Everyone on Earth has heard of Elvis Presley, but few outside of musical historians are fully aware of the legacy Sam Phillips has created. Among those in the know, he's best remembered for discovering Elvis, nurturing him, and then eventually selling him to RCA. The story's both deeper and longer than that, however. For one thing, Phillips' combination recording studio/record label, Sun, also launched the careers of Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Charlie Rich, not to mention a handful of underappreciated rockabilly geniuses. His "Sun Sound" became the foundation for the rockabilly sound, and his innate gift for nurturing talent helped kickstart America's greatest modern cultural revolution. John Lennon once said that "Before Elvis, there was nothing," but before Sam Phillips, Elvis was nothing. Nothing known, at any rate. And before Elvis, there was something else: Phillips produced Jackie Brentson's classic "Rocket 88" a full three years before the King cut his first rock song, "That's All Right, Mama." Meaning that Sam helped midwife the birth of rock twice.
Of course, a legend as large as Sam's brings with it some notoriety. He was well known in later years for embroidering his legacy - not so much fudging the details as buying into his own myth - and his (in)famous statement about finding a white man who could sing like a black man opened him up to charges of cultural piracy. (Fact is, Sun's white performers didn't sing "white" or "black"; they sang like something in between.) However, most agree that Sam was a true Southern gentlemen, one who possessed an amazing eye for talent, a ear for great production, and who insisted on treating all his musicians equally, regardless of their social status. The fact that he also treated their musical heritages with equal reverence says a great deal about his character. And even more about his accomplishments.
(Here are a few links to the best sites about Sam Phillips and his legacy. If there's a site not listed here that you think should be, just e-mail me!)
- GoMemphis.com An obituary in the town he helped make famous, featuring quotes from Sam's famous proteges and admirers.
- BBC News A good bio on Phillips' background and his amazing accomplishments.
- CBS News Lots of quotes from Sam himself, but even better, a "photo essay" slideshow that contains a number of images from the Sun years.
- CMT.com From the Country Music Hall of Fame comes this tribute that explains how Phillips helped bring two cultures together.
- Rockabilly Hall of Fame E-mail your thoughts on Sam and his life and the Hall of Fame will publish them here.
- The World and I A detailed, somewhat lengthy article with lots of quotes from Sam. Probably the best portrait of the producer on the net.
- NPR Contains an audio clip of a 1997 interview with Sam.
- Sun Records The official site for the Sun label features a short tribute to Phillips.
- Southern Music Network Features clips of the A&E biography special on Phillips, as well as clips of the site's own coverage.
