On the road: Sun Studio

“Elvis was a hero to most/But he never meant shit to me” – Chuck D

I’ve never thought too much about Elvis Presley, and it’s not because I don’t understand what he means to the history of rock n roll or the importance of his songs (many of which are catchy and quite listenable). I’ve never been too keen about all the hype surrounding him and his good fortune to be the right looking person at the right time. Without the moves and the snarl, Elvis probably doesn’t become Elvis.

So the idea of going to Sun Studio in Memphis was not a pilgrimage based on what Elvis has done there, but to revel in all the other great musicianship accomplished in the little studio off Union Street. It’s hard to imagine a one place marking the birthplace of songs by Elvis and Johnny Cash,  but to add Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Charlie Rich to the mix makes it one special place on Earth.

Opened in 1950, blues artists such as B.B. King, Rufus Thomas and Howlin’ Wolf recorded there, giving the small studio an important start. But it wasn’t until 1954 that things started jumping, when Elvis Aaron Presley was asked by owner Sam Phillips to come in to record. The recording, That’s All Right (Mama) became a sensation, sealing the studio’s reputation. Later records from Cash and Jerry Lee made the place legendary, and an unforgettable meeting with Perkins, Presley, Lewis and cash (the million dollar quartet) in 1955 was remembered in sound and photo, with a picture of the four hanging prominently on the studio wall.

There are places that in every genre are sacred, and when it comes to the history of music, Sun’s inner studio is one of those places. I certainly felt humbled to be standing in the spot of legends, even if one of them was never my cup of tea.