– 1954
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On this day in 1954, Elvis Presley recorded his first single, “That’s All Right,” in Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The song was written and originally performed by Arthur Cruddup; Elvis’s version sold around 20,000 copies and reached number 4 on local Memphis charts.
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Actually, Elvis wasn’t really supposed to record this song at all. He was supposed to be resting between recordings of other songs, but he started fooling around, singing a sped-up version of Cruddup’s song. Two musicians who had been playing upright bass and guitar joined in. The three musicians were having so much fun with their impromptu song that produce, a guy named Sam Phillips, asked them to start again so they could record it. It was produced as a “live” recording, with all the parts performed at once and recorded as a single track and Phillips chose not to add in any percussion or other instruments.
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Phillips managed to get the song on the radio just two days later, and Elvis’s rise to stardom began…
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Celebrate by listening to some Elvis!
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You can buy his songs here or watch-and-listen for free on You Tube, such as here.