The King Reunites With Sun Records

The King Reunites With Sun Records

By Associated Press
4 hours ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Elvis Presley will be reunited with Sun Records as part of a licensing agreement between the owner of the historic label and the singer's estate.

Sun Entertainment Corp. of Nashville announced the agreement with Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. Thursday.

The company said Memphis-based Elvis Presley Enterprises has licensed the use of its trademarks in the name, image and likeness of Presley to Sun for several commemorative retail products. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

Presley's first recordings were with Sun Records, which sold its Elvis recording catalog to RCA Victor in the fall of 1955 as Presley was on the verge of stardom.

Original Sun Records owner/producer Sam Phillips and his company played a pivotal role in the careers of not only Presley, but also Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich, Ike Turner, Rufus Thomas, Roy Orbison and other important artists in rock, country and R&B music in the 1950s.

"Bringing Elvis and Sun Records back together in a special way at retail offers all kinds of exciting possibilities," Sun Entertainment Chairman Shelby S. Singleton said.

Carol Butler, EPE's vice president of international licensing, said the agreement with Sun was "something we have long wanted to do, and now the time has finally come."

The new Elvis and Sun Records co-branded products should begin appearing later this year in retail outlets and online at http://www.SunRecords.com and http://www.ShopElvis.com. More will appear in 2007 during the yearlong commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death.

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