Music Venue

Sun Studio

Name: Tools 4 Music
Address: US
Price range: Free

Recording studio at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins recorded their first sessions. Now a National Historic Landmark and tourist attraction that still records artists.

Memphis, USA

250 capacity

Est. 1950

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Music Genres

rock-and-rollbluescountryrockabilly

About Sun Studio

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Sun Studio is a recording studio and tourist attraction at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. Opened in 1950 by Sam Phillips as the Memphis Recording Service, it is the birthplace of rock and roll, where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison recorded their first sessions. The studio was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. It continues to operate as a working recording studio and offers daily guided tours to approximately 500,000 visitors per year.

History and Cultural Significance

Sam Phillips opened the Memphis Recording Service in January 1950 in a small storefront at 706 Union Avenue. His initial business model was recording weddings, funerals, and local musicians for a fee. Phillips also recorded blues artists including Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, and Rufus Thomas, leasing the masters to Chess Records in Chicago and other labels.

In 1952, Phillips founded Sun Records to release recordings himself. The label's first hit was "Bear Cat" by Rufus Thomas in 1953, an answer song to Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog." The breakthrough came on July 5, 1954, when Elvis Presley recorded "That's All Right" during a break in a session. Phillips had been looking for a white singer who could deliver the energy and feel of Black rhythm and blues music. The single, backed with "Blue Moon of Kentucky," sold 20,000 copies in the Memphis area and launched Presley's career.

Between 1954 and 1960, Sun Records released approximately 226 singles. The label's roster included Carl Perkins ("Blue Suede Shoes"), Johnny Cash ("I Walk the Line"), Jerry Lee Lewis ("Great Balls of Fire"), Roy Orbison ("Ooby Dooby"), Charlie Rich, and Junior Parker ("Mystery Train"). The December 4, 1956 session that brought Presley, Perkins, Lewis, and Cash together at Sun Studio became known as the "Million Dollar Quartet" and is one of the most famous impromptu recording sessions in music history.

Phillips sold Elvis Presley's contract to RCA Records in November 1955 for $35,000 (equivalent to approximately $400,000 in 2026). He sold the Sun Records catalog to Shelby Singleton in 1969 for $1.4 million. The studio at 706 Union Avenue ceased regular operation as a commercial recording facility in 1960 and was used for various purposes, including as a tire shop and an auto parts store, before being rediscovered and restored.

How the Venue Operates Today

Sun Studio operates as a dual-purpose facility: a tourist attraction with guided tours and a working recording studio available for private bookings.

Tours: Guided tours run daily from 10:00 AM to 6:15 PM, departing every hour on the half hour. Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $13 for seniors and students, and $8 for children ages 5 to 11. Children under 5 enter free. Tours include access to the original recording room, the listening room with vintage recordings, and the museum upstairs with original instruments, photographs, and memorabilia. Visitors can hold the microphone that Elvis Presley used in 1954 and stand in the exact spot where he recorded "That's All Right."

Recording sessions: The studio remains available for private recording sessions. Artists can book the facility to record in the same room where the original Sun Records sessions took place. The studio uses a combination of vintage equipment and modern recording technology. Session bookings are arranged directly through the Sun Studio website. Rates and availability vary depending on the project. Contact the studio through sunstudio.com for current pricing and booking information.

Live events: Sun Studio occasionally hosts small live performances and broadcast events, typically in conjunction with Sirius XM Radio, which maintains a studio on the premises. These events are limited to approximately 250 attendees and are usually invitation-only or tied to specific promotions.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

Sun Studio is not a traditional live music venue. Independent artists cannot book it for concerts in the conventional sense. Its relevance to independent artists falls into two categories: recording and education.

Recording at Sun Studio: Artists who book a session at Sun Studio gain access to a room with extraordinary historical resonance. The studio's acoustics are unchanged from the 1950s. The walls, ceiling, and floor are original. For artists recording rock and roll, rockabilly, blues, or country, tracking in this space provides both creative inspiration and a marketing angle. Albums recorded at Sun Studio can legitimately claim a connection to the birthplace of rock and roll, which carries promotional value for press releases, social media, and album liner notes.

The practical consideration is cost. Recording at Sun Studio is not cheap. Session rates are not publicly listed and must be negotiated directly. Artists should expect to pay premium rates compared to standard studio time in Memphis, which typically runs $50 to $150 per hour for commercial studios. Factor in travel, accommodation, and production costs when budgeting a Sun Studio session. Use our Tour Revenue Calculator to model whether a Memphis tour stop can offset recording costs.

Educational value: Touring Sun Studio provides direct insight into how Sam Phillips engineered recordings with minimal equipment. The studio used a single microphone, an Ampex 350 tape recorder, and a small mixing board. Phillips created slapback echo by routing the signal through a tape delay. Understanding how these recordings were made helps artists appreciate that great records come from performance and acoustics, not from plugin chains and unlimited tracks.

Drawbacks and Things to Consider

Sun Studio is primarily a tourist attraction, not a working concert venue. Do not expect to book a live show here. The venue's capacity for live events is approximately 250, and such events are rare and typically arranged through corporate partnerships rather than open bookings.

The tour experience is designed for general tourists, not audio professionals. If you visit expecting a deep technical tour of the recording chain, you may be disappointed. The guides cover the history and cultural significance thoroughly but do not go into engineering detail unless asked. Independent artists with production knowledge should ask specific questions during the tour, as the guides are generally knowledgeable and will go deeper if prompted.

Memphis has an active live music scene with venues that do book independent artists. If your goal is to perform rather than record, target venues like Minglewood Hall (1,200 capacity), Lafayette's Music Room (250 capacity), or the Hi-Tone Cafe (300 capacity). Beale Street also has multiple venues that book touring acts, including B.B. King's Blues Club (500 capacity) and Rum Boogie Cafe (400 capacity).