A Music Nerd in Memphis (aka Saddle Shoes on Beale Street)

As a lifelong southern-ish Midwesterner, I can confidently say that in the United States, more big draws for tourism are located on the east and west coasts than toward the middle. It would be hard to find someone in the world who had never heard about places like California, New York City, or Disney World in Florida. However, it would also be hard to find someone who had never heard about Elvis Presley. Those who have heard of Elvis might have also heard of Graceland, his mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. Yet Memphis' impact on American music far predates The King's purchase of Graceland. Rural to urban migration and the presence of both black and white communities allowed for multiple genres to get popular in Memphis. Throughout the early 1900s, blues, country, gospel, and jazz created the perfect storm for the creation of rock and roll.

Beale Street

Since the early 1900s, the epicenter of the Memphis music scene has been Beale Street. At the helm of these formative decades for Beale Street were African American musicians with varying styles. Alabama native and "Father of the Blues" W.C. Handy penned the song "Beale Street Blues" in 1916. Jazz music spread here in the 1920s. Soon after, more musicians like B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Louis Armstrong began making their mark on Beale Street. 

Today, Beale Street is a bit overtly touristy, but I still love it. There are restaurants and bars named after the city's hall of famers like B.B. King's Blues Club, Jerry Lee Lewis' Cafe and Honky Tonk, and Club Handy. Many of the restaurants have artists performing regularly just as so many have done in the past. They're good musicians too. When I had shrimp and grits at B.B. King's Blues Club, the band of the night featured Grammy winning bass player Leroy Hodges who once worked with Al Green and even Snoop Dogg. 

Sun Studio

Sam Phillips opened the Memphis Recording Service in 1950. Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats used the recording studio to cut "Rocket 88," which many historians consider to be the first rock and roll song ever recorded. Other patrons included B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf. Phillips launched his record label Sun Records in 1952.

Ok, now we can talk about Elvis. It was the music that he heard on Beale Street and throughout his childhood growing up in predominantly African American neighborhoods that helped him create his sound. He cut his first recordings with the help of studio assistant Marion Keisker at Memphis Recording Service just for fun, but Phillips stayed in contact with him. Inspired by "That's All Right" by Arthur Crudup, Elvis released his version of "That's All Right" with Sun Records in 1954. Phillips helped get the song on the radio and local DJ Dewey Phillips (no relation to Sam) received request after request to play it over and over. Elvis began performing all around the South, surprising audiences with his blend of blues, country, and a certain je ne sais quoi -- not to mention controversial dance moves, but that's a whole other story. Phillips and Elvis's infamous manager Col. Tom Parker sold Elvis's music to RCA in 1955. Nationwide No. 1 hits followed and the rest is quite literally history.

Also in the second half of the 1950s, Sun Records released "Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Perkins, "Folsom Prison Blues" and "I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash, "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis, and many others. Sun Records is no longer a record company, but the studio is still available for recording. U2 famously made use of it in the late 1980s, with BB King as a special guest.

The building is now called Sun Studio. The walls are covered with artifacts from all of the rock and roll pioneers who once frequented the building. Tours include the recording studio itself, which appears largely the same as it did when all of these legends recorded their hits. In a world of "nepo babies" and internet influencers, it's pretty amazing to think that this fairly humble building was the site of so many moments that changed popular music forever. Of course there are still come-from-nothing, home grown celebs in the entertainment biz, but Sun Studio truly captured lightning in a bottle during the 1950s. Anyway, Sun Studio is one of the coolest places I've ever visited. I don't want to spoil too much of what you get to see but it's incredibly worth the trip.

Graceland

At 22 years old, Elvis purchased Graceland in 1957 after releasing hits like "Heartbreak Hotel" and making his first appearances on national TV. While he eventually got a place in Beverly Hills as well, Memphis remained a home base and much more. Five generations of the Presley family have been laid to rest at the Meditation Garden in the mansion's backyard. Visitors come from all over the world and leave mementos here. Luckily I managed to keep myself together during this part of the tour.

Since opening to the public in 1982, Elvis Presley Enterprises has added museums across from the mansion called Elvis Presley's Memphis. Here is where you'll find his cars (including the famous pink Cadillac), a career timeline chock full of personal artifacts, floor-to-ceiling gold records, Grammys, his two private planes, belongings from his daughter Lisa Marie Presley, and of course case upon case of iconic outfits. Ticket options include the museums and Graceland mansion or just the museums. If you're going to both, go to the museum complex first because mansion tours depart from here.

A visit to either or both show what was important to Elvis: Family, friends, home, music. Those who knew Elvis loved making people happy with his music and felt that some sort of higher power chose him to do just that, but he was not always sure why he'd been chosen. Perhaps this existential questioning was why he was always quick to shift the credits of rock and roll pioneering to other artists whom he admired, especially African Americans like Fats Domino. He usually even brushed off the nickname "The King." Fame at levels never seen before was rough for "The King." But again, that's a whole other story that plenty of other people have already written about. Regardless, Graceland is the second most visited house in the United States, second only to the White House. Not bad for a guy who wondered if anyone would remember him after he died.

Other Music History Locales

As previously mentioned, Memphis was integral to the rise of rock and roll. As most music moguls know, rock and roll is a blend of the genres enjoyed by multiple demographics people in the United States who converged in Memphis in the early 1900s. The Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum walks you through this timeline, plus the influence of radio programs and Sun Records. The museum also pays special attention to soul music in Memphis and Stax Records. This record company rose to prominence in Memphis with artists like Al Green, Ann Peebles, Rufus Thomas, and Otis Redding. I left already making a mental playlist of the stars and songs discussed at this museum.

One of the many displays in the Rock 'n' Soul Museum

The former location of Stax Records is now Stax Museum of American Soul Music as well. Another home-grown business, founders Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton were bankers who simply decided to pursue their musical passions in the late 1950s -- and with a racially integrated staff. Atlantic Records partnered with Stax a few years later. Trace soul music from churches across the American South to the airways and learn more about the label's aforementioned stars.

A few steps off of Beale Street is the Memphis Music Hall of Fame with more artifacts which change as new artists are inducted. While the obvious icons are all inductees, you will learn about a few more pieces to the city's continuous puzzle. The Blues Hall of Fame is in Memphis too, and hosts the annual Blues Music Awards.

Sorry for word vomiting

If you can't tell, I'm a sucker for pop culture history because it so often intertwines with history as a whole. A culture shift was born out of Memphis in the 1950s -- once thought to be immoral, if not dangerous. Rock and roll?! Clutch your pearls! It was not the first time this had happened and was definitely not the last, but these shifts rightfully find their way into history textbooks. You can't learn about major historical events without also knowing a little bit about what regular life was like way back whenever. And in many instances, music can really shake things up, pun somewhat intended.

And in case you're wondering, these are saddle shoes