Sun Records facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sun Records |
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| Parent company | Primary Wave |
| Founded | February 1952 |
| Founder | Sam Phillips |
| Distributor(s) | Virgin Music |
| Genre | Rock and roll, country, blues, rockabilly |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Memphis, Tennessee |
Sun Records is a famous American record company started by Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee. It opened on February 1, 1952. Sun Records was the first company to record many legendary musicians. These included Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash.
Before becoming famous for rock and roll, Sun Records mainly focused on recording African-American musicians. Sam Phillips loved rhythm and blues music. He wanted to share this exciting music with a wider audience. In 2021, another company called Primary Wave bought Sun Records.
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How Sun Records Started
Sam Phillips first opened his studio, called Memphis Recording Service, on January 3, 1950. It was located at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis. He got help from Jim Bulliet to start the studio. Phillips had worked with many record companies before starting his own.
In March 1951, Phillips helped produce a song called "Rocket 88". It was by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats. This group was actually Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm. Ike Turner was very good at finding new musical talent. Phillips hired him to help find more artists to record. Turner brought musicians like Howlin' Wolf, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Little Milton, Billy "The Kid" Emerson, and Roscoe Gordon to the studio.
The success of "Rocket 88" helped Sam Phillips create Sun Records. He started the record company in February 1952. Before this, Phillips would record music and then let other companies release it. But he decided to start his own label because he wanted more control. He said he was "forced into it" because other labels were taking his artists.
Discovering New Talent
The original Sun Records logo was designed by John Gale Parker Jr. He was a friend of Sam Phillips from high school. Sun Records shared the same building as Sun Studio. This was where Phillips discovered and first recorded many famous musicians. These included Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
In 1955, Elvis Presley's recording contract was sold to RCA Victor. This helped Sun Records with its money problems. The sale was for $40,000. In 1956, while Phillips was away, producer Jack Clement discovered and recorded Jerry Lee Lewis.
Other artists who recorded for Sun Records included Rufus Thomas and his daughter Carla Thomas. Also, Tex Weiss, Charlie Rich, Bill Justis, Conway Twitty, Barbara Pittman, and the Miller Sisters recorded there.
Sun Records Today
In 1969, Mercury Records producer Shelby Singleton bought Sun Records from Sam Phillips. Singleton combined his business with Sun. In the early 1970s, he re-released many of Sun's classic songs. He also introduced a singer named Jimmy "Orion" Ellis in 1979. Ellis was known for sounding like Elvis Presley.
Today, the company is still in business as Sun Entertainment Corporation. It licenses its famous brand and classic songs to other companies. Many of these songs are available in CD boxed sets. Sun Entertainment also owns other record labels. Its website sells cool collectible items and CDs with the original 1950s Sun logo.
Sun Records is now located in Nashville, Tennessee. Since the 1970s, it has mostly re-released old music. However, in 2013, it signed a new country musician named Julie Roberts.
Influence on Music
The music from Sun Records artists helped create rock and roll. It also influenced many younger musicians, including the Beatles. In 2001, Paul McCartney was on a tribute album called Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records.
A famous photograph from December 4, 1956, shows Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley. They were all together at Sun Records' studio. They had an unplanned jam session. This group is known as the "Million Dollar Quartet". A musical based on this event, called Million Dollar Quartet, came out in 2008.
A TV series about Sun Records aired on CMT from February to April 2017. It had eight episodes.
In August 2022, Sun Records released a 70th Anniversary Compilation album. It featured songs from many artists in the Sun catalogue. These included James Cotton, Linda Martell, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, and The Dixie Cups.
In November 2022, a book called The Birth of Rock ‘N’ Roll: The Illustrated Story of Sun Records and the 70 Recordings that Changed the World was released. It tells the history of Sun Records through 70 of its records.
Images for kids
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"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis
See also
- List of record labels
- Elvis Presley's Sun recordings
- Johnny Cash's Sun recordings
- Roy Orbison's Sun recordings
