Dean Hensley Phillips, 93, of Memphis, died October 31, 2016, after a long illness. Born June 6, 1923, in Iron City, TN, Dean began playing piano at age four and made it a lifelong pursuit of joy for herself and others. By the time she was ten, she was pianist for the Iron City Baptist Church and sometimes even the Methodist church. At 14, Dean was a star pianist for her mother's Iron City Quartet.
Dean moved to Florence, AL to attend what is now the University of North Alabama and earn her A.B. degree. There she joined Highland Baptist Church, where she met J.W. "Jud" Phillips, her husband of 47 years. She worked as bookkeeper for both Florence Implement Co, and the TVA.
After her husband returned from WWII, the couple formed the Jollyboys Quartet, which gained recognition traveling throughout AL, MS, TN AR, and KY. Dean accompanied the group on piano and organ and co-hosted a weekly radio show on WREC. Later while living in Hattiesburg, MS, the couple formed the Sun Spot record label, featuring the Sun Spot Quartet. Dean played piano and organ while Jud emceed and promoted the group that released eight records.
In due time Dean's brother-in-law Sam C. Phillips tapped her husband to go on the road to promote the young artists on the tiny Sun Records label that the Phillips brothers had co-founded. With her husband's entrance into record promotion for Sun, Dean stopped performing professionally.
In 1973 Dean and Jud moved to Memphis permanently. She was a bookkeeper for Sam C. Phillips Recording Studio for more than thirty years, retiring on her 91st birthday.
In 2000, Dean and the Sun Spot Quartet, along with the individual members of the Million Dollar Quartet and other artists, were part of the Sun Gospel compilation CD released internationally by Bear Family Records of Germany.
Dean was a lifetime member of Cypress Chapter 195, Order of the Eastern Star, Florence, AL; a former member of the Gracewood Baptist Church Choir; and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. She was made an Honorary Shelby County Commissioner and received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Shelby County Government.
Dean was preceded in death by her mother Carmye Tice Hensley and her father Clarence Hensley of Florence, AL, and her sister Frieda Hensley of Lawrence County, TN. Dean is survived by her son Judson Phillips and his wife Rose of Memphis and grandson Bryant Phillips of Toms River, New Jersey.
Visitation will be Friday, November 4 from 3 to 6pm at Forest Hill East. Burial will be in Mt. Nebo Cemetery in Lawrence County, TN.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be sent to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the Gracewood Baptist Church Choir, Southaven, MS.