Sun Records Accomplishments

When Sun Records, or Sun Sound, in Memphis, TN comes to mind, many people only think about Elvis Presley. Yes, Elvis Presley was a huge Rock N Roll hit that owner and founder of Sun Records, Sam Phillips, discovered, but there are many other famous artists that Sun Records recorded. Sun Records is thought to have been where Rock N Roll was born because many major artists recorded and started their own unique sound of music here, which later became known as the sound of Rock N Roll. A numerous amount of artists’ careers were shaped by the face of Sun Records label. However, several artists also made an impact on the history of what is today known as Sun Records, including musicians such as Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and of course,

In 1954, he moved to Memphis, TN while he continued working and studying to be a radio announcer. At night, he would play with two men named Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins, who were guitarists known as the “Tennessee Two”. One day, Cash visited Sun Records in hope of a recording contract; Sam Philips told him, “go home and sin, then come back with a song I can sell” (Johnny Cash). So Cash develops a “frenetic” style of music that Phillips thinks he can record and make a hit. In 1955, his first recordings (“Hey Porter” and “Cry Cry Cry”) at Sun were both released and made very successful, as Phillips had suspected. He then went on to produce many albums and entertain at numerous concerts; he became known for his black clothing and introduction as “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash” at his concerts. This was the very beginning of Cash’s career at Sun Records which later turned Cash into a legendary

After a long history of singing on TV shows and the radio to get their band’s name (Roy and The Teen Kings) out there, Roy eventually had the opportunity to sign with a label. The first label Roy and The Teen Kings signed with was a brand new record label called Je-Wel. They recorded covers of “Trying to Get to You” and “Ooby Dooby”. A few weeks later, a single was released and, simultaneously, Roy took a copy to another record dealer. The record dealer, who goes by the name “Poppa”, played it for Sam Phillips over the phone because he liked it so much, and Sam wanted them to come record at Sun Records a couple day afterwards. They re-recorded the two songs recorded at Je-Wel and then also recorded “Go Go Go (Down the Line)” at Sun Records. They were then signed to a booking a management contract by Bob Neal, owner of Starts Inc. The Teen Kings went out on an experimental tour to mostly Southern drive-in movie theaters; they toured with many other upcoming singers including Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. In June 1956, “Ooby Dooby” hit number 59 on the national charts, but the rest of the singles recorded at Sun Records never hit the charts. The Kings split up at the end of 1956, and Roy stayed at Sun Records for two more years using studio musicians to record with. Later, Roy began to make a name for himself as a solo musician with many