Memphis, Tennessee: Sun Studio's Million Dollar Quartet and Rock's Golden Age

Memphis, Tennessee. In 2015, musical artist Jack White paid $300,000 for a 78 RPM record at auction. The record was of Elvis Presley singing the songs My Happiness and That's When Your Heartache Begins. It was the first record Elvis ever made. That $300,000 price tag is a far cry from the $4 that Elvis originally paid to make the record at Sun Studio, a place I recently visited. Elvis wanted to hear what his voice sounded like on vinyl, so he sang those popular songs and gave the 78 to his mother as a gift. TIMELINE 1819: on the banks of the Mississippi River. 1878: yellow fever epidemic. 1950: by Sam Phillips, who is not related to Dewey, by the way, and Marion Kiesker. 1968: a strike by black sanitation workers attracted the attention of Martin Luther King Jr. WHY THIS MATTERS The story of Memphis is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know. Episode 68 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters If you liked this: Episode 175 (Athens, Tennessee) Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-historyAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy