Governor Haslam Set to Recognize Sam Phillips Recording Service on the 56th Anniversary of Opening
Halley Phillips, granddaughter of Sam Phillips and current producer/partner of Sam Phillips Recording Service, was presented a proclamation issued by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam Monday night, Sept. 12th, during The Recording Academy’s Memphis Chapter meeting. The proclamation recognizes Sam Phillips Recording Service statewide on September 17th, which is the 56th anniversary of the business’s opening.
Halley and other members of the Phillips family have worked relentlessly to make sure Sam’s legacy thrives. Just in the past month, it has been announced the Phillips family is partnering with Graceland to include a signature exhibit showcasing Sam Phillips in their new $45 million expansion. They also announced the partnership between Sam Phillips Recording Service and legendary FAME Studios for the upcoming Charlie Rich Tribute Album slated to release later this fall. The remake of Charlie Rich’s song, “Who Will the Next Fool Be” was produced by Halley Phillips at Sam Phillips Recording Service and mixed by Rodney Hall, son of Rick Hall, at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL. This collaboration marks the first time the two influential families have ever worked together.
About Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips is not just one of the most important producers in rock history; he is also one of the most important figures in 20th-century American culture. As owner and founder of his Memphis Recording Service Studio and Sun Record Company, he was the vital creative innovator at the epicenter of establishing rock n’ roll as the fresh, new, global music of the 20th-century era. He produced, recorded, inspired and launched the careers of the artists that originally defined this new musical sound… Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, B.B. King, Ike Turner, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Milton, Rufus Thomas and so many more. Sam first made his mark (and a very deep one) with electric rhythm and blues by African American performers. He will always be remembered for all of the music he created, but probably most remembered for his difference-making rock n’ roll artists, particularly Elvis Presley. After successfully outgrowing his Memphis Recording Service/ Sun Studio, Phillips opened Sam Phillips Recording service in 1960.
