In the late 19th century, Stephen Toof named the property that would later be home to the second-most-visited home in the United States Graceland Farms in honor of his daughter, Grace Toof. The mansion was built in 1939 for Grace Toof's niece. After being in the family for generations, country music star Elvis Presley purchased the estate for over $100,000 in 1957 when he was 22-years old. After moving in, along with his parents and grandmother, he made many changes to the mansion and made it his own. Elvis’s life was lost too soon, but the mansion preserves his memory and is a museum today. Graceland is the second most toured home in the United States, next to the White House. The estate includes numerous exhibits that preserve the life and legacy of a man still known as "The King of Rock n Roll."
Hi Records was one of the most famous recording studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Owned and operated by Ray Harris and others, the record company recorded artists such as Al Green and Ann Peebles. Willie Mitchell found success at Hi Records and even became a producer at the studio. Today, Hi Records is now distributed under Fat Possum Records, but is still remembered for its advances in musical history.
The Stax Museum was originally a business called Satellite Records, owned and operated by Jim Stewart. The museum's purpose is to show the heart and soul that was poured into the record company and the musical history. Even though the company shut down in 1975 due to bankruptcy, the legacy lives on and is still impacting people today. Stax Museum is run by Soulsville Foundation, who helps people recognize the beauty of soul music.
Opening in 1963, the Mid-South Coliseum was a very popular multi-functional sports and music arena. The arena could hold up to 10,085 people and would pack full of fans who wanted to see anything from their favorite music artists to their favorite basketball team. The Coliseum cost one million dollars a year to maintain, causing its closure in 2006. Only six years before its closure, the Mid-South Coliseum was granted listing on the United States National Register of Historic Places.
Where Rock and Roll was born. Sam Phillips launched his record company in February, 1952, and named it Sun Records as a sign of his perpetual optimism: A new day and a new beginning. Sun Studio became known as a place that nurtured talent and then encouraged it to expand with bigger labels. In 2003 it became a national tourist attraction due to the record company discovering Elvis Presley.
The Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum chronicles the origins of rock and soul music and that unique "Memphis Sound" that was created by W.C. Handy and so many other great musicians. The museum was initially started as a project in celebration of the Smithsonian Institution's 150th anniversary. The project's goal was to tell the story of musical pioneers who came to Memphis and often overcame racial and socioeconomic barriers to create the music that changed how the entire world dressed, walked, and talked.
The historically famous street, home of the blues and barbeque, is located right in downtown Memphis, Tennessee off of Main Street. Beale Street stretches 1.8 miles through the heart of downtown. The thoroughfare was constructed in 1841 by property developer Robertson Topp (1807-1876) and extended from the Mississippi River to Memphis' East Side. From the traveling African American musicians in the 1860s to tourists today, Beale Street remains a focal point in Memphis.
Owned and operated by Ruben Cherry, the Home of the Blues was deemed the South's largest record store. Being located on Beale Street, as well as selling a variety of genres, gave the store a multi-racial customer base. Cherry loved music so much he decided to make a record company called Home of the Blues Record Co. While the record company was short lived, it had some success during its time. Co-owned by Ruben Cherry and Roy Brown, the company recorded artists such as the Royal Five.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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Memphis, Tennessee is synonymous with the Blues and the King of Rock 'n' Roll. This tour starts where it all started- Beale Street, and includes stops related to each of the different genres of music that made Memphis. The tour concludes at Graceland, home to Elvis Presley. American music traces its roots to Memphis.
