Monday in Memphis: Sun Studio

I visited Memphis back in 2009 and Sun Studio was at the top of my “must see” list. Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2003, Sun Studio is synonymous with the discovery of Elvis Presley. Owned and operated by Sam Phillips, Sun Records became known for giving local area artists their start in the recording biz, such as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, B.B. King, and Charlie Rich. Not a bad lineup, huh? Edited from the Sun Record website page on Elvis Presley: 

In the summer of 1953 Elvis drops by The Memphis Recording Service, home of the Sun label and makes a demo acetate of “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin” for a cost of about $4.00. (The studio came to be known as Sun Studio though never officially named that until the 1980s. For simplicity this text uses the name Sun Studio.) The studio owner isn’t in, so his assistant, Marion Keisker handles the session.

Want to see Marion’s desk?



And here’s Marion:



Elvis wants to see what his voice sounds like on a record and he has aspirations to become a professional singer. He takes the acetate home, and reportedly gives it to his mother as a much-belated extra birthday present. By the fall, he is working at Precision Tool Company, and soon changes jobs again, going to work for Crown Electric Company. A year later, at Marion Keisker’s suggestion, Sam Phillips calls Elvis into the studio to try singing a song Sam hopes to put out on record. The song is “Without You” and Elvis does not sing it to Sam’s satisfaction. Sam asks Elvis what he can sing, and Elvis runs through a number of popular tunes. Sam is impressed enough to team Elvis up with local musicians Scotty Moore (guitar) and Bill Black (bass) to see if they, together, can come up with something worthwhile. Nothing really clicks until July 5, when after a tedious session, Elvis and the guys break into a sped-up version of Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s “That’s All Right.” This song, backed with Blue Moon of Kentucky becomes the first of five singles Elvis will release on the Sun label. Flash forward to November 1955: Elvis signs his first contract with RCA Records. Colonel Parker negotiates the sale of Elvis’ Sun contract to RCA, which includes his five Sun singles and his unreleased Sun material. The price is an unprecedented $40,000, with a $5,000 bonus for Elvis. RCA soon re-releases the five Sun singles on the RCA label. At the same time Elvis signs a contract with Hill and Range Publishing Company, which is to set up a separate firm called Elvis Presley Music, Inc. Elvis will share with Hill and Range the publishing ownership of songs bought by Hill and Range for him to record. Elvis is the hottest new star in the music business.

The recording studio at Sun:





From the Sun Studio tour page:

Sun Studio is known worldwide as “The Birthplace of Rock’n’roll”. Today our goal is to spread the story of Memphis’ history and culture through the music that put Memphis on the map. Stand in the very same spot that Elvis first recorded. Your tour guide will tell you the inside stories of B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf and Ike Turner before Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, & Roy Orbison who were all drawn to the new Sun Sound. See the priceless memorabilia from the musical legends that blended blues and country music to explode in the "big bang" of Rock'n'roll. Hear the voices of musicians that still haunt this studio, as you listen to outtakes from recording sessions and feel the energy of the music created here.

I didn’t see any ghosts, but I sure enjoyed seeing the vintage equipment, photos, and memorabilia!



Elvis has nothing to worry about.



Below is Elvis’ cow hide guitar case, from the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show which aired on January 28, 1956. This item was on loan from Graceland.



Elvis’s diploma from L. C. Humes High School, circa 1953:



This RCA lathe recorder is what put the grooves in the vinyl:



Atop this vintage radio is Elvis’ Social Security card:





This jacket was worn by Elvis in 1954 at the Arkansas Municipal Auditorium in Texarkana (named after Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana):



Last photo for today shows the stained glass window designating the address of 706 Union Avenue for Sun Studio.



See more Sun Studio photos at my main website.

The Lorraine Motel

Back in 2009, I was in Memphis for a conference. As I typically do, I took an early morning with my camera hanging over my shoulder. When I'm in a new city for a short time, I do not want to miss capturing "that shot," thus the camera goes just about anywhere. As I was heading back to my hotel, I came upon what looked like one of those classic 1960's "No tell motels" (you know, the L-shaped buildings with two stories where just about anything and everything could happen). For some reason, this particular one really caught my attention.



