Geoff Duncan

Sam Phillips died yesterday; he was 80. Say what you want about him (it may well be true) but as the owner of Sun Records and the producer-"discoverer" of many of Sun's early artists - including Elvis, B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Howlin' Wolf - Phillips put a huge mark on modern culture. His direct influences as a record producer are still felt: his recordings had tremendous, often emulated sound.