Sun Record Company!

What Is Sun Recording Company?

This historic recording studio is considered the Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll!

What Makes It Historical?

In the aftermath of the Civil War, Black folks from across the South moved to Memphis, settling in the business and entertainment area around Beale Street and bringing with them a whole slew of musical styles: blues, gospel, and R&B, to name a few. Though they were popular locally, there weren’t a lot of opportunities for these musicians to “make it big,” since the biggest record labels contracted with white performers and marketed to white families. Exposure for these artists was mostly limited to small, independent radio stations.

Then, in January 1950, radio host, Sam Phillips opened up the Memphis Recording Service specifically to record these overlooked music styles and their musicians, partly because he was afraid they’d go extinct otherwise! He researched acoustical design and custom created the tiles on the sudio ceiling, making this one of the first music recording studios that factored acoustics into its design! By summer of 1950, he’d teamed up with Dewey Phillips, another radio host but no relation, and they brought in Riley “B.B.” King, whom they recorded into 1951! That same year, they recorded a collaboration between Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, and Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm, called “Rocket 88,” which hit #1 on the Billboard charts and is widely regarded as the first rock ‘n’ roll song! These recordings were major hits, but they were made for other labels, so in early 1952, Sam Phillips formed his own label: Sun Studios!

Sun Studios’ first record was “Drivin’ Slow” by Johnny London on March 27, 1952, and it was far from the last, but focusing on the blues did make it hard to bring in money. All that changed on July 5, 1954 when a young truck driver named Elvis Presley recorded a lackluster personal record, then started fooling around with a little song called “That’s All Right.” Broadcasted on Dewey Phillips’ “Red, Hot, and Blue” program, it was a smash hit! They worked with Elvis for about a year until RCA Victor bought his contract on November 21, 1955! That was far from the end of Sun Studios, which launched the careers of Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis—some of the biggest names in ’50s music and beyond!

Sam Phillips had lots of projects going at the same time, including investing in the fledgling Holiday Inn, so by the 1960s, Sun Studio was running out of gas. Mr. Phillips recorded his last artist in November of 1966, and Sun Studio closed January 1968, selling all 7,000 master recordings to Shelby S. Singleton for $1 million! The building went through a number of reimaginings from a barber shop to a SCUBA store, but as it became a stopoff for folks visiting Graceland, the property owner got to work refurbishing the old studio and opened it for tours in 1987! Musicians are still recording here today!

How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?

Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!