The parking lot was empty except for two vintage automobiles.



And then I came upon the marker that made it apparent that I had stumbled upon the site where Martin Luther King was assassinated almost 49 years ago.



It truly sent chills up and down my spine. To be at the site where one human being decided to take away the life of another seems so unsettling to me. The amount of hate that causes that action is scary.



I hope that we can all pause and reflect today and allow ourselves to lower the temperature a bit and learn how to live respectfully with each other.



More Memphis and Civil Rights Museum photos at my main website.

Elvis for Sale

In October 2009, I visited Memphis, Tennessee for a conference. Naturally, I took a few detours to give my camera a workout, and one of them was Graceland, the estate of Elvis Presley. Recently I read online that Elvis' jets, The Lisa Marie (named after his daughter, the former Mrs. Michael Jackson) and The Hound Dog, were heading towards the auction block.



At the time I visited Graceland, the jets were on display across the street.



Takin' Care of Business, the King's trademark phrase.



The cockpit:



Purchased for $250,000 in 1975, the Lisa Marie is a Convair 880 jet from Delta Air Lines. Along with The Hound Dog, the two jets are expected to go for $10-15 million when Julien's Auctions hit the gavel.



What every tasteful home has: a gold-plated sink.



Elvis dropped another $300k on the plane's remodel, decorating it himself.



Nothing says class like plastic slipcovers.



I love the seatbelt on the bed. Would it really keep the King from rolling off?



Frankly, I'd rather have a pink cadillac.



See more Daveland Elvis Presley Graceland photos at my main website.

Memphis: Just a few more

On one of my early morning runs/photo shoots (great combo of activities!), I literally stumbled upon the site where Martin Luther King was killed over 40 years ago. With nobody around, it is somewhat chilling. Converted into a Civil Rights Museum, replicas of the two cars that were parked in front of the hotel make you feel as if you’d entered a time warp.







Later in the day, I returned to the site for a few more photos, hoping for better lighting. By this time, the museum was open and you could see Joe-Schmoe tourist walking around the rooms of the motel. Just didn’t seem right. I left shortly thereafter.

A very positive experience that I had in Memphis was being shown the Courthouse by an Officer on Duty. Even though it was closed, the recently restored building was opened up for me and my camera. How cool was that—a private guided tour! Thumbs up to Memphis hospitality!







If you’re looking for a great restaurant while in town, Daveland highly recommends the Majestic Grille, located in a former theater. You can still see remnants of the building’s past. Although it’s a shame to lose a vintage theater, adaptive re-use sure beats the wrecking ball!







See more Memphis photos at my website.

More Memphis: The Peabody Hotel

Just walking by the building, you probably wouldn’t really think twice about the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, however, it was a fantastic hotel experience for me. Full of history, it was refreshing to see this jewel was still shining; the years had not tarnished its beauty or appointments. The staff was very helpful and friendly and full of Southern Charm.



The rooms were furnished to perfection and kept immaculate. Plenty of space to relax & get refreshed in-between my conference sessions. The hotel also had a number of ammenities: a gym, pool, shoeshine stand, restaurants, and a good selection of high-end clothing stores. Quality all the way.



The lobby was gorgeous; twice a day, it was the setting for the parade of the ducks, a Peabody tradition.





Each morning, the ducks came down the elevator from their rooftop home (Duckingham Palace) to cavort in the lobby’s fountain until their 5pm curfew. Judging from the crowds of guests who filled the lobby, the parade of the ducks could put any Madonna concert to shame!





For more Daveland Peabody Hotel photos, visit my regular website.

Welcome to Memphis!

My apologies for the sporadic posting on this blog, but life gets in the way...and usually, that’s a good thing. When I’m not blogging, that means I’m out enjoying the sites and usually got my camera with me. Went to Memphis last week; 1400 photos later, I am back home. Here is a smattering of what I shot...sure had a great time. Not a single bad meal and plenty to marvel at. More to come…









See more Memphis photos at website.