Died On This Date (July 30, 2012) Jay Parker / Designed Iconic Sun Records Logo
themusicsover Jay Parker
February 1, 1925 – July 30, 2012
Jay Parker made one major contribution to pop music history, and it came by way of his Sun Records logo design. Parker was just starting his career as the art director at the Memphis Engraving Company when his old high school friend, Sam Phillips, asked him he would create a logo for his new record company. The design he ultimately created cost Phillips just $50 and has become one of the most recognized images in pop culture history. Besides sitting in the center of countless landmark records by the likes of Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash, the image continues to live on t-shirts, totes, ash trays and shot glasses. Parker went on to win numerous advertising awards throughout a career which spawned lasting images for such brands as the Cincinnati Bengals, Super Bubble Gum, and Alka Seltzer. Jay Parker was 87 when he passed away on July 30, 2012.