Sun Studio

What is a trip to Memphis, if you don’t drop by Sun Records… the place where the magic began. The place where Elvis emerged as the KING of ROCK n ROLL… sort of the Holy Grail.
I have been here twice and will go back again and again.
If you don’t have the ability to go inside there is plenty to see outside and plenty of photo ops.
Several other famous singers got their start at Sun Records and they used to all tour together. Names like Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and others.
If in Memphis you have to visit and pay to take the tour.

Nice tour. Great to feel the presence of the big rock n roll legends. especially elvis… I personally recommend you see the movie elvis before going here so you feel even more like you are really there since you know a Lil bit of the history…

The tour was very informative and lots of fun. I learned a lot about Elvis’ early days, as well as many others like Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. Would definitely recommend and you will have a great time. We had a great guide too.

Clara was a fantastic guide and was passionate and knowledgeable. The exhibits are interesting and contain tonnes of music history. You can’t miss this tour!
FYI. It’s tricky to find the parking, its a tiny little road to the back which is in the middle of the intersection.

Stellar, enthusiastic, small, boutique, fun. A piece of history in bite site format. Awesome guides and cool merch. You can walk from downtown. Try for beginning or end of day to avoid the coaches.

Sun Studio is about an hour long tour. It’s a fairly small place and the tour is a pretty small group led by a single tour guide. It’s actually just two separate rooms. An upstairs room with memorabilia and the downstairs studio. The quality of the tour guide makes it or breaks it. We got a good one and her enthusiasm was refreshing. It’s a cool thing to do and think that you’re standing where a lot of amazing music went down but at the same time it’s just an old building that they charge $ 12 a person to see.

This was a highlight of a great trip. We really enjoyed taking the tour. The tour guide was super insightful and knowledgable. She made it fun! It’s not very long, but well worth the $ 12 price. I would highly recommend you do the tour. I hope to be back soon!

My dad loved coming here because he loves this kind of music so I’m giving this five stars for him. I like the little shop coffee shop area when you first enter it’s cute and the staff are nice.
Um the tour was good even for me who is not interested at all. We were a little concerned when we thought there was going be like 50 people on the tour, but it actually worked out just fine. You never felt cramped or that you were stomping on other people just by looking at things. It really is a nice slice of history if that’s important to you.
We had a girl lead our tour I think she said her name was Clara. I know she’s from South America or at least I’m pretty sure that’s what she said. She was actually interesting to listen to and she was very sweet anyone who questions so if you get a tour with her consider yourself lucky.

Sun studio was recommended by my dad as a historical must-​see. Greetings came as soon as we walked in the door and tickets for the tour were bought. Our tour guide, Lahna was a delight and worked our small group like the charmer she is. You could tell her love for music and the history of the building throughout the tour. When we entered the actual recording studio downstairs, she recreated the recording of «That’s All Right» using a few members of our group and had everyone laughing.
After the tour, we wanted to buy t-​shirts, and subsequently missed our shuttle back, so we decided to sit at the counter and order some shakes. The staff had us laughing again and treated us like we were regulars there and old friends. My dad asked what time they close and one of the guys mentioned that the last tour is at 530 and they stay until the last customer leaves. He stated that to everyone there, it is more important for the customers to have a good experience rather than the staff leave 15 minutes before that. I thought that was a really great philosophy for a business to have.

Tour was amazing, with an impassioned tour guide at the helm! The history and the info received was great! Not too long either. Well worth the price, and then some.
We were disappointed the free shuttle back and forth from Graceland was nonoperational (bus was being repaired) when we were there.
You don’t have to love music (even though we do) to love this tour!

This place was really neat. If you are a fan of music or history, you gotta stop here! They have tons of memorabilia, goodies in the gift shop, and a tour every hour on the half-​hour. Sit back, relax, get an old-​school coke in a glass bottle while you soak it all in and wait for your tour!

If you grew up in the 50’s with Elvis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbinson and Jerry Lee Lewis, this is the must see place you should visit in Memphis to see where they recorded their first hits. Be sure and take the tour. The guides are very knowledgeable and many times will give you a little «inside» information. Use you imagination when you’re there, it will really make it fun.

I actually like this place better than I did Graceland because this is where it all happened, not only for Elvis, but for so many others. You will be shocked on what the number one song ever to come out of the studio, and it is not from Elvis. Nick Redmond was our tour guide and this dude has a lot of knowledge and a lot of energy. You will get to see the very spot where Elvis recorded Thats Alright Mamma, and get to take a picture with the microphone that he used. The gift shop offers many different items and some original records and memorabilia for purchase. After you are done with the tour be sure to tip your guide, they are starving artists and they do a great job. When you are ready to leave stop up at the bar and get a chocolate malt, they are awesome, I didn’t like the strawberry one, but the chocolate was awesome.

