Memphis, Tennessee
by Emily Bennett
Last year I visited Memphis with my mom- a die hard blues fan, who wanted to see the International Blues Championships again- and I am so glad I did; the city and its surrounding area still remains etched in my mind today. It’s a haunting kind of place, where the ghosts of its heyday still roam the streets in the spirit of the way things used to be; where good, soulful music is still appreciated and people still struggle to stay afloat. There’s still a sense of achievement, pride and respect that made the city what it was and all you have to do is read any of the musician’s backgrounds to realize how much you can achieve with little to no resources.
The International Blues Championship pays tribute to the blues sound that was produced decades ago in Memphis, even if the results are a little more modern at times. The championship was originally held in 1985 and the tradition has been carried on by the Blues Foundation ever since. For a small fee, usually $10/night, you can wander into any of the many bars on Beale Street hosting the blues challenge and listen to some really great music from all around the world. We typically found ourselves in the Pig, Double Deuce and B.B. King’s, cheering on our local favorites from Pittsburgh and West Virginia.
If you’re in town for the IBC, it can be assumed you care a lot about music, especially the blues, soul and gospel. There are hardly any places in this country that know more about these genres than Memphis. While you are there, you have to check out Stax Records and Sun Studios, which produced some of the most groundbreaking music of all time.
We visited Stax Records in the early afternoon and by the time we were back outside, we had no idea what time it was, since the experience of the place made you completely forget where you were. The Stax self-guided tour starts out with a short film, which highlights the music from their collection and a little historical background, which will completely blow you away. Afterwards you can tour the many relics they have collected from previous artists and of their era in time in Memphis. Stax recorded music by the Staple singers, Booker T. & the MGs, Isaac Hayes (who also wrote and produced for Stax) and their most famous artist, Otis Redding.
The next day we made our way to Sun Studios to take the tour we had been hearing so much about. Our tour guide did not disappoint and despite it being a small museum, he was able to tell us enough information to fill up a much larger place. Like Stax, there were relics from the past, including a lot of Elvis memorabilia- who recorded his first song there, as well as the famous studio which still bears the X where the recorded singer was told to stand. It’s amazing when you are in that room to think of how many famous people stood right where you did: Elvis of course, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis and so many more! And fyi, you can still record there to this day for an extremely reasonable price.
Speaking of Elvis, you can’t visit Memphis without paying a tribute to the King at Graceland. I’ll admit it was a little strange to be traipsing about his house, but it was definitely worth seeing all of his tacky room designs, automobile and clothing collections. If it’s one thing I got out of being in Graceland is that it’s never a bad thing to be yourself. Life is too short to care about what other people think and so I proudly wore my zebra striped shoes around Graceland, much to my mother’s amusement.
You also can’t experience all Memphis has to offer unless you’ve sampled some of their local food and restaurants. Some of my favorite restaurants included Miss Polly’s (warning: they put hot sauce on everything!), Arcade Restaurant, where Elvis used to dine, Silky O’Sullivans and the Big Foot Lounge, which boasts a 4-lb hamburger and many other excellent meals.
Besides the food and obvious tourist attractions, I also have to recommend visiting the Folklore Museum, Tater Reds, the National Civil Rights Museum and the Cotton Museum, all of which are located within walking distance of each other.
To view more information on Memphis or to plan a trip there, visit their official website at www.cityofmemphis.org.
