The Birthplace of Rock n Roll, Sun Studio, has the distinction of many of the greats getting their start in music and recording here beginning in 1951. The first record to be recorded was Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, with the single Rocket 88, although it was more of a rhythm and blues record to my untrained ear.
Sun Studio
I had never heard of that song when I made my visit with my dad on a hot Memphis day in July. The song was actually written by Ike Turner, who was at the keyboards for the recording. Check it out on You Tube and judge for yourself.
Did you know that Carl Perkins recorded Blue Suede Shoes before Elvis Presley? It didn’t do as well as Elvis’s version, but it was still pretty popular.
Music History
The undisputed King of Rock n Roll, who got his start at Sun Studio, was of course the King himself, Elvis Presley. His start didn’t just fall into place either. He had to work for it, and as they say, the rest is history. It was quite humbling to stand it in the same place and walk in the footsteps of the greats of rock and roll and other genres of music.
Sun Studio Tour
Radio Station WHBQ
Sun Studio sits at the corner of Union and Marshall Avenues, in Memphis, Tennessee and the building is actually a triangle. When you walk in the building, you walk into a little soda shop with old records all over the walls. Your tour begins on the top floor, in a room with radio station WHBQ and many of the memorabilia collected over the years. Hear stories of the radio station and DJ Howlin’ Wolf. Interesting fellow.
B.B. King Memorabilia
Elvis Presley and a Childhood Friend
After the memorabilia room, your next and final stop is the actual recording studio where some of the greats got their start in the music business. The list of these most talented people includes Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and of course, Elvis Presley. In this room you can stand on the actual spot where these greats stood to record their hits and listen to some of the stories of their time in the studio.
Impromptu Magic
One of the best stories is of the impromptu session of what was later called the Million Dollar Quartet. It included Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, who just happened to all show up at the studio at the same time. Oh to be in the room when that magic happened. Hear the whole story on your tour.
The Million Dollar Quartet
Sun Studio isn’t a large place, but you can feel the music come alive on your tour through the studio. I really loved visiting and hearing all of the history and the stories. So much talent to come out of one place and really, the change of music history with the new genre of Rock n Roll, which happens to be my favorite kind of music.
My Dad and I – sure love this guy
About Sun Studio
Sun Studio has tours daily from 10 am to 6 pm and then the doors close, so more music can be made. All of these years later, it is still an active studio, with the same floor; walls and ceiling that started it all. Even my favorite band, Def Leppard, has recorded at the Birthplace of Rock n Roll, Sun Studio. That’s good enough for me.
More Memphis Music History
What a cool place! I have tried to explain the evolution of music to my kids and I think some music history travel may be what’s needed. Was thinking Detroit, but Memphis might be a better option. Thanks for planting the seed!
Memphis would be an excellent place to take them. There are so many places to explore to really get the feel of the music history. It’s quite impressive.
Wow! I wish I visited such an epic place like Sun Studio. I guess the atmosphere is fantastic!
It’s a very interesting place to spend some time. We enjoyed it a lot.
Such a cool place! I really need to research about Memphis now. I barely know anything about the city and now to find that this place is pretty much the birthplace of rock and roll – so so interesting! The studio seems like an amazing place for a music lover.
It really is. There are so many places in Memphis just like that too.
Wow birthplace of music! Such an interesting place.
Knowing about it for the first time, glad they are maintaining it well.
It’s a pretty great place. It’s actually still in use for recording, so that’s really amazing.
There’s so much about Memphis that I don’t know. Would love to see it through the lense of the history of music. Great pictures!
I learned a lot, thats for sure. Thank you.
So much history in that little studio. How interesting that Def Leppard recorded there, I need to visit to hear the backstory on that!
I think it was just a song after a concert, not a whole album. Since I love them so much, it was neat to hear.
So awesome to know that Elvis Presley got his start at Sun Studios! And also so cool to know that it’s still an active studio, after all these years. The tour sounds like a fantastic experience! 😀
It was really a great time with my dad.
Heard a lot about Memphis and Sun Records and of course Elvis. Glad to see a blogpost on this place. A musical vacation here reminds me of the film Mystery Train.
I haven’t seen that film. We saw a lot of music history in our 9 months in Memphis.
Who doesn’t know Elvis Presley, right? Going o a tour in a music studio is like being alive and the music so much gets in you! Nice, you like rock n roll music while I prefer pop! Although I also listen to rock when I wanna have extra brighten up my day! And oldest pictures here at Sun Studio are one of the coolest!
I fell in love with rock and roll when I was a teenager and still love it. The pictures in Sun Studio were so incredible to see.
Good to know where the rock n roll came from! 🙂 Eventhough I am quite younger, I still love that music and all the movies that were made about rock n roll guys, especially Johnny Cash 🙂 This kind of museums is definitely must visit!
It’s all so interesting. Johnny Cash was such a talented man, with a very unique voice.
Would have loved to be there just to witness the “million dollar quartet” always fascinated me for its time. To be able to convince all those guys to be in the same place at the same time.
The thing that is really neat about the Million Dollar Quartet is that they were all there at the same time by coincidence. They sang together, but didn’t know they were being recorded.
Wow, this looks like an awesome place to visit! I’d love to just soak up the vibes of all of the super talented people who have recorded at Sun Studio. I had no idea about the Million Dollar Quartet – I’ll have to take a tour myself to find out more! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Do take that tour if you’re in Memphis. It was so interesting. I would love have been a fly on the wall when the Million Dollar Quartet were playing together. Such talent!