CMT’s ‘Sun Records’: 7 Things To Know

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6. The Plot

Sun Records is all about the “birth of rock n’roll.” CMT’s official description for the show states: “Set in Memphis during the tumultuous early days of the civil rights movement, Sun Records tells the untold story of nothing less than the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. Guided by Sam Phillips, young musicians like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis combined the styles of hillbilly country with the 1950s R&B sound created by artists like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Fats Domino and Ike Turner, and changed the course of music forever. The series chronicles these young artists’ often jarring and sudden meteoric rise to fame in the face of sweeping political change and social unrest.”

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5. The Star

The series may be about the birth of rock ‘n’ roll, but a huge focus will be on Sun Records founder Sam Phillips who will be portrayed by Chad Michael Murray. The role marks Murray’s first return to a major television series since his role as Lucas Scott on One Tree Hill from 2003-2012. While he has since appeared on series such as Chosen and Agent Carter, his is back in the leading role with Sun Records and the part of Sam Phillips has also required Murray to adopt an accent!

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4. The Cast

With the part of Sam Phillips taken by Chad Michael Murray, the team behind Sun Records then had the difficult task of casting actors to portray icons such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Newcomer Drake Milligan will take on the role of Presley, while Kevin Fonteyene from Melissa & Joey has been cast as Cash. Others include Christian Lees as Jerry Lee Lewis, Jonah Lees as Jimmy Swaggart, Billy Gardell as Colonel Tom Parker, and Jennifer Holland as Becky Phillips.

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3. Premiere 

Ever since announcing the new series, fans have been anxiously awaiting its premiere, and CMT finally set its premiere date as February 23 at 10 p.m. ET. Having the show on that time slot will round out CMT’s huge Thursday night lineup which also includes Nashville, and proves they have high hopes for their new series.

A photo posted by Chad Murray (@chadmurray15) on Feb 2, 2017 at 6:57pm PST

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2. Name Change

In the early stages of the series CMT first announced it would be titled Million Dollar Quartet, but in late 2016 changed the name to Sun Records. The initial name was an ode to the name given to the early recording sessions of Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins on December 4, 1956. For right now Sun Records is only an eight-part limited series which was inspired by the Tony Award-winning musical Million Dollar Quartet, and is also based off the book written by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott.

A photo posted by Chad Murray (@chadmurray15) on Jun 28, 2016 at 1:45pm PDT

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1. The Trailer

Leading up to its late February premiere, CMT has released quite a few trailers to give fans a glimpse of what to expect of the series and the actors. More than just the rise of some of the world’s most famous singers, the series promises to give a behind the scenes look at the start in their careers and will also focus on Sam Phillips’ own tumultuous home life.

Telisa Carter

Telisa enjoys learning and writing about all things entertainment in the world of Hollywood. When she isn't catching up on her favorite TV shows, she likes to read, and obsess over all things football.