On Thursday, August 13th, there
will be a Brass Note Dedication for Dewey Phillips at 9:30 AM. The ceremony will
take place in front of W.C. Handy Park, located on the northeast corner of Third
and Beale Streets. The Beale Street Brass Note Committee... will be honoring
Dewey Phillips with a brass note on Beale Street’s “Walk of Fame.” Phillips was
one of Memphis’ most famous and entertaining disc jockeys who in 1954 was the
first DJ to give air time to Elvis. The ceremony is open to the
public.
MORE ON DEWEY PHILLIPS......
In 1949, Dewey Phillips (born
May 13,1926) started being the first and greatest rock and roll radio
programmer. He played R &B, Blues, country, or anything that later people
were calling rockand roll. A lot of fun chatter. He called everybody Good
People. He knew good songs very fast. He played the good ones first.
When
"Since I Met You Baby" by Ivory Joe Hunter was released, he made a double track
type recording of it several seconds apart. It sounded great. He announced it on
air as the first stereo radio. For young folks, there was a time with no FM
radio.
He had the first radio-tv simucast music programs. Red, Hot &
Blue and Pop Shop. He was in a big storage room warehouse looking place with a
small flimsy desk and 45 rpm record players. Basketball players were in an out
shooting hoops around him. He was a real Memphis State University sports fan.
Anything might happen, and usually did.
He had a sidekick, Harry
Fritsius. Harry wore a big overcoat and gorrilla mask. Harry never talked. Once
he threw a bowling ball through Dewey's desk. Dewey immediately disappeared as
he crashed in the floor. They had a stand up movie promo that looked like a
beautiful actress. I think it was Mamie Van Doren in High School Confidential.
Others say Jayne Mansfield in The Girl Can't Help It. Harry walked up behind it
and was moving his hands in the front. The genteel and proper who wanted to do
away with rock and roll called the program obscene and Dewey's show was
immediately pulled from the TV.
Dewey has become known as JUST the first
DJ to play an Elvis record. He was much more than JUST that. Everybody wanted
Dewey to like their records. That was how they knew it was good.
A later
DJ, Ron Jordan ended his programs saying "We still love you Daddyo Dewey
whereever you are. Dewey was not controlled. He was fired in 1959 while he was
still the #1 rated Memphis DJ. Radio went to Top 40. All format. Controlled. Not
much good stuff or fun, anymore. Dewey added a lot to my music interests, even
to today. I'll always love Daddyo, Dewey Phillips.
-J.D.
Cooper
Dewey Phillips
Dewey
Phillips born 1926, a record store clerk who became one of Memphis' most
influential personalities. He was one of the first to play Black R&B music,
his show which became known as "Red, Hot & Blue" aired from 1949 to 1956 on
WHBQ. It is estimated that 75 to 80 percent of Memphis residents listened to his
show. His influence was so great, that it is said that he once told listeners to
to blow their car horns at a specific time, the sound was so loud and
distracting that the Police had to ask him to retract the request. His trademark
phrases were "Tell em Phillips sencha" and "That'll git it".
Dewey will
be remembered for one thing if nothing else, and that was the evening in 1954
when he spoke these words "Git yasself a wheelbarrow load a mad hogs, run 'em
through the front door, and tell 'em Phillips sencha! This is Red Hot and Blue
comin' atcha from the magazine floor of the Hotel Chisca. And now we got
somethin' new gonna cut loose, Dee -Gawww! Cut Loose! Good peoples, this is
Elvis Presley". Dewey once interviewed Elvis live on air, Elvis was extremely
nervous and after some talk and kidding in the studio, Elvis asked when they
would be going on air, Dewey replied "you just were son". He made the
progression to T.V. in 1956 as the host of a dance show, but this was short
lived. He was known to be a bit of a drinker and it's said that he fondled a
cardboard likeness of Marilyn Monroe while on air and was promptly fired. His
career was over, he tried a comeback without success and passed away in 1968.
Dewey should be remembered as one of the very first to cross the colour barrier
in music, clearing the way for people of all backgrounds to perform at a time
when this was anything but safe or fashionable. "God Bless"
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Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:56 pm