“That's All Right”

Sam Phillips had gotten a demo recording of a song, “Without You,” from a Nashville promoter. Phillips felt that, with the right singer, the song could be a hit. Marion Keisker urged Sam Phillips to call Elvis Presley.

Elvis went to the Memphis Recording Service and sang the song, also strumming on the guitar. He couldn't seem to get the song right. He was frustrated, but Sam Phillips asked Elvis, “What can you sing?”

Elvis told Phillips the same thing he had told Marion Keisker—that he could sing anything. Then he sang little pieces of all of the songs he knew. Phillips was impressed with the boy's musical range and the naked emotion in Elvis's voice. Sam Phillips introduced Elvis to Scotty Moore, the guitarist for a hillbilly band, the Starlite Wranglers. Sam Phillips suggested that Moore and Bill Black, bassist for the Starlite Wranglers, come to the studio with Elvis. Phillips liked what he heard, and the trio started coming to Sun Studio every day to rehearse after they got off work. It wasn't long before they recorded a song together, called “That's All Right (Mama).”