Remembering Sam Phillips (January 5, 1923 – July 30, 2003)

Photo: Rosco Gordon & Sam Phillips

"If you know one thing about Sam Phillips — and you probably do, if you grew up on rock ’n’ roll — it’s that he discovered Elvis Presley. But award-winning author Peter Guralnick, who talks about his new biography of Phillips, says that even though Phillips was justifiably proud of that achievement, he routinely steered conversations about Presley back to the blues artists who preceded him.

“He never failed to bring the conversation around to Howlin’ Wolf,” said Guralnick. Phillips believed that Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and other rock and country musicians he made famous were great musical artists

— “but never above Little Junior Parker or Howlin’ Wolf,” Guralnick said.

From the very beginning, said Guralnick, Phillips had an inclusive, “Whitmanesque” vision of a music that would break down racial barriers, giving voice not only to African Americans, but to poor whites as well — a visceral, rhythmic, straightforward music that spoke of pain and promise, joy and despair. In other words, what we came to know as rock ’n’ roll."

By Paul de Barros / Seatle Times 

Don's Tunes

Now I love Sam Phillips for this and his roots were absolutely engrained in black music; the blues and R ’n’ B of Black America. The discovery of Elvis speaks to many (all? ED) but that he was listening and recording everyone from the area without any segregation, no prejudice and just hanging on the music speak volumes about the man is far more interesting to me than the promotion of one man no matter what you think of him!

 

Roscoe Gordon “Chicken in The Rough” 1957 Film “Rock Baby Rock It” 

This is to be, in my opinion, the best documentary on SAM PHILLIPS. This is a A&E Biography Channel UK Documentary of the man who changed the world of music. Profiling Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records in Memphis, TN., who discovered Elvis Presley and who has been called the "Father of Rock and Roll." Included: archival footage and comments from Ike Turner and Jerry Lee Lewis. Host: Billy Bob Thornton.

Part One

Part Two