Samuel Cornelius Phillips ( January 5 , 1923 -- July 30 , 2003 ) , better known as Sam Phillips , was an American musician , businessman , record executive , music producer , and disc-jockey , who played an important role in the emergence and development of rock and roll and rockabilly as the major form of popular music in the 1950s .
Samuel Cornelius Phillips ( January 5 , 1923 -- July 30 , 2003 ) , better known as Sam Phillips , was an American businessman , record executive , record producer and DJ . He played an important role in the rock and roll world in the 1950s .