Sam Phillips talks about Elvis Presley

[@vanss1935]

Thank you, Sam. I love Elvis so much. As one of Elvis' songs said "walk a mile in my shoes" try walking just a mile in Elvis' shoes before you judge him. The greatest entertainer of all time. I'm from Spain, I'm 34 years old, so I was born 12 years after he passed away in a country where he never was, but he means so much to me, I love him💙👑

[@thebadloser]

I just read his biog and in my opinion Sam was as much of a one-off genius as any of the artists he recorded. His unwavering vision for always looking for something different opened his ears to the potential of artists that nobody else would've considered worth a damn at the time. When he auditioned Elvis he kept him bashing out mediocre tunes for hours until he finally relaxed and started 'goofing around' and came up with his version of 'That's Alright Mama'. And Elvis was considered so far out on those first releases that a lot of Dj's wouldn't play his records. Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two could hardly play a note when they walked into Sun but Sam recognised something in their simplicity that intrigued him so encouraged him until he got the sound he knew he was capable of. He heard something in Carl Perkins, a poor farm boy who just walked in off the street with his guitar in a potato sack. All these guys were inexperienced kids but he recognised their potential, nurtured them and believed in them.

[@badapple65]

Elvis could have not been so generous giving away so much and live high on the hill forever. But he kept touring and pushing and kicking down doors. Truly he loved to perform more than he loved his wealth. Rare gentleman.

[@cindyphifer970]

Elvis always my favorite

[@lonewolfvigilante898]

Thank you Sam Phillips. Rest in peace.

[@lynells3060]

Thanks to Sam Phillips for the likes of Jerry L. Lewis, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and more.

[@dojjankha3496]

@Majik0715 Carl Perkins.

[@wa1ufo]

His music means so much to me.

[@1JUSTGOTLUCKY1]

Very interesting...Sam Phillips was certainly the catalyst for the rise of recording artists such as Elvis, Jerry Lee, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and many more. Thank you for this post!!

[@alberttatlock5237]

1JUSTGOTLUCKY1 he turned presely away that's a fact, same as cash, he then conned perkins out of a fortune, phillips is the king of self premotion

[@trukeesey8715]

devils

[@1JUSTGOTLUCKY1]

@@alberttatlock5237 I have read many books on Elvis and on Sam Phillips and have never heard that he turned Elvis away. He was not initially impressed with Elvis but he continued to work with him until That's Allright Mama hit the air waves. However, If it wasn't for Marion Keisker, Phillips would have never known about Elvis. He did do wrong by Carl Perkins though...

[@gaynorpatterson2915]

He was the second non musician inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. The other was Brian Epstein. Manager of the Beatles.

[@stevejohnston2715]

The "Big Bang" of Rock n' Roll occurred in the Summer of 1954, and Sam lit the match. RIP Sam Phillips.

[@annamariafacchiano1688]

God bless you, Mr Sam Phillips

[@geoffreyparsons4353]

Sam was immense . When you hear him telling Jerry lee lewis what's what you know he was a clear thinking force of nature

[@AmyWinehouse.914]

Sam always had a good word for Elvis.Let's remember is was another Sun records producer Marion Keisker not Phillips that first heard Elvis at Sun and she told Sam about him. Another day they was trying to call an unknown artist to record a song but no one answered the phone so she said "What about the kid with the sideburns?"

[@glendazentz4250]

Sam is taking the credit for Elvis & finding him .... he certainly played a big part in his beginning ..but Marion Keisker really is responsible For remembering Elvis ..for making the recording of Elvis first attempt at recording when Sam wasn’t even In the building . Everyone wants their hour of fame in Elvis .... but If Marion hadn’t done what she did when Elvis came in to Sun to first Record a song.....there would have been no career. She pushed Sam to call Elvis!..... Thanks to Marion was never acknowledged by Sam to her. Only Elvis Acknowledged he knew he wouldn’t have Been discovered if it hadn’t been for her...

[@sonic-dna7742]

Yep. Sam passed him up to go golfing. She recorded Elvis. Truth be told, Sam hated what he heard and kept putting him off

[@haro82]

Glenda you are 100% correct. I just did a tour of sun records last week and even they told the same story you just did. I was surprised.

[@rjones2213]

You are so right! She saw Elvis's potential and pushed him, Sam Phillips didn't even care for Elvis when he first heard him, it was only Marion that kept on to him to give him a try

[@hallsjuju2400]

Maybe but Sam knew what he had heard and Elvis even surprised Sam himself.

