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Wednesday October 25th, 2000
Gibson to honor rock 'n' roll legend Sam Phillips to benefit Arthritis Foundation
This Friday night, October 27, The Peabody hotel in Memphis, TN, will be rockin' 'n' rollin' with a line-up of legendary Sun Records artists performing in a tribute event for rock pioneer, producer and record executive Sam Phillips. The gala is a benefit for the Arthritis Foundation.
Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson, said, "Sam Phillips is an integral part of the Memphis legend and history of music. We are excited and honored to be a part of this event saluting his contributions to music and just as much, to do our part in supporting such an important organization as the Arthritis Foundation."
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Arthritis Foundation funding research for a cure for arthritis as well as providing for the programs and services of the Arthritis Foundation. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at www.primewebmemphis.com or by calling the Arthritis Foundation at (901) 685-9060.
In addition, don't miss your chance to bid on a Gibson ES-295 built to Scotty Moore's specifications to be auctioned off to the highest bidder with proceeds going to the Arthritis Foundation.
The tribute gala is the Arthritis Foundation's largest fund-raiser and this year, event producer Mary Norman says, is a record breaker. "Thanks to the great folks at Gibson our event started off with a bang. When we shared with them that we would be honoring Sam they wanted to be a big part of the event and signed on as our Marquee Sponsor. We couldn't be more pleased with the success." Norman says the event is shaping up to be the biggest fund-raising success the Foundation has had in its history in Memphis.
From a small storefront on Memphis' Union Avenue, Sam Phillips launched a revolution. Driven by his love of the music he heard as a child in Mississippi, he introduced a parade of powerful new voices to the world, among them a gangly kid named Elvis.
Sam Phillips was a white man with a deep love for black music and a determination to get good songs heard, no matter who made them. From his legendary Sun Studios flowed a succession of hits by a roster of performers that reads like a who's who of music legends: Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, and Howlin' Wolf.
In addition to Sam Phillips, the Foundation will be honoring two other "superstars" in their own right. Dr. Andrew Kang, a nationally known researcher from the University of Tennessee, Memphis, whose work has contributed to the development of a number of new drugs on the market today that actually slow the progression of the disease of rheumatoid arthritis. And Dr. Larry Burt Morrison (posthumously), founder of The Orthopedic Clinic and a leader in bringing total joint replacement to the Mid-South. After studying under Sir John Charnley in England, considered the father of total-hip replacement, he returned home to perform one of the first total joint replacements in the Mid-South.
This year's line-up of entertainment boasts a Sun All-Star roster including Scotty Moore, the man at the epicenter of the birth of rock 'n' roll whose guitar playing influenced every other player that followed him; The Godfather of the Sax, Ace Cannon, quoted by Sam Phillips to be the "greatest saxophone player who ever lived"; Sonny Burgess known for his red-hot band The Pacers, and J.M. Van Eaton who as a drummer appeared on more Sun cuts than any other artist including "Great Balls of Fire", "Whole Lotta Shakin'", and "High School Confidential". In addition, Carl "Stanley" Perkins, son of the legendary Carl Perkins and a rockabilly great in the making, will perform "Blue Suede Shoes" in tribute to Phillips.
The Rockabilly group, The Dempseys, will perform during the cocktail hour from 6:30-7:30, while Pianist Lex Bonner will entertain guests during dinner. The Memphis Soul Revue will get the "after-awards" party going for dancing until Midnight. Presenters for the night's Tribute Award to Sam include; singer, record producer and songwriter Dan Penn. Dan's songs help define soul music in the 60's including, "Do Right Woman", "I'm Your Puppet", "Cry Like A Baby", and "The Letter"; Jack Soden, President of Elvis Presley Enterprises; Jerry Schilling, President and CEO of the Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission and Dr. John Bakke, Professor Emeritus and former Chairman of the Communication and Fine Arts department at the University of Memphis.
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