Sam Phillips passed away this day in 2003

Sam Phillips (behind the mixing console at Sun Records along with Elvis, Scotty Moore and Bill Black) passed away this day in 2003 at the age of 80.  Sam recorded such blues greats as B.B. King, Howlin Wolf, Ike Turner (then a session player for Jackie Brenston) and others before starting his own label Sun Records in  1952.  During this time he discovered and recorded Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Billy Lee Riley and others.  Watch Sam talk about the early days and getting an "imperfect perfect" sound...

Stray Cats- "Gene & Eddie"

Here's a great tribute to Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran by the Stray Cats called "Gene & Eddie".  It's from their album Blast Off released in 1989.  This is the official music video...

Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton passes away this day in 1984

Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton passed away this day in 1984.  She may be best known for her huge hit "Hound Dog" that had a massive influence on Elvis Presley...who recorded his own popular version 3 years later.  Here's "Big Mama" (with Buddy Guy on guitar) doing that song as only she can....

 

Chess Records releases 1st single from Chuck Berry in 1955

Chess Records releases the 1st single "Maybellene" from a young guitar player named Chuck Berry in 1955.  The song peaks at #5.  See him perform this song on the Midnight Special in 1973 here...

Johnny Cash hits #1 with "I Walk The Line"

Johnny Cash tops the country chart this day in 1956 with one of his signature tunes- "I Walk The Line".  This is his 3rd Sun Records single and 1st #1 chart success.  It remained on the chart for over 43 weeks and sold 2 million copies.  See a 23 year old cash performing this live on The Tex Ritter Show here...

Elvis plays first concert in Memphis

On this day in 1954, Elvis gives his first live performance in Memphis, TN.  His group of Scotty Moore and Bill Black were billed as the "Blue Moon Boys".  They performed on a flatbed truck to commemorate the opening of a drugstore on Lamar Ave.  Here's supposedly some video footage from that (random instrumental music can be heard during video)....

Rave On Buddy Holly

An exciting tribute album that you don't want to miss is Rave On Buddy Holly.  The collection includes a diverse group of talent including Paul McCartney, Karen Elson (with Jack White), Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Cee Lo Green, The Black Keys, Kid Rock, Graham Nash and many others.  Check out the video below to get a glimpse behind this great project...

Sam Phillips begins his last recording session with Howlin Wolf in 1952

Legendary producer Sam Phillips called Howlin' Wolf his greatest discovery (and Elvis his second greatest).  Before he opened Sun Records he produced blues records for other record companies.  He began his last recording session this day in 1952 with Howlin' Wolf.  One of the biggest tunes produced during his time with Sam was "How Many More Years".  Here's a live version from 1965 with a couple of The Rolling Stones introducing him...

Sam Phillips gives Elvis' "That's All Right" to DJ Dewey Phillips

July 6, 1954- Sam Phillips takes an acetate recording of Elvis' "That's All Right" over to Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips to play on his "Red, Hot & Blue" radio show the next day (7th).  This was the first time Elvis was played on the air.  He ended up laying the song 14 times due to the calls coming in requesting it.  Here an alternate take (take 3) of "That's All Right" recorded by Sam Phillips at Sun Records studio.

Smiley Lewis born this day in 1913

Smiley was most known for his hit "I Hear You Knocking" which artists like Fats Domino, Dave Edmunds and others had hits with it as well.  Other key recordings include "Blue Monday" (also a hit for Fats Domino), "One Night" (also a hit for Elvis Presley) and "The Bells Are Ringing".  Here's his version of "I Hear You Knocking" recorded in 1955...

Sam Phillips sells Sun Records this day in 1969

Sam Phillips sells Sun Records this day in 1969 to Shelby Singleton.  He originally opened "Memphis Recording Service" in 1950 as a studio producing mainly blues artists.  After growing tired of producing projects for other labels (Howlin' Wolf, Jackie Brenston, B.B. King, etc.), he started his own label, Sun Records, in 1952.  Artists on this label included Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Billy Lee Riley, Roy Orbison and many others.  The building was mostly empty until the 1985 sessions of the "Class Of '55" which included Lewis, Cash, Perkins and Orbison.  In 1987 the studio reopened and became a tourist attraction by day and studio by night.  Artists like U2, Bob Dylan, Chris Issac, John Mellencamp and others have recorded here since the reopening.  Watch this great tour of the studio brought to you by "Pop Pilgrims" here...