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Under the radar musical legend, Stan Kesler passed away on October 26, 2020. Stan helped shape the careers of many Sun Records artists. Here are some of our favorite songs he’s collaborated on.

Take a dive into one of our sister labels, SSS International, with a Staff Picks Spotify playlist! We’ve teamed up to curate our favorite songs, all in one spot. Here you’ll find some unknown gems from R&B, Rock, and Country artists.

Take an inside look at Linda Martell’s historic career as the first black female solo artist to play at the Grand Ole Opry. In case you missed it, during the CMA Awards, Maren Morris celebrated Linda Martell and other black female country artists as she accepted the Female Vocalist of the Year award.

A new film about Johnny Cash premiered on November 11, 2019. Johnny Cash believed he was born to sing and perform, but his gift was not without hardship. Discover the true story of Johnny’s rise, fall, and rebirth from his own words as well as those closest to him. The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash was directed by Thom Zimny, who also directed Elvis Presley: The Searcher.

To mark the golden anniversary of Sun Record’s move to Nashville after being purchased by Shelby Singleton, we’ve made all of the Sun singles available to stream in their original A/B format. You can also take a listen into some of the Sun Staff’s favorites, with our curated playlist of 50 tracks.

In 1952, Sam Phillips founded the legendary Sun Record Company and throughout the ’50s changed the course of popular music with artists like Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. 50 years ago, in 1969, Shelby Singleton, a music executive who, with his brother John, ran a stable of labels in Nashville, took ownership of Sun and the Singleton family continues to guide the legacy of Sun Records to this day. To mark the golden anniversary of Sun’s move to Nashville with the Singletons, we’re happy to announce another awesome collaboration with ORG Music and Record Store Day to present this RSD3 special collection of iconic tracks from the Sun vault, sized just right for a bit of Rock ‘N’ Roll!
This three inch record series for the RSD3 mini-turntable showcases four of the most iconic names in the Sun Records catalog: Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison. Beginning on October 18, you’ll be able to find a limited edition 3″ vinyl single from each of these four legends in your local record shop. Learn more about the RSD3 collection here: https://orgmusic.com/sun-record-company-3-vinyl-series/

Sun Records is the iconic 50’s label (in the Top 10, according to Variety) which launched the careers of the Million Dollar Quartet artists (Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins) plus others such as Roy Orbison and Charlie Rich. Sun was founded by Rock & Roll pioneer and visionary Sam Phillips in 1952 and was successful for a five year period beginning in 1954. 

The hit that helped bring Jeannie C. Riley to prominence, “Harper Valley PTA,” is being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Jeannie will join Sun legends Johnny Cash (“Folsom Prison Blues” & “I Walk the Line”), Carl Perkins (“Blue Suede Shoes”), and Elvis Presley (“That’s All Right”). “Harper Valley PTA” was produced by Shelby Singleton and released on Plantation Records in 1968, about a year before purchasing Sun Records from Sam Phillips.

As has been noted previously, Peter Guralnick’s biography, “Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock & Roll,” has been tagged for a film adaptation. Mick Jagger, one of the film’s producers, was seen in Memphis recently on a reconnaissance mission for the film, which is set to star Leonardo DiCaprio as Sam Phillips. 

The long awaited two-part documentary on the King of Rock & Roll is finally here. Elvis Presley: The Searcher is now available on demand and streaming on HBO.