That Time I Used Elvis’ Microphone at Sun Studios

The legendary Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee is celebrating its 67th anniversary this week, and it reminds me of the time I toured the site famous for making some incredible musical history.

As THIS story says, Sun Studios was opened, on Union Avenue in Memphis, this week back in 1950 by Sam Phillips. While it started out small and insignificant, Phillips and Sun Studios would eventually record the very first single for a guy named Elvis Presley. (Who went on to be kind of a big deal.)

It's a long story, which you can read HERE, but Phillips ended up selling Elvis' recording rights to RCA Studios in Nashville, and used that money to help start the recording careers of artists like Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison,  and Johnny Cash.

These days, that same legendary studio is still open-- but this time as a tourist destination and historical site. I happened to be in Memphis a few years ago (I think it was in the spring of 2010, if I recall correctly) and stopped by to see where all that musical history was made.

While parts of the really small building have been remodeled (and sell the requisite souvenirs, of course), the original studio and control room are pretty much as they were back in the 50's and 60's. And, the same microphone and piano that were used in those legendary recording sessions are still there, too.

Which, if  you're a history buff-- and use a microphone every day at your job, like I do-- was pretty cool. You can get more information on Sun Studios today at SunStudio.com.