Presley returned on January 4, 1954 and recorded "Casual Love Affair"
and "I'll Never Stand In Your Way" at which
time he met Sam Phillips.
Later the spring Phillips called him to record "Without You," a song Phillips
had received as a demo. Despite numerous takes Presley failed miserably and at
Phillips request just began singing songs in the studio. It was at this time
Phillips began believing that he had found what he had been looking for
"a white man with the Negro sound and the Negro feel".
Phillips enlisted lead guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black to work
with Presley. Though July 4, 1954 is often sited as their first meeting,
the three had actually been practicing for several months. On July 5,
1954, they recorded "I Love You Because," "Blue Moon of Kentucky," and
"That's All Right".Two days later Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips played "That's All
Right" on his Red Hot and Blue show on radio station WHBQ. Audience
response was overwhelming and later that night Presley came in for his
first interview. Scotty Moore became his
manager and "That's All
Right" b/w "Blue Moon of Kentucky" became his first local hit. On
September 25, Presley made his first and last appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.
In October Presley appeared on the Louisiana Hayride, a popular radio
program that appeared regularly through 1955. In March 1955, he made his
television debut on the local television broadcastof the Hayride.
Meanwhile "Good Rockin' Tonight" b/w "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine"
werebecoming hits in the Memphis area.
In early 1955, Moore quit managing Presley, but would continued playing in
his band for several years. Bob Neal, a Memphis disc Jockey, became Presley's
new manager. Colonel Thomas Parker would first entered Presley's career when he
helped Neal make some tour arrangements. Still considered a country act, Presley
continued to play locally, and in April went to New York to audition unsuccessfully
for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts program. On May 13, his performance in
Jacksonville started a riot, "Baby Lets Play House" b/w "I'm Left, Your Right,
She's Gone" was released and reached #10 on the national Country & Western chart
in July.
That September Presley had his first #1 country record "Mystery Train" b/w
"I Forgot to Remember to Forget. By this time Colonel Parker, despite the agreement
with Neal, had become increasingly involved with Presley's career and had negotiated
for RCA to purchase Presley's contract from Sun Records for $35,000. Presley
received a $5,000 advance that he used to buy his mother a pink Cadillac.After signing with RCA Presley became a national star in 1956. He went to
Nashville to record his first records for RCA. Among them was "Heartbreak Hotel.."
On January 28, 1956, he made his television debut on the Dorsey brothers'
Stage Show, followed by six consecutive appearances. In March Parker became
Presley's manager for which he was to receive 25% of his earnings. The contract
lasted Presley's lifetime and beyond.