Memphis Attractions

Sun Studio

Visitors who come to Memphis to pay homage to Elvis Presley inevitably are also keen to visit the legendary recording studio in Union Avenue where the King of rock ‘n roll’s career, and that of numerous other stars, began. The story is that Elvis first walked into the Sun Studio in the early 1950s to record a song as a birthday present for his mother. The rest is musical history, now enshrined in the studio that also launched the likes of Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis on the road to stardom. Visitors to the studio can hear outtakes from recording sessions, touch Elvis’ first microphone, view a great deal of memorabilia and listen to anecdotes. Alongside the studio is the Sun Studio Café, a diner that retains its 1950s style and is still a favourite musician’s hangout.

Address: 706 Union Avenue; E-mail: info@sunstudio.com; Website: www.sunstudio.com; Telephone: (901) 521 0664; Opening time: Daily 10am to 6pm, with public tours starting every hour on the half-hour, from 10.30am to 5.30pm; Admission: $12 per person; children under 12 free; children under three not allowed