In July 1954 Sun Records released Elvis Presley's first recording, and that record along with the four that followed on the Sun label changed popular music. Elvis developed an innovative sound that combined blues, gospel, and country, and within two years that quality made him a worldwide celebrity who went on to become one of the most famous and beloved entertainers in history. In the early 1950's, Sun Records was a small recording studio at 706 Union, owned and operated by Sam C. Phillips, and it became nationally known for giving many local artists, both black and white, their start in the recording industry. Those who recorded there included Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, B.B. King, Rufus Thomas, Howlin' Wolf, and others, and generations of musicians were affected by their work, especially by the music Elvis Presley first sang at Sun Records.
