Profiles of Popular and Extraordinary Radio Personalities

Sam Phillips

Born: January 25, 1923 in Florence, Alabama
Died: July 30, 2003 of respiratory failure

Radio: While a student in high school, Phillips started working as a DJ at a small, 250 watt Radio station in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. During World War II, he provided services to WREC, Memphis, including engineering broadcasts of big bands from the roof of the Peabody Hotel. Phillips was later a Radio station owner including WLVS, Memphis and four others in Alabama.

Claim to Fame: Phillips was the founder and owner of Sun Records in Memphis. (It actually began in 1949 as "Memphis Recording Service" and becamse Sun Records in 1952)

Phillips discovered Elvis Presley when he was an 18-year-old truck driver. Phillips recorded Presley's version of "That's Alright Mama" in 1954. Two days later, it first aired on a Memphis Radio station and that began Presley's phenomenal career.

Phillips sold Presley's contract to RCA Records in 1956 for $35,000 - a fraction of what the singer would ultimately be worth.

Sun Records also became the home for other Rock 'n Roll pioneers including: Ike Turner, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.

Postscript: Phillips sold Sun Records in 1969 and although Phillips never recaptured the glory of those early days of Rock 'n Roll, he invested his profits wisely and died a millionaire at the age of 80.