Sun (Records) Studio in Memphis, Tennessee is one of the most legendary origins for a genre of music in the world. The artists that have been discovered at this little studio hidden just outside of downtown Memphis is almost unbelievable. No, really… It’s mind blowing! If the names Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash (Yes, that is the same studio that Mr. Cash recorded his first songs in the film, Walk the Line!), Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, B.B. King, or Jerry Lee Lewis ring a bell, then you have my permission to be impressed. Some people have even gone as far as to dedicate Sun Records as being the ‘Birthplace of Rock & Roll.’
To be honest, I had just left the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and I wasn’t really up for another museum, because even though the Stax Museum is really awesome, featuring some of the coolest artists (and memorabilia) in Soul history, I was a little turned off at how it was set up. The Stax Museum is basically a very long read-along, and while you can learn a lot of important information, I found that my Sun Studio tour blew it out of the water! My tour guide (Jayne White) knocked the entire tour out of the park… She was entertaining and passionate, showcasing perfect timing and a wonderful storytelling ability, which made you almost believe that she personally knew Sam Phillips (the infamous Owner of Sun Records) and was present for most of the stories she told. It’s rare to find a tour guide that is equally as passionate and intimately connected with the attraction, as if it were their own baby or pride and joy.
I immediately felt that the Sun Studio experience was as authentic as could be, even down to each detail, be it the records on the walls, the antique recording equipment, the priceless instruments, and also, how they each were displayed throughout the building – nearly everything seemed to be as close as you can get to how it really was in the 1950-60’s. I found that being able to touch and feel the ever important pieces from history (like Elvis Presley’s microphone, that he had once recorded on) was a really special experience to have. Most museums seem to put as much glass between you and the objects as they possibly can afford – for albeit, good reasons, of course. One of the amazing aspects about Sun Studio to this day, is it’s still an active recording studio, that has recorded world renowned modern musicians like U2, Def Leppard, John Mellencamp, Brian Setzer, and Ringo Starr.
I immediately felt that the Sun Studio experience was as authentic as could be, even down to each detail, be it the records on the walls, the antique recording equipment, the priceless instruments, and also, how they each were displayed throughout the building – nearly everything seemed to be as close as you can get to how it really was in the 1950-60’s. I found that being able to touch and feel the ever important pieces from history (like Elvis Presley’s microphone, that he had once recorded on) was a really special experience to have. Most museums seem to put as much glass between you and the objects as they possibly can afford – for albeit, good reasons, of course. One of the amazing aspects about Sun Studio to this day, is it’s still an active recording studio, that has recorded world renowned modern musicians like U2, Def Leppard, John Mellencamp, Brian Setzer, and Ringo Starr.
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