On December 4, 1956 Carl Perkins, who had a big hit with his song “Blue Suede Shoes” was recording some new songs at Sun Records in Memphis, TN. Sam Phillips, the legendary founder of Sun Records wanted to fatten up the instrumentation on the session so he brought in a young musician he had just signed to play piano. His name was Jerry Lee Lewis.
Yes – that Jerry Lee Lewis. He was virtually unknown outside of Memphis at the time. Sometime in the afternoon a former Sun Records artist named Elvis Presley stopped by with his girlfriend to visit Phillips. Before you knew it, Perkins, Presley, and Lewis started singing songs they all knew. They were joined by Johnny Cash who also recorded for Sun and had come by to listen to the recording session. As the four of them talked and sang, the recording engineer decided to record it.
Phillips, always the promoter, called up the entertainment editor of the Memphis Press-Scimitar who came over with a photographer. The next day there was an article about the session titled “The Million Dollar Quartet.”
The tapes sat around for years after Sun Records was sold in 1969. They were rediscovered in 1981, released in Britain, and the legend was born. The stage musical, written in 2007 by Floyd Mutrix and Colin Escott, has played in Chicago, on Broadway, in London’s West End, and both National and International tours, and Regional Theatres like ours pretty steadily ever since!
The Fireside is thrilled to bring back this very popular show for another exciting run. Everyone loves the music, but the show also reveals a compelling human story about success, loyalty, and making choices in life. Join us for the story and live music that will, in its own way, be just as exciting as the original jam session!
Record Producer Sam Phillips was the man responsible for the once-in-a-lifetime event that became the musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET. Known as the “Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll” after discovering both Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, he was trained as a DJ and sound engineer. His recording company, Sun Records, produced more rock and roll records than any other label of its time. He looked for innovation and encouraged his artists to experiment with their personal style.
You can hear more of Sam’s story along with those of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis who make up the “Million Dollar Quartet” through July 19th The Fireside!