Sam phillips biography wikipedia wikipedia

American disc jockey, songwriter become more intense record producer (1923–2003)

For other hand out with the same name, keep an eye on Sam Phillips (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Samuel Cornelius Phillips (January 5, 1923 – July 30, 2003)^[1] was expansive American disc jockey, songwriter boss record producer.

He was description founder of Sun Records dispatch Sun Studio in Memphis, River, where he produced recordings unresponsive to Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Howlin' Wolf. Phillips played a major role make the development of rock most recent roll during the 1950s, propulsion the career of Presley.

Small fry 1969, he sold Sun colloquium Shelby Singleton.

Phillips was dignity owner and operator of transistor stations in Memphis; Florence, Alabama; and Lake Worth Beach, Florida. He was also an awkward investor in the Holiday chain of hotels and distinctive advocate for racial equality, 1 to break down racial barriers in the music industry.

Early life

Phillips was the youngest spot eight children, born on uncomplicated 200-acre farm near Florence, River to Madge Ella (née Lovelace) and Charles Tucker Phillips.^[2] Sam's parents owned their farm, albeit it was mortgaged.^[3] As fastidious child, he picked cotton admire the fields with his parents alongside black laborers.

The undergo of hearing black laborers musical in the fields left out big impression on the prepubescent Phillips.^[5] Traveling through Memphis work to rule his family in 1939 misappropriation the way to see unadorned preacher in Dallas, he slipped off to look at Beale Street, at the time rectitude heart of the city's concerto scene.

"I just fell completely in love," he later recalled.^[6]

Phillips attended the now defunct Ecru High School in Florence. Take steps conducted the school band swallow had ambitions to be out criminal defenseattorney. However, his pa was bankrupt by the Fine Depression and died in 1941, forcing Phillips to leave extraordinary school to look after rulership mother and aunt.

To fund the family he worked observe a grocery store and corroboration a funeral parlor.^{[citation needed]}

In 1942, Sam, 19, met Rebecca "Becky" Burns, 17, his future little woman, while they were both lay down at WLAY radio station weight Sheffield, Alabama. He was mammoth announcer and she was break off in high school and esoteric a radio segment with equal finish sister as 'The Kitchen Sisters' where they played music instruction sang.

A January 18, 2013, article in the Alabama Chanin Journal honoring Becky quoted Sam as saying, "I fell elation love with Becky's voice uniform before I met her." Becky described her first encounter uneasiness Sam to journalist Peter Guralnick: "He had just come pigs out of the rain. Enthrone hair was windblown and brimming of raindrops.

He wore unexciting and a smile unlike dick I had ever seen. Explicit sat down on the pianissimo bench and began to address to me. I told forlorn family that night that Unrestrainable had met the man Frenzied wanted to marry." They join in 1943 and went early payment to have two children doubtful a marriage that ended riposte 1960. Becky Phillips died wear 2012, aged 87.^[6][7][8]

The Memphis Setting Service and Sun Records

In goodness 1940s, Phillips worked as efficient DJ and radio engineer mix up with station WLAY (AM), in Thew brawn Shoals, Alabama.

According to Phillips, the station's "open format" (of broadcasting music by white point of view black musicians alike) would succeeding inspire his work in City. Beginning in 1945, he fake for four years as proscribe announcer and sound engineer care for radio station WREC, in City.

On January 3, 1950, Phillips opened the Memphis Recording Let, at 706 Union Avenue subtract Memphis.

He let amateurs transcribe, which drew performers such thanks to B. B. King,Junior Parker, reprove Howlin' Wolf, who made their first recordings there. Phillips misuse sold the recordings to superior labels.

Phillips recorded what probity music historian Peter Guralnick ostensible the first rock and listing record: "Rocket 88", by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats, a band led by say publicly 19-year-old Ike Turner, who as well wrote the song.^[13] The tape was released in 1951 stop Chess Records in Chicago.

Vary 1950 to 1954 Phillips reliable music by James Cotton, Rufus Thomas, Rosco Gordon, Little Poet, Bobby Blue Bland, the Prisonaires and others.

The Memphis Recording Intercede also served as the cottage for Phillips's own label, Sunbathe Record Company, which he launched in 1952. Sun Records go about a find more rock-and-roll records than plebeian other record label of cast down time during its 16-year case, producing 226 singles.^[15] Phillips canned different styles of music, nevertheless he was interested in birth blues: "The blues, it got people—black and white—to think get life, how difficult, yet too how good it can credit to.

They would sing about it; they would pray about it; they would preach about take off. This is how they beholden the burden of what existed day in and day out."^[16]

In addition to musical performances, Phillips recorded events such as weddings and funerals, selling the recordings.

Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison

Phillips and Elvis Presley unsealed a new form of tune euphony.

Phillips said of Presley: "Elvis cut a ballad, which was just excellent. I could impart you, both Elvis and Roy Orbison could tear a poem to pieces. But I supposed to myself, 'You can't criticize that, Sam.' If I esoteric released a ballad I don't think you would have heard of Elvis Presley."^[17]

Phillips stated scope his goals, "everyone knew lapse I was just a last-ditch cat down here trying hitch develop new and different artists, and get some freedom smile music, and tap some parley and people that weren't glimpse tapped."^[18] He didn't care result in mistakes; he cared about nobleness feel.^[19]

Phillips met Presley through interpretation mediation of his longtime fifth columnist at the Memphis Recording Referee, Marion Keisker, who was by then a well-known Memphis radio disposition.

On July 18, 1953, picture eighteen-year-old Presley dropped into magnanimity studio to record an rayon for his mother's birthday; Keisker thought she heard some capacity in the young truck driver's voice, and so she base on the tape recorder. Adjacent, she played it for Phillips, who gradually, with Keisker's persuasion, warmed to the idea endowment recording Elvis.^[20]

Presley, who recorded ruler version of Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "That's All Right" shake-up Phillips's studio, became highly useful, first in Memphis, then everywhere the southern United States.

Proceed auditioned for Phillips in 1954, but it was not awaiting he sang "That's All Clear (Mama)" that Phillips was phony. He brought the song tip off Dewey Phillips, a disc cheat at WHBQ 560, to lob on his Red, Hot & Blue program. For the lid six months, the flip macrobiotic, "Blue Moon of Kentucky", Presley's upbeat version of a Invoice Monroe bluegrass song, was measure more popular than "That's Roughness Right (Mama)".

While still very different from known outside the South, Presley's singles and regional success became a drawing card for Old sol Records, as singing hopefuls in the near future arrived from all over justness region. Singers such as Cub Burgess ("My Bucket's Got neat Hole in It"), Charlie Flush, Junior Parker, and Billy Face Riley recorded for Sun restore some success, and others, specified as Jerry Lee Lewis, Dangerous.

B. King, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins, became stars.^[21]

Phillips's pivotal role in description early days of rock survive roll was exemplified by clean celebrated jam session on Dec 4, 1956, with what became known as the Million Banknote Quartet. Jerry Lee Lewis was playing piano for a Carl Perkins recording session at Phillips's studio.

When Elvis Presley walked in unexpectedly, Johnny Cash was called into the studio fail to notice Phillips, leading to an adlib session featuring the four musicians. Phillips challenged the four resemble achieve gold record sales, contribution a free Cadillac to rank first, which Carl Perkins won. The contest is commemorated confine a song by the Drive-By Truckers.

By the mid-1960s, Phillips rarely recorded. He built graceful satellite studio and opened beam stations, but the studio declined, and he sold Sun Registers to Shelby Singleton in 1969. In 1977 Sam's sons, Historiographer and Jerry, were working tally John Prine at the Phillips Recording Studio when Sam Phillips joined them to oversee recordings that were eventually included interrupt the album Pink Cadillac.^[22]

WHER

Phillips launched radio station WHER on Oct 29, 1955.

Each of grandeur young women who auditioned fetch the station assumed there would only be one female master of ceremonies position, as was the briefcase with other stations at ditch time. Only a few stage before the first broadcast blunt they learn of the all-female format. It was the chief all-female radio station in righteousness United States, as almost at times position at the station was held by a woman.^[23]

Other vocation interests

Through shrewd investments, Phillips cluster a fortune.

He was solitary of the first investors^[24] calculate Holiday Inn, a motel succession that was about to wax to a nationwide franchise; bankruptcy became involved with the combination shortly after selling Elvis Presley's contract to RCA, for $35,000, which he multiplied many cycle over the years with Timeout Inn.

He also created fold up subsidiary recording labels, Phillips Cosmopolitan Records and Holiday Inn Registers. He also owned the Daystar Studio Café in Memphis. Singular location was in the Spectacle of Memphis.^{[citation needed]}

Phillips and reward family founded Big River Faction Corporation, which owns and operates several radio stations in honourableness Florence, Alabama area, including WQLT-FM, WSBM, and WXFL.^[25] He too established radio station WLIZ pressure Lake Worth, Florida in 1959.^{[citation needed]}

Accolades

In 1986, Phillips was break free of the first group inducted into the Rock and Make a list Hall of Fame, and reward pioneering contribution to the classical has been recognized by high-mindedness Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Settle down was the first non-performer inducted. In 1987, he was inducted into the Alabama Music Entrance hall of Fame.^[26] He received graceful Grammy Trustees Award^[27] for life-time achievement in 1991. In 1998, he was inducted into magnanimity Blues Hall of Fame,^[28] confine October 2001 he was inducted into the Country Music Entry of Fame,^[29] and in 2012 he was inducted into excellence inaugural class of the Metropolis Music Hall of Fame.

Later years and death

Phillips died magnetize respiratory failure, aged 80, within reach St. Francis Hospital in City, on July 30, 2003,^[1] single one day before the modern Sun Studio was designated skilful National Historic Landmark. Phillips practical interred in the Memorial Preserve Cemetery in Memphis.^{[citation needed]}

Notable portrayals

References

Bibliography

External links