During his successful career which spanned for more than half a century, Phillips single handily became one of the 20th century’s most important innovators. He sparked a music revolution that gave the world such international stars like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, Ike Turner, B.B. King, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich and Jerry Lee Lewis.
After the sell of Presley’s contract in the fall of 1955, Phillips was financially able to carry out other interests which resulted in breaking down more barriers in a predominantly male-dominated work force. “When I started WHER,” Phillips said in a 1960 Memphis newspaper article, “people thought I had rocks in my head. A girl could do a cooking show, but no one thought girls could handle hour-to-hour programs and commercials. I felt differently. I had always wanted a radio station, but Memphis already had nine. I had to do something different. An all girl crew, and pleasant light music, was the answer,” “If Sam is going to be remembered for anything, it’s thinking outside the box,” said Sun Records biographer Colin Escott. “He had the courage to go with something different regardless of whether it fit the norms of what he was selling.”
WHER, One-Thousand Beautiful Watts was born on October 29, 1955. Amongst the employees at the station was Phillips’ wife, Becky Phillips and Sun Records secretary, Marion Keisker. The station showcased the timeless music of Nat King Cole, Percy Faith and Frank Sinatra. Nearly four years later, after that station had proven successful, Phillips opened up another all-girl station located in Lake Worth, Florida called WLIZ. The mantra of the station was You’ll love Liz and Liz loves you at 1380 AM on your dial. By this time, women’s voices were heard near and far. WHER lasted 11 years, going off the air in 1966. “The WHER girls had their own special style and all of them were different,” said Phillips’ wife and former WHER girl, Becky Phillips. “That was one of the things that made listening so unique. Light lilting music that made listening a pleasure from sunrise to sunset. It was 1,000 beautiful watts of interesting broadcasting that could not be found anywhere else.”
Tennessee Senator Steve Cohen, representative of the Memphis area said “Memphis has always been a city of innovations and creators, from Kemmons Wilson to Fred Smith; Sam Phillips fit right in that mold as an original thinker who affected the world.” Phillips played a crucial role in providing ‘equal opportunity’
Phillips’ two sons, Knox and Jerry Phillips, own and continue to operate their father’s radio radio broadcasting company, Big River Broadcasting in Phillips’ hometown of Florence, Alabama. The stations include, WQLT, WXFL, WSBM and southern Tennessee station, WLVS. “Radio to me,” said Phillips, in 1999, “is a living thing.”
Scott is scheduled to appear in Tupelo at the 10th annual Elvis Presley Festival on June 7, to continue her mission to campaign for the stamp. This summer she will also be attending two internationally successful Alabama events; Helen Keller Festival, held annually in Tuscumbia and the W.C. Handy Festival in Florence.
If you would like more information about the Sam Phillips U.S. Postage Stamp Campaign, or to schedule an interview with Liz Scott, please call her at 256-766-2913 or email Liz at samphillipsstampusa@
