Sun Studio

Yesterday was a good day as we remembered our friend and legendary Sun Studio drummer JM Van Eaton with a brass note on Beale Street. JM was the beat behind some of Sun’s biggest hits including Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shakin.” He was also a founding member of Billy Lee Riley’s “Little Green Men.” A who’s who of Memphis music was in attendance including the son of Sam Phillips, Jerry Phillips. JM was such a cool cat. So many great memories of him hanging out with us in the cafe talking to fans and sharing stories. Always so generous with his time. We sure do miss him, but the beat goes on!

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out of 8 million listings just ranked #2 top attraction in the United States by TripAdvisor’s 2026 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best awards🏆🔥 Sun Studio is a living piece of Memphis history that has influenced modern music for decades! But that's not all👀 made #24 on this same list🥳 Love it when the world recognizes how amazing the 901 is! Click the link https://bit.ly/3RixzAB for more details on this honor🤩

We get lots of folks ask about the space next to the studio. Today it’s our gift shop and cafe. In the 50’s it was Taylor’s Restaurant, owned and operated by Dell Taylor from 1948-1977. Originally a bakery, the restaurant was often a hangout for those recording next door. Sometimes it was a makeshift office for Sam Phillips where he would drink coffee, have meetings, and occasionally sign new artists to his Sun roster including a 19 year old Elvis Presley. Upstairs was a boarding house where some of these guys used to live including Roy Orbison. We acquired the space in the early 90s after the studio had reopened as a tourist attraction. Cruise these photos and see this building through the years including a pic of Mrs. Taylor and her daughter Rosemary, plus a really cool photo from the early 70s of Sam Phillips with some neighborhood kids posing in front of Taylor’s Restaurant.

74 years ago today, Sam Phillips launched Sun Records out of his tiny studio at 706 Union Avenue.

WE WILL BE CLOSED SATURDAY!❄️🚨Big winter storm. Check here for updates. Be safe, stay warm!

Happy heavenly birthday to the coolest Daddy-O of ‘em all! Our fearless leader and founder, Mr. Sam C. Phillips!😎🎂🤘🏻

On this date in 1950, Sam Phillips opened The Memphis Recording Service and the rest is rock ‘n’ roll history! Much has been written on what took place inside that modest 18’ x 33’ room during the 50s, but history gets a little fuzzy in the 60s & 70s after Sam changed locations. Here’s a few pics of 706 Union Avenue through the years… A barber shop? A scuba repair shop? Wha? Luckily the integrity and charm of the original building was still in tact when we reopened in the 80s as Sun Studio.🤘🏻🎙️

We lost rockabilly pioneer, Hayden Thompson. He was there for it all, and shared stages with the greats. Sam Phillips cut two songs on Hayden in 1956, “One Broken Heart” and “Love My Baby.” The backing band was Roland Janes, Marvin Pepper, and JM Van Eaton. Also making his debut on these tracks was a wild-eyed piano player named Jerry Lee Lewis.

Born in Booneville, Mississippi, Thompson remained a cult favorite among connoisseurs of early rock ‘n’ roll. He enjoyed a renaissance in the 80s, and later toured Europe. Friends and family say he loved music and would share his passion with anyone who would listen. Hayden Thompson passed at 87 on New Year’s Eve.🕊️

Happy birthday Scotty Moore!🕊️