Gold Star Oldies USA, Pop and Country News (On This Day)

Now you can hear the Dave Edwards Show on Gold Star Oldies USA " That Seventies Sound" Tuesday Morning May 12th 9:00 AM and every Tuesday. Repeat Tuesday Evening 8:00 PM

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May 14 2026

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The history of Sam Phillips before Memphis Recording Services

What Sam Phillips Did Before Memphis Recording Service

⭐ Early Radio Career (1940s)

Before he ever cut a record or opened a studio, Sam Phillips worked in radio broadcasting and engineering, which shaped his entire approach to sound and recording.

Key points from his pre‑studio years:

He originally hoped to study law, but financial hardship during the Great Depression forced him into the workforce early.
He entered radio in Alabama, taking his first disc‑jockey job in Muscle Shoals.
By 1945, he had moved to Memphis and was working at WREC, one of the city’s major stations.
At WREC, he gained experience as both an announcer and radio engineer, developing the technical skills and ear for sound that later defined Sun Records.

This period is crucial: Phillips learned microphone technique, signal flow, acoustics, and how to

work with live performers—skills he later used to capture the raw, emotional sound of early blues and rock ’n’ roll.

🎙️ Transition Toward Recording

While still at WREC, Phillips began to see the limitations of mainstream radio, which rarely showcased the Black blues and R&B artists he admired. This frustration pushed him toward creating a space where anyone with talent could be recorded.

By 1950, he left WREC and opened the Memphis Recording Service at 706 Union Avenue—initially recording artists for labels like Modern and Chess before founding Sun Records in 1952.

Before purchasing (and founding) the Memphis Recording Service, Sam Phillips was:

A radio announcer
A radio engineer
A DJ in Muscle Shoals
A staff member at WREC Memphis
A young man deeply influenced by Southern blues and gospel

Those radio years were the foundation for everything he later built—Sun Records, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the birth of rock ’n’ roll.

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Legends Remembered & Celebrated — Gold Star Oldies Tributes

May 14, 1956 — Buddy Holly's optometrist gives him contact lenses for his 20/800 vision, but he can't get used to them, so his trademark glasses stay.

Sources:
Eight Days a Week (Ron Smith)
On This Day in Black Music History (Jay Warner)
Chronology of American Popular Music, 1900-2000 (Frank Hoffman)

Birthdays Singers and Song Writers

1936 - Bobby Darin

American singer, songwriter Bobby Darin. He recorded his first million-selling single, 'Splish Splash', in 1958 followed by the hits 'Dream Lover', 'Mack the Knife', and 'Beyond the Sea'. He became politically active and worked on Robert F. Kennedy's Democratic presidential campaign. He was present on the night of June 4/5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles at the time of Kennedy's assassination. In 1973, after failing to take antibiotics to protect his heart before a dental visit, Darin developed an overwhelming systemic infection (sepsis) and died on 20th December 1973 aged 37.

1936 - Charlie Gracie

American rock and roll and rhythm and blues singer and guitarist Charlie Gracie. His biggest hits were ‘Butterfly’ and ‘Fabulous’, both in 1957. Gracie became only the second American rock and roller to bring this new art form to the British concert stage. His two extensive tours in 1957 and 1958 were topped off by headlining the Palladium and the Hippodrome in London. In the audiences, among Gracie's fans, were future rock musicians Graham Nash and members of the Beatles. He died on December 16, 2022 aged 86.

1932 - Bob Johnston

American record producer Bob Johnston who produced a string of notable and highly influential albums including; Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, John Wesley Harding, Nashville Skyline, Self Portrait, New Morning, as well as Simon And Garfunkel: Sounds of Silence, Leonard Cohen: Songs from a Room and many others. Johnson died on 14 August 2015 aged 83.

1928 - Will Jones

American singer Will Jones. He is best known as the bass vocalist for The Coasters and The Cadets. The Cadets' biggest hit was ‘Stranded In The Jungle’ and his bass vocals can be heard on The Coasters' hits ‘Yakety Yak’ and ‘Charlie Brown.’ He also sang lead on The Trammps' cover version of ‘Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart’. Jones died on 16 January aged 71 from the effects of diabetes.