Sun Studio. What a great place to learn some great musical history. I thought I knew a lot about what went down there, but the tour guide filled me in on some things that I had no idea about! Loved that.
Being inside of the recording studio is something else. Close your eyes and listen to what the guide plays for you and you can just feel this intense vibe of everything magical that has happened there.
It gets super busy on the weekends, obviously. We had went on record store day and called it quits after a four hour wait for a tour. That was OK though because we went back the next day! Nothing was going to hold me back. Bought a t-​shirt and pint glass and I can happily say I stood where Elvis stood when he sang his songs.

This is a fabulous tour that won’t take a great deal of your time but… you will learn a lot about the early days of Memphis music recordings, you’ll hear great music clips, and you’ll find yourself tapping your toe and humming along to some Elvis and Johnny Cash. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, entertaining and funny. After, enjoy browsing the gift shop or hop up on a bar stool and get a refreshment at the soda fountain. A well spent hour. I plan to take my 16 year old soon.

Let me start by saying that if you have never been to Sun Studio stop reading this right now and head over for a tour right now.
As soon as you step in the door you feel like you have been transported back in time. While waiting for the tour to begin we sipped on a cream soda and look at all of the great memorabilia on display. Being that it wasn’t even noon yet, we opted against getting one of their signature malts or shakes, but I instantly regretted it as other members of our group began snacking on their frozen treats.
The actual tour through the building was amazing. The sights and sounds of all the talented and groundbreaking musicians that past through Sun Studio is mind blowing. The icing on the cake is at the end of the tour you stand in the center of the studio and listen to a recording of impromptu jam session by Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash recorded decades earlier in Sun Studio.
I highly recommend anyone living in or visiting Memphis visit.

This place is full of history and culture and sites worth seeing. It is a very small building, and the grand tour is really limited to two rooms. But it is worth every penny you pay.
Our tour guide was named Lahna. She was great. Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. You could tell that she loved music and was moved by what she was doing.
Make every effort to get to Sun Studio. It’s probably the best paid tour I’ve ever been on. Right up there with the walking tour I took in Berlin, Germany.

I went with the group from Unilocal!Fantastic tour! Lots of information and a very engaging tour guide. I would certainly bring people to visit Sun Studio. I loved that not only do you get to see the museum, but you also get to go into the studio itself, that is still in use at night.
Excellent experience!

ROCK AND ROLL!
I know it sounds sorta «kitschy», but if you’re in Memphis, pop into the small, 3-​room Sun Studios. No spoilers here — But, if you have a little time, take the tour — it’s about 90 minutes and is probably the best use of 90 minutes and $ 12 that you will ever have the opportunity to spend. Very educated tour guides will take you through the history of rock and roll and blues recorded here and you will leave feeling enlightened.
BEST PART? You get to sing into the microphone used to record some of your all time ELVIS faves!

This is such a great place to take out of town guests! My friends were in love. The tours are always really fun and interesting. The tour guides keep you amused the whole time. They have a great selection in their gift shops as well. Definitely a must see if you’re new to Memphis!

holy ground! Musikliebhaber werden eine Gänsehaut bekommen.

Un lugar muy interesante si te gusta Elvis y quieres conocer más sobre él. A mi me pareció que merece la pena darse una vueltecita por ahí. Un lugar muy acogedor y agradable.

Den geschichtlichen Ausführungen meiner Vorredner ist nichts weiter hinzuzufügen. Auch hier lebt in jedem Mauerstein die Musik. Country, Rock’n’Roll, Blues und Blues. Wer das spüren will, muss hier gewesen sein. Don’t miss it !

Bien sûr c’est lieu mythique. Mais enfin quand on sait qu’au moment ou U a voulu venir y enregistrer Rattle and hum, ça n’était même plus un studio (ça a m^me été un magasin d’articles de plongée sous-​marine). Mais bon faut quand mêm y aller juste pour pouvoir le dire aux initiés.

Das historische Plattenstudo der Sun Records ist typisch für die ganze Stadt Memphis, nicht besonders spektakulär, dafür legendär. Hier haben ein paar der wichtigsten Rock’n Roll-​, Blues und Country-​Künstler ihre ersten Aufnahmen gemacht: Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, B. B. King, Roy Orbison, Howlin’ Wolf und Rufus Thomas. Manche nennen das dann die Geburtsstätte des Rock’n Roll, für andere mag es so etwas wie der heilige Gral sein.
Die Atmosphäre des Studios und der Stadt wurde exzellent in Jim Jarmuschs Film Mystery Train eingefangen. In der Episode Far from Yokahoma besucht ein japanisches Pärchen die Studios und erhält später im Hotelzimmer einen Besuch von Elvis’ Geist.

