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Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips, born on January 5, 1923 in Florence, Alabama, was a
songwriter, record producer, and disc jockey. He grew up on a farm and developed
an early appreciation for music after hearing black laborers sing in the fields.
In 1945, Phillips began working as a DJ and radio engineer at WREC in Memphis.
On January 3, 1950, he opened the Memphis Recording Service, which later became
Sun Records. Phillips recorded various artists including B.B. King and Howlin'
Wolf before producing "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats,
considered one of the first rock a...
