Sam Phillips the first investors in Holiday Inn, a motel chain that was about to expand to a nationwide franchise; he became involved with the chain shortly after selling Elvis Presley's contract to RCA, for $35,000, which he multiplied many times over the years with Holiday Inn. He also created two subsidiary recording labels, Phillips International Records and Holiday Inn Records. He owned the Sun Studio Café in Memphis. One location was in the Mall of Memphis. Phillips and his family founded Big River Broadcasting Corporation, which owns and operates several radio stations in the Florence, Alabama, area, including WQLT-FM, WSBM, and
Casbah Recording Studio services. Casbah Recording Studio The Casbah Recording Studio or simply Casbah is a recording studio in the Orange County suburb of Fullerton, California that helped to spawn several highly successful acts, including Berlin, Stacey Q, and Social Distortion. Casbah was founded in the late 1970s by bandmates Jon St. James, and Charles "Chaz" Ramirez, with money borrowed from St. James' parents. Initially it boasted only a TEAC 8-track tape machine, a mixing console and a few effects. St. James purchased additional electronic devices and rack mount equipment using money he earned doing a series of sound-alike jingles for the now-defunct