

Phillips went on to record other famous artists like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, earning his studio national renown and marking Memphis as an upcoming musical hub. He received numerous accolades and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Blues Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame, and Memphis Music Hall of Fame. He also received a Grammy Trustees Award for his lifetime contribution to the national music scene. Ultimately, Sam Phillips’ visionary creativity and willingness to think outside the box has distinguished him as one of the most influential pioneers of all time in the music industry.