Tag Archives: Sam Phillips

2024 Year in Review

Posted on December 27, 2024 by sheila

Here’s a roundup of most of the things I’ve written this year: here on my site, for Rogerebert.com, for my newsletter, and for my new column at Liberties Journal. Every year it’s the same thing. I spend so much time … Continue reading →

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“I dont want to just do just country type stuff the rest of my life. I want to do some different things.” — Charlie Rich

Posted on December 14, 2024 by sheila

Charlie Rich was only 62 years old when he died, but he managed to cram in so much music in that time. Massive fame came to him fairly late, with the “countrypolitan” phase of country music, where a more sophisticated … Continue reading →

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Dynamic Duo #33

Posted on September 12, 2022 by sheila

Sam Phillips and Johnny Cash

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Where It All Began: The Overton Park Shell, July 30, 1954

Posted on July 30, 2017 by sheila

Overton Park Shell. All pictures taken by yours truly Overton Park is a beautiful park to the east of downtown Memphis. The Memphis Zoo is there, as well as a war memorial, and a golf course. There’s an arts center, … Continue reading →

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On This Day: July 5, 1954 – Elvis Presley Recorded “That’s All Right”

Posted on July 5, 2017 by sheila

All photos of Sun Studio in this post were taken by me. “That’s All Right”, what would be the first single, which went off like a bomb (at least in Memphis, although other regions of the South would follow) was … Continue reading →

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Two Obsessives: Pat McCurdy and I Discuss Elvis

Posted on May 27, 2017 by sheila

Pat McCurdy and I go way WAY back. He’s a brilliant songwriter and performer in the Milwaukee/Chicago area. I first saw him play in Chicago. (Well, actually, this isn’t true. I first saw him when I was 12 or 13 … Continue reading →

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“Milk Cow Blues Boogie”: From Estes to Elvis to Eddie

Posted on October 3, 2016 by sheila

Wrote this a while back. Posting because today is Eddie Cochran’s birthday. In the earliest sessions at Sun Records (known then as “Memphis Recording Service,” at least that was – and still is – the neon sign in the front … Continue reading →

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I Love Men: Sonny Burgess and the Blasters

Posted on February 28, 2016 by sheila

Women can rock, too. Don’t misunderstand me. But there’s something about a bunch of men going APE. SHIT. like this that makes my knees melt. Here is Sun Records artist Sonny Burgess – whose big Sun hit was “Red-Headed Woman” … Continue reading →

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Elvis’ Hair Discussed By Those Who Knew Him

Posted on February 21, 2016 by sheila

This conversation took place in a restaurant in Memphis in 2000. All of these guys now grizzled old geezers, looking back on 1955/56. Sam Phillips [owner/founder of Sun Records]: [Elvis] tickled me when we got into Shrevesport, Louisiana going on … Continue reading →

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Carl Perkins’ “Honey Don’t”: The Chord Change That Shook the World

Posted on February 6, 2016 by sheila

Below is an exchange from the documentary “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” a celebration of Sam Phillips and Sun Records, featuring interviews with many of the Sun artists (Rufus Thomas, Billy Lee Riley, Scotty Moore, Sonny Burgess). The “gimmick” of it was … Continue reading →

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