She writes about growing up in the small town of Corinth, Mississippi, and later studying radio, TV, and journalism at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. In broadcasting, the only jobs for women were as advertising copywriters. I wanted to be in the news. It was very discouraging. Women were so discriminated against at that time. Eventually Sims headed for Memphis, the nearest big city, and worked in sales promotion for a TV station.
When Sam Phillips heard about her, he asked to meet her and offered her a job at Sun. Cautious, Sims kept her day job while freelancing for Sun; her first assignment was to write liner notes for albums by Perkins and Cash. As she got to know the place and the people, she was persuaded by the messianic Phillips to quit her job and work at Sun full time. The personnel then comprised Sally Wilbourn, office manager, bookkeeper, and longtime mistress of Phillips; receptionist Regina Reese; and mail clerk Kay Keisker.
He and Sims worked closely together as she wrote liner notes, brochures, press releases, and newsletters. Sims, working in an office next to the control room, got to know the musicians who recorded there. In time, she even met Elvis, who was on leave from the army and dropped by for a visit. He looked me squarely in the face in a sincere manner as he said he enjoyed meeting me, and I thought he had a lovely smile, with some warmth and humility shining through.
What a dish! Sims was a rare woman working in the mostly male world of the music business, which could be tough and cut-throat. Aware of the mores of the s, she was careful to keep a professional distance from those she worked with and met at Sun. All the TV stations and newspapers ignored the seamier side of life. Blacks were ignored. Society has changed so much since the s. Her book includes personal details about her cozy apartment and shopping for the right clothes for a promo trip to New York or Chicago, where she met VIPs, stayed in fine hotels, and was introduced to escargots and other delicacies.
Unable to afford a car at first, she traveled by bus, caught rides, and occasionally borrowed a set of wheels. Getting around in a city was a big preoccupation. It was hard for women of her generation to be divorced. She became a bookkeeper and office manager. The amount of money she could make was very limited.
