We headed out from Nashville in our caravan to Memphis. It’s
mostly on the interstate today. We will hit the two-lane roads on our next two
drives! We ran into an accident and our wagonmasters, Barbara and
Tony did a great job finding a re-route for us!
So, we arrived a bit later than expected, but still had time to work out a few kinks in our arrival and be ready for our bus tour!
It’s not just any bus tour, it a singing bus tour!
Backbeat Tours make the Home of the Blues comes alive on our city tour aboard
the nation’s only music bus. Our guide was a professional Beale Street musician.
He played and sang selections from the city’s rich musical heritage, while sharing
his knowledge of history, and behind-the-scenes stories of our favorite Memphis
personalities.
We drove by Sun Studio. Sun Studio is known worldwide as “The Birthplace of Rock’ n Roll”. It is the discovery location of musical legends and genres of the 50’s from B. King and Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis; from Blues and Gospel to Country and Rock’ n Roll.
Stax Studio was inspired by Sam Phillips, a Memphis radio technician who had started producing a few years earlier. Jim Stewart founded Satellite Records. A banker by day and country fiddle player by night, Stewart knew that he could never make it as professional musician. However, he felt he could be the next best thing - a producer - despite having no experience or knowledge of the recording industry. Satellite cut its first record in October 1957, “Blue Roses”, a country song with low production quality. In order to get a better sound, Stewart needed better equipment. He approached his older sister, a music-loving bank clerk named Estelle Axton, for help and she mortgaged her house to buy the equipment.
In 1960, Estelle refinanced her house again to fund the studio’s move west from Brunswick, Tenn. to a former movie theatre on McLemore Avenue in Memphis. The company was renamed Stax, a combination of the first two letters of Stewart and Axton’s last names. Now, located on the original site of the Stax Records studio, the Stax Museum pays special tribute to the artists who recorded there, as well as other American soul legends, with interactive exhibits, films, stage costumes, musical instruments, vintage recording equipment used at Stax, records, photographs, permanent and changing galleries, and a rare and amazing collection of more than 2,000 items of memorabilia and artifacts. It is an entity of the Soulsville Foundation, which also operates the Stax Music Academy and The Soulsville Charter School on the same campus.
Our next historic stop was the Lorraine Hotel. But before it was the Lorraine, it was the Marquette Hotel that catered to black clientele in segregated Memphis. Then, in 1945 black businessman Walter Bailey purchased the hotel, which he re-christened the Lorraine after his wife Loree and the popular jazz song, “Sweet Lorraine.” The motel became a destination for blacks and appeared in the Negro Motorists Green Book or “Green Guide,” which identified establishments that welcomed black travelers when Jim Crow restrictions offered limited options for services and lodging.
It's guestbook was a veritable who’s who of black celebrities in the forties, fifties, and sixties. Entertainers like Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughn, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding were all guests at the motel, and two famous songs, Wilson Pickett’s “The Midnight Hour” and Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wood,” were both composed at the Lorraine.
Martin Luther King was staying at the Lorraine Hotel in
room 306. King had stayed at the hotel on numerous occasions. This time he was
here to share his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech at the Mason
Temple Church of God in Christ. On April 4, 1968, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
was assassinated on the balcony of King's room at the Lorraine Motel, just a
day after that speech. The spot is marked by a wreath and his car still remains
in place at the hotel. In 1991, the Lorraine Motel was converted into the
National Civil Rights Museum.
There is a lady that lives across the street. Her name is Jacqueline Smith. Ms. Smith worked at the motel for $10 a day and also lived there for 11 years. She was its last resident. In 1988, she was evicted by order of the state of Tennessee. "You people are making a mistake," Smith said while sobbing. "If I can't live at The Lorraine, I'll camp out on the sidewalk out front." And she has held true to that promise (she carries a tattered copy of Dr. King's "A Testament of Hope”) while at the same time protesting across from the Lorraine, now part of the National Civil Rights Museum. She has lived there for 35 years and 223 days.
We saw Beale Street. During the jazz age of the 1920s-1940s, musicians flocked to Memphis, and especially to Beale Street. BB King, Louis Armstrong, Memphis Minnie, and Muddy Waters were just a few of the jazz and blues legends who helped create the style known as “Memphis Blues,” a style that was born on Beale Street.
On our way out of downtown, we drove down “Cotton Row.” Front Street became the heart of the cotton trade and the center of the Memphis economy for more than a hundred years, and the street earned it's nickname "Cotton Row". Many small cotton companies opened on Front Street, and the vast majority of the buildings on Cotton Row were built between 1848 and 1928. Memphis, very quickly after its founding in 1819, became a center of the cotton industry because of its transportation location. High on the bluff, right at the Mississippi River. Without cotton, Memphis as we know it wouldn't exist. The industry was fueled by the fertile soil in the Mississippi Delta, technological advancement that brought the cotton gin, slaves, later replaced by sharecroppers and others working for free or cheap, and a global demand for the crop.
