Four Legends and an Ordinary Piano.

Four guys gather around an ordinary piano in small studio in Memphis, Tennessee. They begin to sing their way through several gospel classics including “Blessed Jesus (Hold My Hand)” and “Peace in the Valley”. Later they take on some pop and country hits where you can hear both finesse and flaw as this unpracticed quartet belts it out. Though this is a seemingly ordinary moment, it involves truly extraordinary players.
 
Perhaps you have heard of the four fellas that gathered around the ivory keys that day in 1957. Their names are Johnny Cash, Jerry lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley. That’s right. These four musical superstars from the 50s and 60s shared a rare moment of impromptu collaboration. Later dubbed the “Million-Dollar Quartet”, Cash, Lewis, Perkins, and Presley created a moment together that would go down in musical history.
 
I stumbled upon this sixty-two-year-old clip for the first time two weeks ago, and my jaw about hit the floor in utter shock. I am an avid fan of oldies music, but I did not know these recordings existed until I read Johnny Cash’s autobiography where he references the occasion. Just picturing these four guys standing in the same room was enough to wow me. But listening to them sing together for the love of music is another experience entirely.  
 
I must confess, as I listened to these recordings, I couldn’t help but notice the unimpressive pieces of the moment since this was a regular old jam session among friends. This is what musicians do. And the process involves flaws. Not to mention, as a musician myself, I quickly recognize the lack of production power that fuels most artists these days. Yet, the beauty of this moment is leaking throughout the tapes with each passing song. The grit and greatness that these men possess as individuals takes on a new shape as they come together to form a moment so profound that it would move me to my core decades after the moment had passed. Even more mind blowing is that the men in these clips hadn’t even hit their prime yet.
 
Let’s take a moment to review the lineup for this star-studded event in history.

• ELVIS PRESLEY: If you didn’t grow up with a familiarity of Elvis’ work or if you, like many, think that Elvis is just a gimmick, I dare you to look up his ’68 Comeback special. There’s a reason he became one of the most iconic singers of the century. The man was dripping with charisma but had the chops to back it up.  When you listen to these quartet recordings, it’s clear that Elvis is the ringleader though he wasn’t signed with Sun Records at the time. He simply dropped by for a visit to his old recording ground eventually jumping on the on the piano and rallying the group to sing together.

 

• JERRY LEE LEWIS: Known for songs like “Johnny B. Good” and “Long Tall Sally”, Jerry Lee Lewis is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who is the only living remnant from the original Million-Dollar Quartet. Though you might be surprised to know that Lewis was the newbie on the block at Sun Records not having yet released a single with the studio, he comes through on these clips as if he is an old pro. As I listened to the music, I got the sense that Lewis could sing circles around the other three. Not to mention, he consistently brought a unique spin to each passing song. 

 

• CARL PERKINS: You may recognize songs like “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Matchbox” that gave Perkins and his band of brothers a seat on the charts in the 50s. Perkins is noted as a pioneer of rockabilly, a genre of music popular in the 50s and 60s. Though he never made it to the level of popularity he craved (like that of Cash or Presley) he was a major influencer and received countless prestigious recognitions in the world of music.  It’s also worth noting that the Million-Dollar Quarter wouldn’t have existed without his willingness to let the other three participate on his scheduled recording day at Sun Records.

 

• JOHNNY CASH:  My personal favorite, Johnny Cash, was picking up steam in the music world at the time of this recording. In fact, Cash had just released “Walk the Line”, a song that put him on the map, seven months prior to this moment. However, it is very difficult to hear Cash in these recordings because he is the furthest away from the recording microphones as stated in his biography. Cash would later go on to have numerous albums, a television show, books, and movie productions.

 
Now, here's a few reasons why these clips fascinate me. 

• Shared spotlight. Besides the obvious stardom, I think this moment is special because these four super stars COULD stand next to each other and lay down a bit of their solo act to be together. Let’s face it, Elvis probably had a twinge of arrogance at this stage of his life. In fact, they probably all did which is what makes this moment all the better. They weren’t too proud to play together for those few hours. This wasn’t a moment for the spotlight or arranged for the press; it was a genuine shared moment for the love of music and brotherhood.

 

• Raw & Impromptu. Though the epic talent times four shines through on these recordings, so does the imperfection. I like hearing the greats stumble through finding the right key or stop the song to remember the words. It reminds me that the process of creating and performing is full of unrefined moments.

 

• Hymns. There’s a lot of gospel in these clips. I absolutely love hearing these four sing the old hymns that they grew up on. It’s not as if they had a music book in front of them. They were recalling the lyrics and melodies from memory which means something truly wonderful to me: these four men knew the gospel story through music.

 

• Rarity. It was as if for those few hours, something magical and monumental was occurring out of the ordinary. The musical stars aligned for a once in a life-time event that could never be recreated to its original glory. While Cash, Perkins, and Lewis would go on to perform together from time to time, Elvis would never rejoin this quartet.  

 
I am very thankful that this moment was captured on tape and released to the public. These clips remind me of the value of embracing collaboration in my own life and to not be insecure in the process with others. I am also grateful to have these snapshot recordings of these superstars before they were superstars. It encourages me in my unimpressive and imperfect pursuits in music to keep chasing the dream and doing what I love. I hope it encourages YOU too. 

Now, go make your day and listen to the Million Dollar Quartet in action. 
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