Dear Friends,                                               “I think I'd be remiss not to record this.”

                                                                      for Jack Clement

“This” happened 69 years ago, December 4, 1956, and Jack Clement, sound engineer at Sun Records, was absolutely right, and we all owe him a vast debt of gratitude. We have the recording! And if you haven’t listened to it in a while, now’s the time! The occasion was also recorded in an “iconic” photo.

Sun Records Studios, Memphis, December 4, 1956. During the entirely impromptu session, Sam Phillips (you do know who Sam Phillips is, don’t you? Sun Records – Sam Phillips), called a local paper who sent over a reporter and photographer – Sam knew a  miraculous happening when he saw it. The next day’s article had the title “Million Dollar Quartet”, and that’s the name ever since. At the time, though, Johnny, Jerry Lee and Carl were hardly known at all, Elvis, who had moved on to RCA, was known only a little better. The woman sitting on the piano is Marilyn Evans, Elvis’ girlfriend at the time.

And here we are. Not that 1956 was so great, though Sam Phillips was one of those who changed things and pushed them forward. And just think: by accident you have four kids playing together, and you know they’re all going to be great … and all you’ve got to do is call the local paper, headline next day, and we’re off. What happened in Memphis mattered, and a lot of that was due to Sun Records. If local radio stations picked something up it would spread.

No great message here, just remembering something not only good, but cool!

Love and solidarity,

            Bobby