Walking in Memphis: Part 2

TravelMole’s Graham McKenzie pays tribute to two kings during the second part of his Deep South adventure: Elvis and BB

"Music figures very highly in Memphis. It’s not the only thing going on but it is certainly one of the biggest.

After my stellar first day in the city it was difficult to think what else it had to offer. Well first up was the Rock and Soul Museum right in the heart of down town.  

It really is worth dedicating a morning at the very least to this establishment as it takes you through the very very rich history of music in Tennessee and the nearby surrounding area.

It covers the development of blues, soul, rock and all manner of other things in an entertaining and interactive fashion. It is located on the corner of Beale (the lively centre of Memphis live music) and Highway 61 which has become famous in the UK mainly due to Bob Dylan’s album.

The road runs south of Memphis along the Mississippi down to Vicksburg and forms the trail to the home of the Delta Blues – it is in fact the Blues Highway.

The Rock and Soul Museum networks very closely with the other major historical sites such as Stax, Sun and Graceland so much so that you can hitch a free bus ride to any of the venues right outside.

Next for me was Sun studios where such luminaries as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee-Lewis recorded their first songs.

The first thing that strikes you is the size and normality of the building. It could be somebody’s front room but was in fact the location for the emergence of some of the most ground breaking music in the 20th century.

A full guided tour is given on how the raw energy of the aforementioned Beale Street was captured and how much of the famous rock and roll sound was because of a distorted amplifier.

From here it was off to Graceland, home of the King. Once you actually get inside the building there is no mistaking that the man who built it had lots and lots of money but seemingly little in the way of design and style skills.

It is monster magnificence with garish TV rooms with half a dozen screens and bright yellow furniture, corridors full of gold records, velvet settees and rolling fields for horses. You can go at your own speed as the tour is conducted on earphones and an iPad.

Once you have finished and paid your respects at the grave of Elvis a small bus takes you back across the road to see some more objet da including clothing, motor vehicles and the Presley plane.

All in all it makes for a good trip but beware almost every door you exit through leads you to a gift shop with some souvenirs that would fit very nicely in the Graceland mansion.

Final music stop of the day was the atmospheric BB Kings club on Beale. In the afternoons alumni from the Stax music academy sing to the audience but in the evenings a house band with more experienced musicians take the stage.

Each band has a speciality but soul was the plat d’jour the night I was there. For a small persuader the band will take requests and I have never heard ‘Bet you by golly wow’ sung live at a better place, any better, any place in the world. It summed up the city."