Wed-Thur Oct 22-23 – Memphis, Tennessee

Wed-Thur Oct 22-23 – Memphis, Tennessee

Wed Oct 22 – Nashville to Memphis

Left Nashville feeling very lucky to have been back there.  Before we left a neighbor in the park who had just arrived from Canada told us there had been a shooting on Parliament Hill.  We were shocked but didn’t hear any details until we were driving toward Memphis. We couldn’t get anything but music on the Canadian radio stations on Sirius, but were finally successful in hearing the updated news and details as they happened on CNN radio.  I think we both felt so bereft…. Stripped of something we couldn’t really identify… maybe it could be that the ‘peace’ we know to be Canada had been shattered in this one senseless shooting. Tears though very real, seemed so inadequate. Weeping for the young man who has lost his life, and for our country Canada, which has somehow lost something of its innocence! Our thoughts today are with those at home facing this awful reality. 

The traffic coming in to Memphis was awful and it took us until early evening to get to our destination.

We arrived at Memphis Jellystone RV Resort just over the state line in Mississippi (we also came here 2 years ago on our way to Texas).  Setting up quickly we sat outside in the sun chatting about the day and its events.

Thinking of you Canada!!!

Thur 23^rd Oct – Memphis

Sun Studios

WHBQ studio moved here. Played Elvis first song

The original  Sun recording studio

Original mikes and drums

The famous picture on the wall.

We set aside the day to explore Memphis as we had not done so 2 years ago. We drove into the city and started our day at the Sun Recording Studio, where we learned so much interesting information about the history of this amazing place… the story of Sam Phillips and his assistant Marion Keisker who basically ran the whole thing from the beginning. Marion was the first person ever to record Elvis and when Sam heard the recording he rejected him. A year later when they were searching for someone to fill in, his name came up and he was invited to audition. Still not impressed until a break in the session and Elvis started clowning around with a song called ‘That’s alright Mama’… Sam Phillips recorded it as they were messing around and took the recording to DJ Dewey Phillips at his studio ... and he is credited with playing the first Elvis song on the radio on his show "Red Hot and Blues" at the WHBQ studio downtown Memphis.... and the rest as they say……..

Jerry Lee to stubbed his cig out on the piano- DUH!

Love Me Tender

The history of Sun Studio is fascinating and they have left everything original in there… The Studio was going to be demolished and instead it was dismantled and taken to Sun Studios for display in the museum. 
During the tour Janice even got to hold the SAME microphone as Elvis. It is WELL worth the visit … this small unassuming location is just busting with history and fascinating stories.  The first ever identified ‘rock n roll’ record  was recorded here in Mar 1951 (Rocket 88) the sound that epitomizes rock and roll (distorted guitar) came by accident from a broken speaker stuffed with crumpled newspaper. Ike Turner was on piano… who knew??? This studio is a must do for anyone visiting Memphis. The famous photo of Jerry Lee, Elvis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins is on the wall having been cut to remove Elvis's girlfriend who was sitting on the piano in the original version.

After leaving Sun we went on to Beale street and had a very southerm style shared lunch at BB Kings Blues club  (Gumbo, fried green tomatoes and fried crawfish poppers with remoulade sauce)… all great.

We walked up and down the famous Beale Street and then went down to the Missiissippi River for a photo before heading to Stax records location. The original building has been hugely renovated and  houses the Stax Museum of Soul Music. The Stax Music Academy was built next to it. We did the tour and though it is very interesting, we both felt the Sun Studio was more interesting and authentic. Seeing the artifacts and reading the stories of such Stax artists as Otis Reading, Rufus Thomas, Isaac Hayes, Ike Turner and Tina Turner etc etc  and footage of old performances was quite cool. I must say though… it felt weird seeing your fond memories of your youth being old enough to display in a MUSEUM!!!!! Honestly!!!!! So these two ancient artifacts jumped into our truck and headed back to camp, driving passed Graceland on the way.  Having absorbed three decades of rock and soul we settled down after supper to get the blog updated and catch up with emails etc.

So Memphis …… CHECK!!!!

On to our next destination tomorrow… Clarksdale … home of The Crossroads (look up the history of Robert Johnson) …. This is the birth of it all… Mississippi Delta Blues country.  Stay tuned!

View of Memphis from banks of the Mississippi