[@regenahregenah6510]

Yes,u are right.when Elvis went to receive his JAYCEE AWARD he invited Marion n introduce her to Pricilla N SAID IF WERENT FOR MARION HE WOULDNT BE HERE.

[@AcoCon7]

He certainly did usher in R&R through his vision...

[@deboisblanc]

Sam had an incredible run of success in that little SUN studio. He deserves all the credit for evaluating talent

[@cut1986]

Sam's the man but Marion found Elvis!

[@lestorhaslam]

Mr. Phillips you’re a truly privileged gentleman. R.I .P. Sir.

[@TM-fu2we]

Date? This must've been more than 20 years ago... Still Elvis goes on and on. It is truly extraordinary

[@garrieleepeck8753]

None of theses guy ever seem big headed like some of the stars now .

[@timothysullysullivan2571]

He sold Elvis's contract to RCA for $35k. That shows you how much he believed in his potential. (Equivalent to around $300k today.) He didn't find Elvis- Elvis literally walked in the door to pay for his own recording.

[@cut1986]

True, but Sun Studios was in debt and selling Elvis' contract enabled it to go on and produce the likes of Jerry Lee and Johnny along with many to follow. Do not want to omit Carl Perkins!!

[@adrinathegreat3095]

Yea because he owed Elvis money from Royalties, he wasn't interested in Elvis and turned him down, with perkins he ripped him off as well and was taken to court over unpaid Royalties. Then we've got cash recommending roy orbison, Sam wasn't interested at first. Sam did nothing more than exploit a sound that was already developing.. Bill haley and chuck Berry had already had major national and international hits before any of the sun artist's... What is interesting is how Sam always says he wanted to make the black artist's famous, they were the first artist's he had who were selling locally and making him money, but once Elvis and the white boys were selling locally he seemed to concentrate on the white acts only

[@bwana-ma-coo-bah425]

In those days you had to pay for your own recording.

[@ou8126]

Sam also bought shares in the holiday inn stocks and made a ton of money!

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

@@adrinathegreat3095 your posts a bit harsh, without Phillips you wouldn't have rock n roll happening the way it did. His contribution was important, he was a person who helped manifest talent. You make him sound like a crook... Yes he had faults later on in his personal life. And NO he didn't just exploit what was already happening like the Colonel, he helped CREATE the sound, those Elvis and Howlin Wolf cuts he recorded and engineered STILL sound amazing. He had a good ear for talent, and SOUND.

[@orangehornet57]

Sam Phillips definitely brought us a lot of very talented artists. His own charisma is evident here. At some point he changed his own image. The old photos with Elvis have him clean shaven, short hair, in a coat and tie. Those eyebrows stayed the same. Too bad he didn't give some artists their fair share of the money. He did lots of releases on his former artists. That went into overdrive after he sold the catalog to Shelby Singleton. He did keep a 25 percent share.

[@antoniosantorini9355]

Sam Phillips was a preacher

[@leonidusroberts]

We would not have Elvis or Johnny cash and many other legends if it wasn’t for this man

[@moongazer2049]

Thank you Sam

[@ROCKINGMAN]

From the stories that are told by Scotty Moore and written documentaries etc., it seemed Elvis had a shaky start with Sam. Firstly Sam has Elvis sing a song that was brought to him that was uknown and Elvis didn't sing it to Sam's liking. Elvis performs other songs for Sam. Then records Harbour Lights and I Love You Because but not deemed commercially viable until he stumbled upon That's All Right (Mama). It's the catalyst that triggers a hugh and successful enterprise. Elvis' luck was dependant on Marion Keisker, noting Elvis' name, The unidentified singer and Elvis goofing about with That's All Right. Of course thanks to Sam for allowing it all to happen.

[@atomicflash1753]

Elvis Scotty Bill and DJ would have been better artists if they stayed with Sun studio because it was raw and unlimited and Sam Phillips knew how to get the best out of the artist and out of the sound he was trying to create. Heartbreak Hotel was RCA trying to copy the sound at Sun ,can you imagine how greater that song would have sounded recorded at Sun Studio

[@AmyWinehouse.914]

@atomicflash1753 How could it have sounded greater? The song is brilliant and has been an all time blues classic ever since the single went NO1in the US and no2 in the UK at the time -not bad for a song that didn't appear on Elvis's first 3 RCA albums.

