"Don't Be Cruel"
by
Don Pittman
(See photo at bottom of page)
Sun Recording Studio
The microphone in front is the same one Elvis was using in the picture.
"VISIT TO THE 'SUN' "
PEABODY HOTEL
This hotel is located on Main street and overlooks the Mississippi River,and is widely known for the famous 'Peabody ducks'. These famous ducks are brought down twice a day for feeding and show - they come down on the elevator (with their trainer), and walk to their feeding at the fountain (by the way, there is actually a RED CARPET rolled out for them -- it's a 'sight' to see).
THE FAMOUS (PREVIOUSLY IMFAMOUS)
BEALE STREET
This downtown area has been renovated and certain parts of Beale Street blocked off and new entertainment facilities added. Here you can find a 'Hard Rock Cafe', the 'Elvis Presley restaurant', 'Rum Boogie Cafe/Blues Hall', 'Blues Museum', Lansky Brothers (where Elvis bought his 'unique' clothes), 'B.B. King's Club', and other attractions. See MEMPHISGUIDE.COM
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'Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming'
September, 1985
Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Chips Moman
(This picture is also on the wall at
Sun Recording Studio)
SUN RECORDING STUDIO
Since my early teens, I'd wondered what the Sun Recording Studio might look like, but never got around to visiting. Only last year did I learn they were having 'tours' of the old studio.
For me, this was the highlight of the day! We had to wait about 45 minutes for the tour to begin, so we had a sandwich and coke in the adjoining cafe and looked at the pictures on the wall and visited their very unique and interesting gift shop upstairs. As the tour was about to start, we chatted with a family that was also waiting and learned they were from Nashville. The tour itself was so much fun, because the guide (a very well-informed and enthusiastic young lady) MADE it fun! Toward the end of the tour, there was a commotion of some sort in the back of the room and the guide asked if she had said something wrong (we couldn't see what was happening), then the guide continued. After she had completed her talk, she was told that Johnny Cash's daughter and her family were in the group (back where the commotion was). She said she hoped she had done a good job and told Johnny's daughter (can't remember her name, but it wasn't Rosanne or Cindy) that she should have told her who she was. The daughter said she had wanted to hear what the guide had to say without her knowing who she was and that she had done an excellent job. I'm still not sure, but I think the commotion was caused by the daughter getting emotional when the guide started talking about her father, Johnny. She and her family were very nice and friendly and that just made the tour that much more special. Even if we had not had such a distinguished guest in our presence, the tour would have been wonderful. There was such a 'spiritual' feeling in the room, which housed a lot of the original Sun Studio equipment and the mike that Elvis and others used when they recorded there.
A tour of a VERY SMALL room full of VERY SPECIAL musical history!!!
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NOW take a look at some other outstanding
PHILLIPS/SUN RECORDING STUDIO
talented artists
Jimmy Harrell, Alton Lott, Wray Hixson, Roland Janes (THE guitar on practically all of the old Sun hits) Bobby Joe Swilley and Don Pittman.
Roland Janes & Bobby Joe at Phillips Recording Studio (April, 2000)
and
Bobby Joe and Alton Lott at (Looks like Golf Course to me) -WHO WON???
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Thanks!!
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