Memphis, Tennessee

Monday, October 24

We left Chickasha, Oklahoma this morning and headed to Memphis, Tennessee.  After the eight hour drive we were ready for some Beale Street Blues. 

Beale Street

We walked up and down the streets, got some jambalaya, had a beer and listened to some music.   Being a Monday night we were surprised at how many people were out and about.  We can only imagine what a weekend must be like.   

 

 The roads were barricaded for two city blocks and music poured into the streets from each establishment.  Young guys tumbled down the streets hoping for a tip.   Everyone seemed to have a drink in their hand and a bounce in their step as they meandered from place to place.  

the carriage awaits you

busy Beale Street

Tuesday morning we headed to see the King!

We took the audio tour of Graceland and were surprised that it wasn’t quite as large or outlandish as we had expected.  It is however,  quite a production.   

living room & music room

parents bedroom

dining room

Priscilla & Lisa Marie

TV room

game room

Lisa Marie's favorite chair in the jungle room

Lisa Marie's swing set

The Sun Label years

trophy corridor

After walking through the recording studio at the house and strolling down the ‘trophy’ corridor we had to be in awe of the accomplishments of this young entertainer.  Several videos of his performances were running continuously throughout the tour along with interviews with him and family members.

awards from the later years

Elvis Aron Presley

 The meditation pool where Elvis, his mother, father, and grandmother are buried along with a marker for his twin brother, Jesse Garon.

Elvis' gift to Priscilla

Elvis' favorite car

We paid the extra four dollars that allowed us to also see his car collection and airplane. 

his famous pink Cadillac which was his mother's favorite

the Lisa Marie

Next we drove over to the old Sun Recording Studio, the ‘Birthplace of Rock ‘N Roll’ where it all began.  

This was a great tour and we really enjoyed it even more that Graceland.  Our guide was humorous and enthusiastic about the information he conveyed to us which really made the tour enjoyable.

This is the place where Elvis strolled in one day and asked if he could record a song for his mother’s birthday.  So, for three dollars he made his first recording. 

Sam Phillips

 Sam Phillips wasn’t there that day and wasn't impressed when his secretary played it for him. In fact it took almost a year before Phillips got a ‘sound’ he liked out of Elvis.  And then,  the rest is history.

                      

 Other famous artists who also got their start at Sun Records include; Carl Perkins- Blue Suede Shoes,  Jerry Lee Lewis- Great Balls of Fire, Roy Orbison- Ooby Dooby, and Johnny Cash,- I walk the Line.    

The 'Million Dollar Quartet' ~ Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley

During our presentation, the tour guide explained how Johnny Cash got a unique sound out of his guitar by wrapping paper around the neck, under the strings.  To demonstrate this technique our guide chose Johnny George to strum the guitar as everyone sang along to; I Walk the Line. 

It was great and John got to keep the pick he strummed with.

Then we went to see the National Civil Rights Museum but it was closed on Tuesdays.  Bummer.  Anyway, the museum is located in the Lorraine Motel, the assassination site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  It was interesting to see the site, familiar to so many.  Guess for now we’ll have to put that on the list for our next trip.  

So we moved on to the Pink Palace.  The Pink Palace was supposed to be the pretentious home of the owner of the Piggly Wigley supermarket chain.  

 However, before its completion Mr. Saunders lost his fortune to the stock market and the house was left to the city.  The city completed it and over the years has used it in various capacities ~ today it houses a mix of natural history and cultural history exhibits.  It wasn’t quite as ‘pink’ as I expected ~ maybe the sun was too bright.

On to Nashville.