It was during the summer of 1953 that Elvis Presley came in to the Memphis Recording Service to make a record for his mother’s birthday. Presley recorded "My Happiness" and "This Is Where Your Heartache Begins". It was almost a year later before Presley was invited back because Phillips needed a singer for a song called "Without You. This session was a disappointment, but Phillips was still intrigued by the young crooner and arranged for him to work with Scotty Moore and Bill Black. It was at one of their sessions during a break that Elvis, Scotty and Bill were messing around in the studio and Elvis belted out "That's All Right, Mama". Sam Phillips keen ear picked up something special and he recorded the song. The rest is rock and roll history!
The notoriety that Elvis Presley brought to Sun Records attracted other young artists such as Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis to name a few. Most of the better known Sun recording stars eventually left for larger record companies, but Sam Phillips was certainly an instrumental part of discovering and cultivating these and many more young talents of the day. Phillips eventually sold Sun Records to Shelby Singleton in 1969. He continued to operate radio stations in Memphis and Alabama for some years. On July 30, 2003 Sam Phillips died in Memphis, TN.
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