Sam Phillips has passed on

[pilsengirl]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/entertainment/6422518.htm

[DrBB]

1. Awww, shit. Now that is a passing truly to be mourned

All I can say is God bless the man. Geez, what a year for it, though. This makes me very sad.

[Hand]

2. There's a revolutionary for you!

I mean, bringing Elvis into the light opened up the American consciousness in unique ways--ways that most people didn't want it to be opened up! :D

I recall the prediction that Elvis (and later, the Beatles/Stones/ et al) would corrupt an entire generation... Well, they did, and the world's a better place for it!

Thanks, Sam! Godspeed and a swift return!

:toast:

[Abe Linkman]

3. Oh no; not another one. Too many great and good ones leaving us.

Who doesn't owe the family of Sam Phillips our deepest regrets and expression of sadness that he will now be 80, forever.

[kskiska]

4. I read the other day where Sun Records

has been declared a national landmark by Gail Norton. That is, unless they discover oil under it.

[AntiCoup2K4]

8. Well, at least she did one thing right....

....which is more than I can say for her boss...

And a landmark it is, and should always be.

Goodbye Sam :( I hope you and Elvis put together some killer stuff in God's studio O8)

[montana_hazeleyes]

5. Thank You Sam Phillips for all you did,

but especially, thank you for helping to bring us Elvis.

[pilsengirl]

6. Goodbye Sam

I am holding a personal tribute and listening to my SUN Records 3 Cd Set as loud as possible. I apologize to any neighbor that is annoyed.

[RedSock]

7. damn

crank some howlin' wolf for me.

[DemBones DemBones]

9. Sad news, but he had a pretty good run -- 80 years old, and he had

recorded a lot of great artists, both black and white.

Welcome to DU, pilsengirl! :hi: You've got good taste in music!

I saw the later thread about Sam first and pieced together some bits from his obit for those who might not know much about Sam so I'm copying that here, too, since the later thread will probably be locked.


Here's a comment from Peter Guralnick, an Elvis biographer, about Sam Phillips:

"Against all the odds and societal strictures, he set up a studio that initially recorded nothing but blues and rhythm and blues," Guralnick said. "People who had no voice, he gave them a chance to be heard. The music he gave changed the world."

Sam's former wife, Becky Phillips made a statement about how her husband operated his studio at a time when the races were segregated by law, not just by custom. According to her, the doors of the studio were

"open unconditionally - period. A person could be black, white, down on his luck, big or little," she said. "A person's color was determined by what was in his heart and soul . . . He wasn't afraid of telling the truth about talent. If you didn't have it, he never hesitated to tell you."

Because of that philosophy, Sam recorded great music: "Before Elvis ever walked into Sun Studio, Phillips had recorded Howlin' Wolf, Rufus Thomas and Little Junior Parker among others."

I went to high school in Memphis so Sun Records is important to me. Rufus Thomas was then a DJ on WDIA, which was and probably still is, a great radio station to listen to if you love blues and R&B as much as I do. Memphis is a great town for music and Sam Phillips was a big part of making it that way.

R.I.P., Sam, you did good work.

[GreenArrow]

10. Geez...a million posts for Bob Hope

and a measley 10 for Sam Philips. Hope might have been better known, but Sam did more to change the world.

Some great damn music came out of Sun Studios: Howlin' Wolf, Bobby Bland, Jr. Parker, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and of course Elvis, among others, all recorded at Sun. Train I ride, 16 coaches long...