'The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll': New book explores Sun Records' legacy, Sam Phillips' impact

In March of 1952, Sam Phillips put out the first release on Sun Records: “Drivin' Slow,” an instrumental by teenage saxophonist Johnny London. The song would be the modest starting point in a remarkable odyssey for Phillips and his label, which would go onto launch the careers of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins among others, as well as shape the history of rock 'n' roll and alter global culture forever.

Now, a new coffee table book looks back on Phillips’ achievement as part of Sun’s 70th anniversary.

“The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll: The Illustrated Story of Sun Records & the 70 Recordings that Changed the World” (Weldon Owen/Insight Editions) features the work of music history heavyweights Peter Guralnick and Colin Escott exploring Sun’s legacy, a foreword by recently departed Sun star Jerry Lee Lewis, an afterward by Phillips’ son Jerry Phillips, and more than 250 pages of fascinating stories, photos and ephemera.

Between them, Guralnick and Escott have documented Sun’s story authoritatively and entertainingly over the years: Escott with his 1991 label history, “Good Rockin' Tonight: Sun Records and the Birth of Rock 'n' Roll,” and Guralnick with his 2015 biography, “Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll.” But this marks the first proper collaboration between the two esteemed music historians.

“It was a great pleasure to work with Colin after knowing him all these years and drawing on so much of his work, and having so much respect for him,” says Guralnick, who also co-curated a massive Phillips retrospective at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville in 2015. “Although we didn’t collaborate directly, just being able to help shape it jointly was wonderful.”

Memphis music history:Inside look: How Sun Studio's music and magic have carried on for almost 70 years

Remembering The Killer:Jerry Lee Lewis: Fans, peers pay last respects at Mississippi funeral home

Guralnick credits the book’s editor, Karyn Gerhard, with pulling together the project’s various strands. “Karyn worked and worked and would not give up or say no or quit until she had found the right images, got the design that matched the subject,” says Guralnick. “When you do a project like this where you don’t totally control it, you only hope it may come out a certain way — and it may or may not. But it’s rare that something can match your imagination to its fullest extent, and that happened with this book.”

Divided into multiple sections — including a pair of label histories by Escott, documenting Phillips' ownership of the company and its later purchase by Nashville music entrepreneur Shelby Singleton — Guralnick takes on the task of exploring Sun through 70 different recordings.

“What I thought of in doing the book was to tell the story of Sam and Sun in a different way, and that’s through the records,” says Guralnick. “The choice of the records, they may not necessarily my favorites, though some are. Or necessarily Sun’s greatest sides, though many could be. But it was to try and look at the different directions Sun could have gone in, and what Sam might’ve been thinking with different artists.”

In the process of selecting the key Sun songs, Guralnick explores the work and trajectory of lesser-known artists like Big Memphis Ma Rainey, The Miller Sisters, Charlie Feathers, Little Junior Parker and Billy “The Kid” Emerson. “There’s [Sun] artists whose influence might’ve turned out to be bigger than their recordings,” notes Guralnick. “The other thing about this music is that what makes it fascinating, and what makes you go back to it and listen to it again, is that you hear it in a different way over time.”

The same holds true for the work of Guralnick and Escott. Although both have written extensively and brilliantly about the Sun universe over the years, “The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll” finds both authors coming at a familiar subject from new and different angles.

“That’s what made it really fun to do. Reading Colin’s historical contributions, I think he used a fresh and flowing tone to tell the story. Which is not taking anything away from his previous work, but it made it feel new,” says Guralnick. “I think it was the same for me. I don’t want to say I finally found my voice with this book after writing about Sam and Sun for so long, but it was a different and equally enjoyable experience.”

Adding to that experience is a foreword by Jerry Lee Lewis, and contributions from Sam Phillips’ sons, Jerry Phillips, and the late Knox Phillips. “How about Jerry Lee’s intro?” says Guralnick. “It really feels like his sentiment, his words, and you can hear him saying it. And it’s wonderful thing to have Knox’s words and Jerry’s included. The whole thing just felt good, and it feels good all around.”

That good feeling should carry over into early 2023, as Jan. 5 will mark the 100th anniversary of Sam Phillips' birth. Sun’s 70th and Phillips’ 100th come as the label’s catalog has entered a new period under the stewardship of New York City-based music company, Primary Wave.

Elvis trivia:Think you know everything about the King? Try to answer these questions

Memphis concerts:The Beatles, Elvis, Jay-Z and more: 15 Mid-South Coliseum concerts to remember

Originally, Phillips sold the Sun label in 1969 to Shelby Singleton. After purchasing the company from Phillips, Singleton formed the Sun Entertainment Corporation, which controlled the Sun music and logo for the next 52 years (though the Phillips family would continue to maintain a small interest in the company). Singleton died in 2009, but in early 2021 his brother, John A. Singleton, sold the Sun holdings — for an undisclosed price, though estimated to be around $30 million — to Primary Wave.

So far, Primary Wave has been aggressive in expanding the Sun Records profile, in terms of its digital presence, sync and licensing opportunities, and as an intellectual property asset.

“There’s no grass growing under their feet, let me put it to you that way,” says Jerry Phillips, who was part of Primary Wave’s celebration of Sun’s 70th during events in Nashville in October.

“They have treated our family with a lot of respect,” adds Phillips. “More important than that, though, is to treat Sun with respect. And the new book really does that. It’s a beautiful piece of work. And something I’m sure Sam would be proud of.”

At a glance

“The Birth of Rock ’n’ Roll: The Illustrated Story of Sun Records & the 70 Recordings that Changed the World”

By Peter Guralnick and Colin Escott. Foreword by Jerry Lee Lewis. Weldon Owen/Insight Editions. $60.

Available at Insightedition.com

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: 'The Birth of Rock 'n' Roll': New book on Sun Records, Sam Phillips