Our next stop was the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, but this iconic building has not always been an outdoor paradise. The Memphis Pyramid was originally built in 1991 as a venue for sporting and entertainment events, including many basketball tournaments, a Mary J. Blige concert, a Rolling Stones concert, a Mike Tyson boxing event and more. From 2002 to 2006, the pyramid was in use by a church. In 2005, Johnny Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops, went fishing on the Mississippi River. He set out with a couple of his fishing buddies; Bill Dance, the famous angler and TV show host, and Jack Emmitt, Bass Pro’s first fishing manager. When they got near the Memphis Pyramid, Johnny looked up and told them that he would build a store inside if they caught a 30-pound catfish. Sure enough, with only about an hour left in the trip, his buddy, Jack, got a bite and reeled in a monster catfish in the shadow of the Pyramid. Without much hesitation, Johnny said, “It’s a deal, we’re gonna do it.” In 2015, after a complete renovation, Bass Pro Shops and Big Cypress Lodge opened inside the Memphis Pyramid.
We headed over to Overton Park. The Park was established in 1906 and was named for the co-founder of Memphis, John Overton. The park property was known as Lea's Woods when it was purchased by Memphis in 1901 for $110,000. Overton Park is truly in the middle of it all—an iconic public space that is woven throughout the fabric of Memphis life. Its 342 acres offer recreation, relaxation, culture, and nature.
The Overton Park Shell was established in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and designed by local architect Max Furbringer. From its inception, the Overton Park Shell has played a pivotal role in propelling Memphis into the spotlight as a blues epicenter and the birthplace of Rock 'n Roll. This historic venue witnessed the electrifying debut of a young Elvis Presley in 1954, where his groundbreaking performance opening for headliner Slim Whitman marked what many music historians call the very first rock and roll show, leaving an indelible mark on music history.
In the years since, the Shell’s stage has welcomed an
array of legends including Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Furry Lewis, Booker T.
& the MGs, Isaac Hayes, Lisa Marie Presley, Mavis Staples, Sid Selvidge and
many more. The Shell continues to be an essential milestone for local artists
on their way to national recognition. Today, it is one of the only
Depression-era bandshells still active, a true testament to Memphis'
resilience.
Our musical bus took us to our dinner at Marlowe’s. Since 1974, they have been providing the best in Memphis BBQ and hospitality to locals and visitors from around the globe.
Our group satisfied their palates with Marlowe’s award-winning
BBQ pork ribs, beef brisket, BBQ chicken and catfish.
So, we arrived a bit later than expected, but still had time to work out a few kinks in our arrival and be ready for our bus tour!
It’s not just any bus tour, it a singing bus tour!
Backbeat Tours make the Home of the Blues comes alive on our city tour aboard
the nation’s only music bus. Our guide was a professional Beale Street musician.
He played and sang selections from the city’s rich musical heritage, while sharing
his knowledge of history, and behind-the-scenes stories of our favorite Memphis
personalities.
We drove by Sun Studio. Sun Studio is known worldwide as “The Birthplace of Rock’ n Roll”. It is the discovery location of musical legends and genres of the 50’s from B. King and Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis; from Blues and Gospel to Country and Rock’ n Roll.
Stax Studio was inspired by Sam Phillips, a Memphis radio technician who had started producing a few years earlier. Jim Stewart founded Satellite Records. A banker by day and country fiddle player by night, Stewart knew that he could never make it as professional musician. However, he felt he could be the next best thing - a producer - despite having no experience or knowledge of the recording industry. Satellite cut its first record in October 1957, “Blue Roses”, a country song with low production quality. In order to get a better sound, Stewart needed better equipment. He approached his older sister, a music-loving bank clerk named Estelle Axton, for help and she mortgaged her house to buy the equipment.
In 1960, Estelle refinanced her house again to fund the studio’s move west from Brunswick, Tenn. to a former movie theatre on McLemore Avenue in Memphis. The company was renamed Stax, a combination of the first two letters of Stewart and Axton’s last names. Now, located on the original site of the Stax Records studio, the Stax Museum pays special tribute to the artists who recorded there, as well as other American soul legends, with interactive exhibits, films, stage costumes, musical instruments, vintage recording equipment used at Stax, records, photographs, permanent and changing galleries, and a rare and amazing collection of more than 2,000 items of memorabilia and artifacts. It is an entity of the Soulsville Foundation, which also operates the Stax Music Academy and The Soulsville Charter School on the same campus.
Our next historic stop was the Lorraine Hotel. But before it was the Lorraine, it was the Marquette Hotel that catered to black clientele in segregated Memphis. Then, in 1945 black businessman Walter Bailey purchased the hotel, which he re-christened the Lorraine after his wife Loree and the popular jazz song, “Sweet Lorraine.” The motel became a destination for blacks and appeared in the Negro Motorists Green Book or “Green Guide,” which identified establishments that welcomed black travelers when Jim Crow restrictions offered limited options for services and lodging.
