NPR : World Cafe

Filed Under:

Sun Studio On World Cafe

January 15, 2013
comments

As part of World Cafe's "Sense of Place" spotlight on Memphis, Tenn., we have an interview with Sam Phillips, founder of the famed Sun Studio. In 2002, a year before the legendary producer died, Phillips shared his memories of his early days making records.

Here, he describes how his poor upbringing among both blacks and whites influenced his career, creating his drive to work with everyone who walked through Sun's door despite attitudes in the South at the time. Phillips also tells the story of recording The Prisonaires, a group of long-term prisoners who produced one of the studio's first big hits, "Walking in the Rain." He also shares his thoughts on the fateful decision to sell Elvis Presley's contract to RCA in order to keep Sun running — and discusses his personal relationship with The King.

Copyright 2013 WXPN-FM. To see more, visit http://www.xpn.org/.

Arts & Culture

NPR

China Builds Museums ... But Will The Visitors Come?

China is on a spree to build world-class museums and has opened about 100 of them annually in recent years. Two of the biggest opened on the same day last fall on opposite banks of Shanghai's Huangpu River. But filling these museums — with both art and visitors — is proving more challenging.

Food

NPR

Nutrition Group Says Chocolate Milk Is OK, No Need For Aspartame

The nation's largest group of nutritionists is urging the FDA to reject the dairy industry's petition to change the definition of milk. The petition aims to allow aspartame or other alternatives to be used to sweeten milk in an effort to boost consumption in schools.

Politics

NPR

Former IRS Head To Senate: It Wasn't My Fault

Douglas Shulman, who led the IRS during the years when agency workers targeted tax-exempt applications from conservative groups, did his best to deflect accusations from unhappy senators.

Technology

NPR

Microsoft Reveals New Xbox One Game System

Microsoft unveiled its new Xbox One Tuesday, displaying a device that takes new steps in game consoles' journey into becoming all-purpose entertainment and communication devices. The new console replaces the Xbox 360, which has been on the market for more than seven years.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.