It could be argued that not only was Sam Phillips one of the most important producers in rock history, he was also one of the most influential figures in 20th century American pop culture. With Sun Records and Sun Studios, he launched the careers of such legends as Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, B.B. King, and a legion of others.
Born on January 5, 1923, in Florence, Alabama, Phillips was the youngest of eight children in his middle-class farming family. After his father's death in 1941, Phillips shelved his plans to study law and dropped out of high school to help support his family. He eventually decided to go into radio, and majored in engineering at Polytechnical Institute in Auburn, Alabama.
The Early Days of Sun Records
In October 1949, Phillips took the first step towards becoming a legend. He leased a storefront in downtown Memphis, installed recording equipment, and opened the Memphis Recording Studio with the slogan "We Record Anything – Anywhere – Anytime." About six months later, he expanded his business when he established the Phillips record label with his friend, Dewey Phillips. Their first release was a modest 300 copies of "Boogie in the Park" by Joe Hill Louis, but the label was launched.
For several years, Phillips barely scraped by despite working with a stable of performers like Ike Turner and Howlin' Wolf, soon to be legends in their own right. Then in the summer of 1953, a local truck driver named Elvis Presley came into the studio to make a record.
Phillips' Superstar Discoveries
Most music fans have heard the story. Elvis was discovered when he went to Memphis Recording Studio to make a record as a gift for his mother's birthday. In all likelihood, the story is at least partially apocryphal – Gladys Presley's birthday was in the spring, several months past by the time Elvis recorded "My Happiness" and "This Is Where Your Heartache Begins." Either way, Phillips or his assistant heard something noteworthy from the young singer, although it was almost a year later before he was invited back for an audition. Rock and roll – and a legend – was born.
Presley's success drew other young singers to Sun Records, including Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison. Phillips abandoned blues recordings completely to concentrate on this new genre dubbed rockabilly. Sun became the proverbial hit machine, but industry changes in the early 1960s hit the label hard. Labels began to focus on releasing albums instead of singles, a trend that Phillips disliked, believing that producers were releasing inferior product to fill album space.
The Lasting Influence of Sam Phillips
Sun never regained its early commercial success, but Phillips' musical contributions continue to be honored and recognized. In 1986, he was part of the first group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he has also been honored by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. In 1987, Phillips was brought into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, followed by a Grammy Trustees Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1991. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1998 and into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October, 2001. There seems to be almost no genre of music that was untouched by Sam Phillips.
Phillips died on July 30, 2003, at Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
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