“Well, that’s all right mama…that’s all right for you…”
It’s July 1954 in Memphis Tennessee…a 19 year old, unknown singer named Elvis Presley walks into a store-front recording studio named Sun Records to demo some songs for the label owner, Mr. Sam Phillips. After a few mediocre attempts at singing some Dean Martin-like ballads, Presley sings an old blues standard named “That’s All Right” but rocks the song up with a unique, hillbilly flavour. The result is a new hybrid sound initially known as “Rockabilly” music, which will soon be known around the world under its new name of “Rock and Roll”.
The success of Elvis Presley on Sun Records garnered attention throughout the southern United States, and soon a well-spring of explosive talent had found its way to the label’s door. Over the next two years, Sam Phillips would launch the careers of Johnny Cash with hits like “I Walk the Line” and “Folsom Prison Blues”; Carl Perkins, who recorded the first Top Ten “crossover” hit named “Blue Suede Shoes”; Jerry Lee Lewis, a boogie-woogie piano master who recorded the legendary tracks “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On”; and Roy Orbison, who scored an early rock’n’roll hit with “Ooby Dooby”.
This amazing-but-true story is now being re-told in a new musical play that is currently touring major venues across North America. However, “Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Sun Records Story” is also making at the Backstage Capitol Theatre in Delhi with two shows scheduled for Saturday October 3. The two-act play stars several notable Canadian musicians including Bill Culp (who plays Carl Perkins, www.billculp.ca ), Dave Tufford (Jerry Lee Lewis) and country crooner Jim Yorfido (who recently wowed local audiences for his portrayal of Johnny Cash) alongside Djino Lefrancois as Elvis and Kevin Jollimore as Sam Phillips.
Still, it’s their mutual love for the music of the legendary Sun Studio that brought them together for this show. “As veteran musicians with our own careers, we have all separately played this music in our live shows over the years, so it’s a very natural and logical thing for us to do. Plus, we all firmly believe that the Sun Records story is an important tale to tell…it was an incredible period for music” notes Culp.
The Backstage Capitol Theatre is also quite excited to land this show for the local Delhi audience. Owner Jeff Maerten commented “Good Rockin’ Tonight” is an incredible show for the whole family, full of laughs and great music, and we’re thrilled to bring a show of this calibre to Delhi.”
When: Saturday, October 3, 4:00pm matinee and 8:00pm evening show
Where: Backstage Capitol Theatre, 93 King Street Delhi, Ontario.
