Sun Studios

Sun Studio, located at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, is renowned worldwide as “The Birthplace of Rock’n’roll.” Opened by Sam Phillips in 1950, originally as the Memphis Recording Service, the studio and its subsequent label, Sun Records, were instrumental in pioneering the “big bang” of rock and roll by blending blues and country music. It served as the discovery location for a host of musical legends, including B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Ike Turner, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison, and is where “Rocket 88” was recorded in 1951, widely considered the first rock and roll single.

Today, the designated National Historic Landmark serves a dual purpose as both a tourist attraction and a working recording studio. Guided 40-minute tours are offered daily from 10:00 AM to 5:15 PM, allowing visitors to stand in the very same spot where Elvis first recorded and hear the inside stories and outtakes from legendary recording sessions. After the day’s tours conclude, the studio continues its legacy, offering nightly recording sessions for musicians starting at $200 per hour. The studio is located one mile from Beale Street and the river at the corner of Marshall and Union.