Walking in Memphis

Weaving back and forth across the great Mississippi River, I'm having a grand tour this summer of America's Midwest and a sweet taste of the South Atlantic. Many days, it's probably as hot here as it is back in steamy San Pancho in summer, this perhaps an odd choice for a July/August trip.

But this is a part of the world I haven't seen since another summer when I was ten years old, when my dad packed us all up and drove us away from Indiana to the Pacific Northwest. So I'm enjoying all of it, from St. Louis through Kentucky and Tennessee, parts of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, a corner of Pennsylvania and a lovely chunk of Virginia.

There is so much to see and so much to hear.

One of the best things about being in the heart of the USA is it gives one the opportunity to experience places where the best of American music was born. We were in Nashville for an afternoon last month. Nashville reminds me of Seattle. It's kept a token chunk of its history but seems to have let its expansion define its identity.

Most of the Grand Ole Opry takes place in newer digs outside the city, but the Ryman Auditorium is still there, booking performances on its historic stage.

Just next door is Legends, the bar into which the stars once ducked after (and maybe before) performing.

It was full of middle aged tourists that afternoon. The band played a little country and a little rock and roll and a lot of nonsensical requests from the audience.

But there was some good history to linger over.

American music is as wide and strong as the grand Mississippi. But I've got to admit, I love the blues the best. It's got guts. No matter the pain of the song, no matter the despair, there's always a chuckle in there, a visceral salute to the absurdity of life.

It was Beale Street I really wanted to see, that famous avenue in the town at the top of the Mississippi Delta.

Then I'm walking in Memphis

...walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale.

Marc Cohn

Beale Street, as touristed as it is, is still raw compared to Nashville's Broadway. Nashville feels slicked up to me, shined up and showed off for visitors. Beale Street not so much. There's more a feeling of, "Here's the clubs and the history and some great old photos and some guys playin' guitar. Take it or leave it."

I like that. 

Apparently I'm not the only one.

We didn't go into the Hard Rock Cafe, which was not forcibly inserted into the middle of the old timey bars but stands across the street on its own corner. Our favorite was the Rum Boogie. We hung out there in the night and again the following morning-ish. Take a look.

Dollar bills paper the walls, but the guitar collection is the treasure.

We also hung out for a while at BB's...

...and at the Blues City Cafe, where Earl the Pearl was playing with his group.

At Tater Red's, we picked up a few souvenirs, but most of my Memphis mementos came away with me stored in my camera.

One of the highlights for me was our visit to the original Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records building, now called Sun Studio.

Here, during the 1950's, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, and James Cotton sang their blues into those big fat microphones and Sam Phillips recorded them for all time. 

Besides the blues artists, Phillips recorded Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 1955, Johnny Cash recorded his first songs, Hey, Porter and Cry, Cry, Cry on the Sun Records label. This early publicity photo hangs on the Sun Studio wall.

In August, 1953, an eighteen year old aspiring singer who had just graduated from high school -- where he flunked music -- walked through this door with enough money in his pocket to pay for a demo recording which he said was a gift for his mother.

The following year, in his search for a white singer who could bring the sounds of blues and soul to white audiences, Sam Phillips invited the young singer back to hear what he could do.

Phillips was unimpressed by the ballads and spirituals the young man sang and the session was nearly at an end when, late in the night, Elvis Presley picked up his guitar one more time, began "jumping around", and with backup from Winfield Moore on guitar and Bill Black on stand up bass, sang Arthur Crudup's 1949 blues song, That's All Right.

Phillips made them start over and recorded it. The rest is history.

We did a few other things in Memphis besides eat and take pictures and explore the history of American music. What visit to Memphis would be complete without a stroll through the lobby of the Peabody, just down the street from our hotel?

Craig's parents went to the famous hotel on their honeymoon in 1947. In honor of that and the hotel's twice-daily duck parade, we brought Veta home a Peabody Hotel rubber ducky.

Did you know the Peabody ducks have been marching since the '30's? And did you know that Edward Pembroke, who was the Peabody Duckmaster for fifty years until 1991, was a former circus animal trainer? I didn't know that part but I learned it while we waited for the ducks.

Speaking of Memphis history, did you know that this place

is named after Major General Cadwallader C. Washburn? Did you even know there was a Major General Cadwallader C. Washburn? I didn't. Turns out he was a Union general stationed in Memphis.

One hundred and fifty one years ago this month, Nathan Bedford Forrest, a very scary (and quite handsome) lieutenant general in the Confederate army, raided Memphis and was looking to capture a few Union generals while he was at it.

General Cadwallader C. Washburn, who had recently declared martial law in Memphis (apparently to no avail) was asleep in the early morning hours of August 21, 1864, when he was alerted to the approach of Forrest and skedaddled down this alley wearing only his nightie. Talk about singing the blues.

As I've said before and will no doubt say again, don't say I never teach you anything new in this column.

That about wraps up Memphis, but you have more treats coming up as I take you to gorgeous Virginia and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, to Abe Lincoln's childhood home, to Carol and Doug's farm haven on the Ohio state line, to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee; and to look at a smattering of delightful finds right here in St. Louis, Missouri.

Take care and send in your comments, please.

xo

C

Comments

[Diedre Haines]

Hi Candice, your narrative and photos from in the Boondocks brought a flood of memories, especially this time of year, of visits to my Grandparents farm. You made it possible for me to once again smell the fresh cut hay in the barn, the crops in the field, and the cows in the pasture. Along with hearing the sounds of my siblings and cousins running across the wooden floorboards of the back sleeping porch as we hurried into the house for dinner. I could even see all of us kids lined up on the large covered front porch drinking our rare and cherished treat, bottles of Dads Root Beer and Nee High Orange Soda!

The walking in Memphis post reminded me of years ago when my husband and I along with my sister and brother in law met B.B. King. He was sitting on the back porch of a music venue taking a break from a concert We were unable to get into the concert due to it (of course) being sold out! He had Lucille by his side and when we had built up the courage to walk up and say hello he asked if we were at the concert. When we told him we couldn't get in he invited us to sit down with him, picked up Lucille and sang 3 songs just for us. He was not only a great musician, but a gracious gentleman. I don't even remember what songs he sang but I do remember being awe struck by the fact that he was right there, playing and singing just for us!
Thank you for evoking those long forgotten but happy memories! Diedre

[Sheri]

I want to hear Tony sing that song with his Doboro...Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues, in the middle of the pourin rain....

Just got back from beautiful Vancouver, BC. Never seen it so dry there!

Happy Trails....

S

[Candice]

It is, Dee. It's shaped like a wedge of sweet potato pie :-)
Great to hear from you, and from Ken and Leslie too.

[Dee]

Great tour guide you make, Candice! I've been a blues fan too, since my earliest teen years. Is that Sun Studio building as long and narrow as it looks? What an odd shape -- hardly room to turn around in there! Hope you enjoy the rest of your travels.

[Ken McBride]

I need to get back to Memphis when I can devote more time. We had dinner then headed to Beale. 2nd bar my sister and niece retired back to room and I prowled all the bars. Saw some great sites and heard some great local bands. Although too short, great time!!!!

[Leslie]

Thanks for visiting and sharing your insight Candice. I truly enjoy your writing.

~leslie
The Hill
St. Louis