Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips will always be remembered as the man who signed Elvis to Sun Records and the man who sold his contract to RCA. He had quite a roster for awhile, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbision, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and many more. He had a ear for music and was never afraid to take credit for his many accomplishments. I used to live in Memphis and have been by his studio many times. I think we all owe a great deal to Sam Phillips and his wonderful insight to bring what was then new music to the scene. Without Sam Phillips the current music we have today would have been vastly different. A job well done, Rest In Peace Sam.

What an excellent response ! Thank you.

Can't believe this thread has only one poster - audiophiles have no idea, or no taste, I don't know which (likely both). Ironically, just 3 weeks ago I traveled to Sun Studios in Memphis for the second time in my life. Sam hadn't had anything to do with it for decades, of course, but being there in the place, you're just so grateful it's been allowed to survive and is still here with us for all to experience as a pilgrimage of sorts.

While there I picked up the 8-CD box set "Sun Records: The Blues Years 1950 - 1958" on Charly. (Anyone out there not know about Phillips' huge legacy before and beyond rockabilly?) Back at home the night before the day we learned of his death, I had sat up reading the 60-page included booklet about the history of this man and 'his' music, transported back to a day when it all meant something real. It felt quite eerie the next day when I heard the news. (On our road trip, two weeks after we spent three days camping at Mesa Verde, the place began burning yet again. Then this. Just pray we didn't come to your town...)

Just like the pioneers he recorded for posterity, there cannot and never will be another Sam Phillips. Thanks, Sam.

I was also surprised that this thread got only one poster. Seems that most people - including audiophiles - do not know much about Sam Phillips - a true pioneer - and his importance in popular American music history, which is pretty sad.
The 8-CD box set "Sun Records: The Blues Years 1950-1958" on Charly (from England) is an excellent choice. There's also several wonderful box-sets of Sun recordings on the one and only Bear Family (Germany) label. Please check-it out if you can, it is really worthwhile.
Thanks for your great response.

Hard to explain, isn't it?! (I mean, the dearth of posts). I think many listeners just never realized the influence of this man and instead are wrapped up in what's "new," or passed off as new. We have short attention spans. I'll bet more people know the name of the man (Bob Johnson) who brought Dylan to prominence, but not the man who did the same for Elvis and a host of others mentioned above by Rec. I don't mean to "diss" Johnson in any way.

Otherwise, perhaps the lack of response has something to do with celebrities passing away almost daily these last few months. It's like, "oh no, not another one!"