Memphis, Tennessee is one of those storied places I've always wanted to visit. It has history across the spectrum, some of it good and some of it very, very bad.
We drove into downtown Memphis on a somewhat cloudy afternoon, which can be good or bad for photographs. The first stop we made was at what is probably one of the top two tourist sites in the city: Sun Studios.
We drove into downtown Memphis on a somewhat cloudy afternoon, which can be good or bad for photographs. The first stop we made was at what is probably one of the top two tourist sites in the city: Sun Studios.
Sun Studios was founded by Sam Phillips back in 1950 on Union Avenue. A veritable who's-who of rockabilly and early rock recorded there, including people like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis have all spent time recording there back in the 1950's. More recently, artists such as U2, John Mellencamp and Def Leppard have recorded there.
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| Sun Studio, at the corner of Union and Marshall in Memphis... |
The studio is now open to the public and tours, for a fee, are offered daily from 10:00am until 6:00am for $15 (kids under 11 are free).
After stopping at Sun Studio (which was closed because of Covid-19), we made our way over to the other big tourist stop in town and, frankly, it could be argued far more important.
On April 4, 1968, only one day after his famed "I've Been To The Mountaintop" speech", 39 year old Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped outside of his room, #306, at the Lorraine Motel on Mulberry street, and stood on the balcony. The warm spring evening was shattered by the gunshot of a 30-06 rifle, fired by James Earl Ray from a boarding house across the street and up a small hill.
On April 4, 1968, only one day after his famed "I've Been To The Mountaintop" speech", 39 year old Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped outside of his room, #306, at the Lorraine Motel on Mulberry street, and stood on the balcony. The warm spring evening was shattered by the gunshot of a 30-06 rifle, fired by James Earl Ray from a boarding house across the street and up a small hill.
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| The sign at the entrance to the Lorraine Motel... |
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| The wreath outside room #306 marks the approximate spot where Dr. King fell after being shot... |
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| The boarding house from where James Earl Ray shot Martin Luther King, Jr... |
Even though the motel remained open following the assassination, room #306 was never rented out again. The motel is now a part of the National Civil Rights Museum.
Following our visit to the Lorraine Motel, it was time for a bit of levity, and the best place for that is Beale Street.
Beale Street, also known as the "home of the blues", is one of the most iconic streets in the United States.
Due to the restrictions in place due to Covid-19, many businesses were closed and, sadly, there was no live music at all, which is what Beale Street is most famous for. But some bars were open during the day, despite the very obvious absence of people. Silver lining: You didn't have to wait for a beer!
I started at the Rum Boogie Cafe, and ordered up a locally brewed craft beer. It was good, it was cold and it was pricey. A single can was $8, and even a can of Coors Light would set you back $6.
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| Ghost River Gold... |
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| The empty stage at the Rum Boogie Cafe... |
Celebrity-signed guitars hang on the walls and from the ceiling, signed by musicians, actors and sports figures. One such guitar, and a guitar he was not normally associated with, was signed by the late Stevie Ray Vaughan:
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| A Fender Telecaster signed by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble... |
I made my way up the street and stopped in to the Tap Room at the King's Palace Cafe. It was completely empty when I walked in, save for the bartender who was in full Covid mode:
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| The Tap Room at the King's Palace Cafe... |
Of course, the best time to be on Beale Street is at night. The street lights up with all colors of neon, whether people show up or not:
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| The venerable B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale... |
As dinner time crept up, it became clear that there were actually very few eateries open along Beale. I found Alfred's, though, and man was it good. Social distancing was, of course, the rule, and diners were sat at every other table.
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| The pulled pork platter at Alfred's, insanely good at only $12.99... |
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| Beers over Beale... |
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| The police presence, even though there were almost no people, was rather heavy... |
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| This was a common site along Beale Street... |
Beale Street, even when it's empty, is pretty cool. Enough bars and restaurants were open to make it worthwhile, and things are only going to improve as time passes. Every bartender and server I spoke with told me that they're ready to get back to working a full schedule and to take care of blues fans as soon as possible.
You could spend the better part of a day trying to find anything wrong with that!
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