Sam Phillips, the man who gave Elvis Presley his first break in the recording industry, died last week at the age of 80. Phillips, who set up Sun Records in 1952, spotted Elvis after the King used Sun Studio to record some songs for his mother's birthday. One year later, Phillips produced Presley's memorable debut single which contained 'That's All Right, Mama'.

While Presley's career altered the path of popular music and shook up 1950s culture, Phillips maintained a low profile quit the recording business in 1962. He sold Sun Records in 1969 and moved into the radio station business. His work with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Conway Twitty and Charlie Rich has also proven to have been crucial to the development and popular discovery of blues and rockabilly.

Trivia buffs will probably know that Phillips sold Elvis' contract to RCA for $35,000 in 1955. While this sits alongside Decca's rejection of The Beatles in terms of regrettable decisions, the money was needed at the time to keep Sun Studio operating.

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Tributes Pour In For The Late Sam Phillips

Transition: Sam Phillips

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