That's All Right

On this day in history the King of Rock and Roll and Mississippi native, Elvis Presley, made his first radio debut in 1954 with the song "That's All Right."  The song was played by Memphis, Tennessee, radio station WHBQ and became an instant hit.

Here are a few fact about the song that made Elvis famous:

• "That's All Right" was originally written and recorded by another Mississippi native Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup.
• The song was not originally part of Elvis' recording session.  While taking a break, Elvis started jamming to an upbeat version of the song that caught producer Sam Phillips' attention. 
• On July 7, 1954, "That's All Right' was played on Dewey Phillips' radio show "Red, Hot & Blue."
• The song was such a success that Dewey played the song seven times in a row and and a total of fourteen times during the program. 
• Elvis was so nervous during his radio debut that he hid in the Suzore No. 2 Theater until retrieved by his parents. 
• The song also became Elvis' first single and was released July 19, 1954. It sold around 20,000 copies.
• The song did not reach national charts, but was number four on the local Memphis charts. 
• Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup became know as the father of Rock and Roll after Elvis' success with three of his songs: “That's All Right,” “My Baby Left Me,” and “So Glad You're Mine.”

If you would like to learn more neat Elvis fact check out MLC's large collection of Elvis materials.

Guralnick, Peter. Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley. Boston: Little, Brown, 1994. Print.
Jorgensen, Ernst. Elvis Presley: A Life in Music : The Complete Recording Sessions. New York: St. Martin's, 1998. Print.

http://www.mtv.com/artists/arthur-big-boy-crudup-2/