Eine weitere Sehenswürdigkeit in Memphis ist das Sun Studio. In diesem Studio nahmen und nehmen noch heute bekannte Künstler Platten bzw. heutzutage CDs auf.
Elvis Presley machte hier seine ersten Schritte Richtung Weltkarriere und nicht nur e, sondern auch etliche andere noch heute bekannte Künstler aus den 60er Jahren wie Jerry Lee Lewis, Jonny Cash, Howlin’ ‘Wolf, Roy Orbinson und viele weitere.
Im Sun Studio konnte jeder der wollte, eine Platte aufnehmen lassen, und wenn diese dem Studioleiter gefiel, versuchte er sie auch bei den Radiostationen unterzubringen.
So nahmen hier die Karrieren ihren Anfang.
Heute kann man das Studio auf einer geführten Tour, welche eine Länge von ca. 45 Minuten hat besuchen und wer will kann danach eine eigene CD aufnehmen.
Als erstes muss man eine Treppe hochsteigen und wir in einen Raum mit Glasvitrinen geführt, dort konnten wir diverse Exponate der Künstler bewundern, welche hier ihre Aufnahmen machten. Diverse Exponate werden dabei näher erklärt und mit kleinen Anekdoten versehen.
Da dies alles in Englisch passiert sollte man schon über Grundkenntnisse der Sprache verfügen, da es sonst recht langweilig wird, die einzelnen Stücke anzusehen und dazu keinen Bezug bekommt.
Nachdem wir uns dort ca. 20 Minuten aufgehalten haben gingen wir eine Treppe hinab ins eigentliche Studio.
Ein eigentlich kleiner Raum in dem nichts spektakuläres zu sehen ist. Ein paar Instrumente, ein Mikrophon aus den 60 er Jahren und etliche Fotos von Künstlern. Unser Tourführer belebte diese Exponate aber durch kleine Geschichten, die gut verständlich waren und konnte der Gruppe (ca. 30 Personen) das eine oder andere Lachen entlockten.
Wer wollte konnte sich am Ende der Tour an der Stelle ablichten lassen, an der Elvis Presley angeblich stand als er seinen ersten bekannten Song aufnahm. Die Stelle war mit einem großen X markiert. Ich muss ehrlich gestehen, dass mir das ein Lächeln abrang, vielleicht auch deshalb weil ich es nicht so spektakulär fand, ein Foto an dieser Stelle zu machen. Da konnte halt jede x beliebige Stelle markiert sein.
Insgesamt ein netter Besuch, der aber kein muss ist, wir haben das Sun Studio besucht, weil es auch bei den Eintrittkarten unserer gewonnenen Reise dabei war. Ansonsten würde ich den Besuch nicht unbedingt empfehlen, außer für begeisterte Fans die auf den Spuren ihrer Idole wandern wollen.
Der Besuch endete wie üblich im Souvenirladen, dort konnte man zu recht hohen Preisen CDs erwerben und etliche andere Andenken mit dem Label des Sun Studio.
Die Toiletten befanden sich auch dort, diese waren zwar alt aber ordentlich und sauber.
Eintrittspreise:
9.50 US Dollar pro Personen für Kinder unter 12 Jahren bezahlt man keinen Eintritt.
Öffnungszeiten:
Täglich von 10.00−18.00 Uhr, die Führungen beginnen stündlich zur halben Stunde also erste Führung um 10.30 Uhr.
Kontakt unter:
, hier findet man eine umfangreiche Webseite
Adresse:
Sun Studio
706 Union Avenue
38 103 Memphis
Anreise:
Mit dem PKW gut möglich, da es kostenlose Parkplätze im Hof des Sun Studio gibt.
Es gibt aber auch einen Shuttlebus der Graceland, Sun Studio, Rock’n’Soul Museum und Stax Museum anfährt, einen Fahrplan und weitere Informationen bekommt man bei den angefahrenen Stationen, der Bus soll kostenlos sein. Da wir diesen Dienst nicht genutzt haben kann ich auch nichts weiter dazu schreiben.
Mein Fazit:
Sicherlich kein Highlight unter den Sehenswürdigkeiten, aber durchaus interessant als Ausflugsziel. Allerdings sollte man Grundkenntnisse in Englisch mitbringen, da man sonst nichts versteht. Mit einem Eintritt von 9,50 US Dollar pro Person, das sind ca. 8,00 Euro auch nicht ganz billig. Wir waren ja umsonst drin, also tat uns der hohe Preis nicht weh. Ich empfehle das Sun Studio mal allen die auf den Spuren der Künstler wandern wollen die hier ihre ersten Schritte taten, alle anderen werden sich dort eher langweilen und den Preis bedauern den sie bezahlt haben.
Mit einer Länge von ca. 1 Stunde kann man diesen Besuch als kleinen Zwischenstopp einlegen, aber länger ist man dort nicht beschäftigt. Außer man nutzt die Gelegenheit sein Gesangstalent vorzuführen.