Back in 1952, a tiny, independent record label was started in Memphis, Tennessee by a young businessman named Sam Phillips. He called the label Sun Records, and it would go on to become one of the most famous and iconic labels in American music. Legendary performers like Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis, among others, were all discovered by Phillips and signed to Sun Records between 1952 and 1969. A famous photograph taken at the Sun Records Studio of Perkins, Cash, Lewis, and Presley all sitting around a piano was nicknamed the “Million Dollar Quartet” – a name which has endured when talking about the four performers during their time at Sun Records.
And now, a new TV series premiered on CMT last night called, Sun Records, based, of course, on Sam Phillips and his historic record label. But, I’m not here to talk about that new series today… instead, I’d like to tell you about another Sun Records inspired attraction – a new eatery in Downtown Nashville called the Sun Diner. Continue reading