We began our first day in Memphis with a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum. The museum is located on the same space where the boarding house stood from which James Earl Ray assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. across from the Lorraine Motel. There were many artifacts from the assassination and exhibits on the Civil Rights Movement.
The spot were Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated
From the bathroom window where James Earl Ray fired.
From there it was on to Sun Studios! This was one of the highlights of the trip for me. Sun Studios is where Rock 'n' Roll began. It is said that "If music were a religion Memphis would be its Jerusalem and Sun Studios its most sacred shrine".
Sun Studios!
"X" marks the spot where Elvis was standing when he sang "That's Alright, Mama"
The Sun recording studio
Looking towards the control room.
From Sun Studios we headed for Beale Street. What can i say? When you say Beale Street to a musician a faraway look comes to his eye. Beale Street WAS the center of the musical universe from the 1920s to the 1950s.
It was here that black musicians would head as soon as they had scraped up enough cash to buy a ticket out of the Mississippi Delta. Beale Street was a collection of juke joints, gambling halls and whore houses. Rufus Thomas, a Beale Street entertainer, once said, “If you were black for one Saturday night and on Beale Street, never would you want to be white again.” Well, that was Beale Street of the past. Today Beale Street can be compared to Bourbon Street in New Orleans. There are more tourists (mostly white) than locals and everyone has a camera hanging from around their necks. Drinks are overpriced as is the food. BUT, you still have to go!
Entrance to Beale Street
Just off of Beale is the Gibson Guitar Factory. Tours were available so, naturally, we took one. Photography was not allowed in the factory due to trade secrets. Competition between guitar manufactures is fierce. Suffice it to say the tour was very interesting IF you are a guitar player. The frau just didn't get why I was so excited.
Gibson Guitar Factory
The frau and I had dinner at B. B. King's Blues Club at the entrance to Beale. No, B. B. King was not there. He rarely plays the club, it is just a side business that uses his name. There was a band playing called the King Beez.
The frau and I at B. B. King's
That evening we spent doing what you do on Beale Street... hopping from one blues club to the next. We wound up in Jerry Lee Lewis' club (again, just a business name) and the place was jukin'! There was a pumping piano player in the style of Jerry Lee and even included audience members dancing on the piano! This is where we spent most of the evening. I am sorry that the audio in the video is not that great, but it was rockin'!
Dancing on the piano!
After Jerry Lee's we went back the hotel to get ready for tomorrow... Graceland!
The next day we headed for the home of the King, Elvis Presley. Graceland was Elvis' home and retreat from the pressures he endured as a world class performer. By today's standards Graceland is just a normal, everyday home. He only paid $100,000 for Graceland... but this is the 50's we are talking about.
Graceland
Living Room
Graceland from the back. Note the window units. No central air conditioning
Lisa Marie's swing set. Nothing fancy here!
The swimming pool
Elvis' grave. I forgot to bring a guitar pick!
From Graceland we headed for Stax Records. The day before we visited Stax Bobby Blue Bland, a Stax artist, passed away. Stax was home to many of the Rhythm and Blues artists of the 60's. The first song I remember really listening to as an adolescent was Otis Redding's Sitting on the Dock of the Bay on Stax Records.
Today the original studios are no longer standing, but they have been reconstructed to the original structures. Today there is also the Stax Music Academy where at-risk youths are turned onto music instead of drugs and gangs. Stax also operates a charter school. As a former educator, I was impressed.
Stax Records
Students in session
Looking into the studio from the board
Some of the original analog recording equipment
So ended our Blues Pilgrimage. The next day we left for home in Asheville and resumed our day to day lives...for now. We have a trip planned for the Outer Banks beginning next week and then we have to make our final preparations for Germany.
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