It's guestbook was a veritable who’s who of black celebrities in the forties, fifties, and sixties. Entertainers like Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughn, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding were all guests at the motel, and two famous songs, Wilson Pickett’s “The Midnight Hour” and Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wood,” were both composed at the Lorraine.
Martin Luther King was staying at the Lorraine Hotel in
room 306. King had stayed at the hotel on numerous occasions. This time he was
here to share his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech at the Mason
Temple Church of God in Christ. On April 4, 1968, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
was assassinated on the balcony of King's room at the Lorraine Motel, just a
day after that speech. The spot is marked by a wreath and his car still remains
in place at the hotel. In 1991, the Lorraine Motel was converted into the
National Civil Rights Museum.
There is a lady that lives across the street. Her name is Jacqueline Smith. Ms. Smith worked at the motel for $10 a day and also lived there for 11 years. She was its last resident. In 1988, she was evicted by order of the state of Tennessee. "You people are making a mistake," Smith said while sobbing. "If I can't live at The Lorraine, I'll camp out on the sidewalk out front." And she has held true to that promise (she carries a tattered copy of Dr. King's "A Testament of Hope”) while at the same time protesting across from the Lorraine, now part of the National Civil Rights Museum. She has lived there for 35 years and 223 days.
We saw Beale Street. During the jazz age of the 1920s-1940s, musicians flocked to Memphis, and especially to Beale Street. BB King, Louis Armstrong, Memphis Minnie, and Muddy Waters were just a few of the jazz and blues legends who helped create the style known as “Memphis Blues,” a style that was born on Beale Street.
On our way out of downtown, we drove down “Cotton Row.” Front Street became the heart of the cotton trade and the center of the Memphis economy for more than a hundred years, and the street earned it's nickname "Cotton Row". Many small cotton companies opened on Front Street, and the vast majority of the buildings on Cotton Row were built between 1848 and 1928. Memphis, very quickly after its founding in 1819, became a center of the cotton industry because of its transportation location. High on the bluff, right at the Mississippi River. Without cotton, Memphis as we know it wouldn't exist. The industry was fueled by the fertile soil in the Mississippi Delta, technological advancement that brought the cotton gin, slaves, later replaced by sharecroppers and others working for free or cheap, and a global demand for the crop.
Our next stop was the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, but this iconic building has not always been an outdoor paradise. The Memphis Pyramid was originally built in 1991 as a venue for sporting and entertainment events, including many basketball tournaments, a Mary J. Blige concert, a Rolling Stones concert, a Mike Tyson boxing event and more. From 2002 to 2006, the pyramid was in use by a church. In 2005, Johnny Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops, went fishing on the Mississippi River. He set out with a couple of his fishing buddies; Bill Dance, the famous angler and TV show host, and Jack Emmitt, Bass Pro’s first fishing manager. When they got near the Memphis Pyramid, Johnny looked up and told them that he would build a store inside if they caught a 30-pound catfish. Sure enough, with only about an hour left in the trip, his buddy, Jack, got a bite and reeled in a monster catfish in the shadow of the Pyramid. Without much hesitation, Johnny said, “It’s a deal, we’re gonna do it.” In 2015, after a complete renovation, Bass Pro Shops and Big Cypress Lodge opened inside the Memphis Pyramid.
We headed over to Overton Park. The Park was established in 1906 and was named for the co-founder of Memphis, John Overton. The park property was known as Lea's Woods when it was purchased by Memphis in 1901 for $110,000. Overton Park is truly in the middle of it all—an iconic public space that is woven throughout the fabric of Memphis life. Its 342 acres offer recreation, relaxation, culture, and nature.
The Overton Park Shell was established in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and designed by local architect Max Furbringer. From its inception, the Overton Park Shell has played a pivotal role in propelling Memphis into the spotlight as a blues epicenter and the birthplace of Rock 'n Roll. This historic venue witnessed the electrifying debut of a young Elvis Presley in 1954, where his groundbreaking performance opening for headliner Slim Whitman marked what many music historians call the very first rock and roll show, leaving an indelible mark on music history.
In the years since, the Shell’s stage has welcomed an
array of legends including Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Furry Lewis, Booker T.
& the MGs, Isaac Hayes, Lisa Marie Presley, Mavis Staples, Sid Selvidge and
many more. The Shell continues to be an essential milestone for local artists
on their way to national recognition. Today, it is one of the only
Depression-era bandshells still active, a true testament to Memphis'
resilience.Our musical bus took us to our dinner at Marlowe’s. Since 1974, they have been providing the best in Memphis BBQ and hospitality to locals and visitors from around the globe.
Our group satisfied their palates with Marlowe’s award-winning
BBQ pork ribs, beef brisket, BBQ chicken and catfish.
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