Sun Studio: Where Rock 'n' Roll Was Born

In 1950, a former garage on Union Street in Memphis became the most important room in music history. Sam Phillips and Marion Keisker opened Sun Studio with a radical vision: record the incredible Black blues artists performing on Beale Street who were shut out of segregated radio. During Jim Crow. In a city divided by race.

What started as Memphis Recording Service became the birthplace of rock 'n' roll itself. Rocket 88—widely considered the first rock song—was recorded here. Elvis cut his first record here. The Million Dollar Quartet—Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis—held a legendary spontaneous jam session in this room. Sam's innovative "slapback delay" technique revolutionized recording. And Marion's devotion kept the doors open when money ran out.

This is the story of how a small studio with an angled ceiling and six-channel mixing board changed American culture forever. Part 1 takes you inside the space itself—the original tiles, the floor where Bill Black wore a hole with his upright bass, the microphone Jerry Lee Lewis marked with his cigar.

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Show Notes: In This Episode:

• How Sam Phillips and Marion Keisker opened Sun Studio during Jim Crow to record Black blues artists
• The story behind Rocket 88, widely considered rock 'n' roll's first recorded song
• Inside the studio: the angled ceiling acoustics, slapback tape delay invention, and original 1950 structure
• Marion Keisker's crucial role: using her own money to keep the studio running
• Why a former garage on Union Street became music's most legendary room
• Jerry Lee Lewis's cigar burn on the piano and the rivalry with Elvis it may represent

Key Figures:

• Sam Phillips - Founder, audio engineer, visionary who built Sun Studio
• Marion Keisker - Co-founder, radio personality, tape operator, unsung hero
• Crockett Hall - Current audio engineer and tour guide at Sun Studio
• Zoe Durand - Current tour guide and assistant engineer
• Jackie Brinston & His Delta Cats (featuring Ike Turner) - Recorded Rocket 88
• Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis - The Million Dollar Quartet

Timeline:

• 1950: Sam Phillips and Marion Keisker open Memphis Recording Service
• 1951: Rocket 88 recorded by Jackie Brinston (Ike Turner's band)
• 1953: Sam starts Sun Records label after seeing Rocket 88's success
• 1950s: Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins all record here
• 1959: Sam opens larger facility; Union Street studio closes
• 1987: Gary Hardy reopens original Sun Studio as museum and working studio

Tags: Sun Studio Memphis, rock and roll history, Sam Phillips, Memphis Recording Service, 1950s music history, Rocket 88, birthplace of rock and roll, Marion Keisker, American music history, Memphis history, recording studio history, Jim Crow era, Beale Street Memphis, Elvis recording studio, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Million Dollar Quartet

Category: History

Chapter Markers: 0:00 - Introduction: Standing Where Rock 'n' Roll Was Born 2:15 - Sam Phillips's Vision: Recording Beale Street During Segregation 6:30 - Marion Keisker: The Unsung Hero Who Kept Sun Studio Alive 10:45 - Inside the Studio: Original Architecture and Acoustic Design 15:20 - The Equipment: RCA Console, Ampex Machines, and Slapback Delay 20:30 - Rock 'n' Roll Relics: Jerry Lee's Cigar, Bill's Bass Hole 24:15 - The Studio Reopens: From Museum to Working Space (1987) 27:45 - Why This Space Still Matters: Engineers as Therapists 29:30 - Conclusion: Next Time on Sun Studio

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