It's Elvis week, the 30th anniversary of the King's death, so the town is mad busy but we find a cheap place to stay across the river in Arkansas (thanks Melissa's mum & dad for the tip). We head straight to Graceland, which is heaving with visitors as expected, with plenty of Elvis lookalikes in attendance.
Mourners/picture collectors, Graceland, Tn.Apart from being hearded round the house like cattle, its a pretty cool place - they decor is much more funky than I'd expected. The audio tour says that Elvis installed 3 TVs when he heard that the president watched 3 TVs at once. I also enjoy seeing his reading material, which includes a Karate manual. At Studio B in Nashville we were told of an incident where Elvis had shown off his skills and karate kicked a gun from the hand of a band member. What a guy!
TV room, Graceland, Tn.In the evening we get tickets to what is supposed to be a music & movie event at Graceland. Nascar driver Dale Earnhartd Jr is there and he's a big deal in the U.S. so a lot of people are there to see him. My paparazzi urge gets the better of me and I fire off a few frames of him in his golf buggy.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.Then we have to listen while Dale, some other dude who drives drag cars and some dude from ESPN, drivel on about the private tour they've had. The event has been highjacked by the beer sponsor who are unveiling a car with Elvis livery. Dale Junior sits drinking beer while a guy plays some Elvis tracks. His favourite is "American Trilogy" he says. The guy who drives drag cars can't name a favourite Elvis tune as he doent know much about him, he admits. Pathetic. We leave before the movie starts.
Next day we visit the Stax Museum. Altough the original building was demolished, it sits on the site of the studio. It is also very good and tells a complimentary story to that at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Many of the black artists talk of the influence the Grand Ole Opry country radio show out of Nashville had on their music. It was also interesting to hear those who went on the Stax tour to Europe talk of how they didnt have the (racial) problems they had in America, when they were over there.
The Stax story is quite a sad one and musicians spoke of how the atmosphere where black and white musicians worked together without any issues changed after Dr King was murdered at the Lorraine Motel (below) in 1968.
Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tn.It was also sad that a label that had been home to Otis Redding, Carla & Rufus Thomas, Sam & Dave, Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the MGs and The Staple Singers went bankrupt costing co-founder Jim Stuart his fortune.
The area around McLemore St where Stax was based is nicknamed Soulsville. It seems quite run down in parts but we swing by 406 Lucy to see the house where Aretha Franklin was born. I cant help thinking this would have a blue plaque if it was England and certainly wouldn't look like this.
406 Lucy, Memphis, Tn.In the afternoon we take a walk down Beale St, which the feel of a theme park. There doesn't appear to be any music worth checking out here so we head back to the motel to plan where to go next.
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