[@atomicflash1753]

@@AmyWinehouse.914 yes Heartbreak Hotel in my opinion is his greatest song , I could just imagine how it would have sounded recorded at Sun studio because Sam Phillips had the echo the slapback echo which RcA did not have , a RCA got the reveb sound by putting the microphone in an empty hall way

[@davidburkholder7360]

Would have been better? Maybe but as it stands Elvis is more well known than Jesus and that is near an absolute.

[@susanbea12]

I love Bob Joyce . I love him for his spirit and love of the Lord. Also, seeing Elvis be passionate for God melts my heart.

[@jeffreybrozek6217]

lol.. joyce is not elvis.

[@shrededwheat]

Saw your musical on a cruise ship the million dollar quartet show, fantastic .

[@robertewalt7789]

I saw it in NYC. One of the best.

[@deanadams3099]

Hair game very strong.

[@leonolanofficial4581]

Sam looked clean back then

[@richiepawlowski6848]

Ah Sam. Such a weirdo.

[@beatnix99]

Richard Pawlowski It's the weirdos who change the world... think outside the box.

[@richiepawlowski6848]

A shame you guys don't understand sarcasm.

[@alberttatlock5237]

He sure was, he's the ultimate in self promotion, he turned down Elvis and cash and then conned Carl Perkins. It was the people around him that called Elvis and cash back, Phillips would have not have bothered. Phillips also says that they were all trying to emulate him, Elvis wanted Phillips hairstyle according to him. The guy is a compulsive liar, he had a recording studio and wanted to make money, nothing else. He wasn't looking for a sound, he was looking for something to cash in on and got lucky. He just happened to be a guy in a recording studio who due to the persistence of artists and others who worked at sun eventually let these artists do some recordings. History as they say happened and then Phillips tells us how he recognised talent as soon as it walk through the door. Bullshit

[@richiepawlowski6848]

Albert Tatlock raise some good points. In truth Sam didn't think much of Elvis and his voice at first. Just another crooner. His secretary Marion Keisker actually recorded Elvis first acetate not Sam. And she's the one who persuaded him to give Elvis a call back eventually when they were looking for a singer on certain songs.

[@winemongercandy935]

Sam was my uncle. So you people don't really have much ground to stand on when you make your comments. Because I don't ever remember meeting any of you at our family gatherings.

[@katgirlblue]

He has a strange way of speaking. I always feel like he's lying, even when I know he's telling the truth. He kind of sounds like a politician trying to get elected to something.

[@katgirlblue]

@Bessie D. I love those guys! Just saying that he had the strangest way of speaking. There was a major problem with Carl Perkins though, wasn't there? He had to sue Sam to get what he owed him I think.

[@ata5855]

Ha, well said! Hit the nail on the head

[@winemongercandy935]

Ever met him, katgirlblue? Because I'm guessing that you've not. I have. He was my uncle.

[@katgirlblue]

@@winemongercandy935 why would I have met him? Is there a point to your question?

[@robjames3864]

He makes me think of a southern preacher talking.

[@FaithfulServant316]

oh stop yourself! he's just a man and human just like ev1 else. just because his gift given to him from God made him famous, ev1 has different gifts given to them also from God, that might not shine in public as much as elvis, but they are still just as valuable a beautiful person in God's eyes. worship God, not elvis. even he would tell you that.

[@malkinmalone]

Sam Philips did not have a vision for any if these artists. If he did he would have made a decent amount of money. He did not. Not because he didnt try. Simply because he was not that bright enough to see their potential if he was he would have taken the financial leap to do so. Everyone on Sun achieved success after they left sun.

[@gfunk63901]

I do not agree. Many of the people he worked with spoke about how he drew out the best in them. RCA didn’t know what to do with Elvis and so they contacted Sam for advice and that advice lead the producers at RCA to maximize the potential of Elvis.

[@roxafoxable]

It was very difficult to make it as an independent, regional record company with a handful of employees. He simply couldn’t compete with major labels. Not for a lack of intelligence. It is what it is.

[@nataliep.9047]

Bullshit. Johnny Cash had hit after hit on the Sun label right out of the gate, and Jerry Lee had the two biggest million-plus selling hits in Sun's history, and would have gone on to who knows what heights if he hadn't gotten caught being married a 13-year-old girl.