The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

In Memphis, on the places of Elvis and soul music

2022-05-24T18:41:30.401Z


Music is in the air in Memphis. The city of Tennessee on the banks of the Mississippi River, whose name derives from the homonymous capital of the Ancient Egyptian Kingdom, is not only a destination for tourists for its attractions but also a place of pilgrimage for music lovers. (HANDLE)


(by Gina Di Meo) (ANSA) - MEMPHIS, 24 MAY - Music is in the air in Memphis.

The city of Tennessee on the banks of the Mississippi River, whose name came from the capital of the Ancient Egyptian Kingdom of the same name, is not only a destination for tourists for its attractions but also a pilgrimage place for music lovers.


   Memphis is synonymous with Graceland and therefore Elvis Presley but also the city where artists such as BB King, Johnny Cash, ArethaFranklin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Al Green, Muddy Waters, Tina Turner, Otis Redding were born, raised or started their careers here , Justin Timberlake, just to name a few.


   Elvis' places are definitely a must see for visiting Memphis.

The starting point is Graceland, among others the second most famous and visited residence in the United States after the White House.

The king bought it in 1957 and it is also the place where he was found dead in 1977.


   Only some rooms are open to the public even in respect of Elvis' will who kept him private.

The famous and visible spaces are the 'TV room' in the basement where the artist often entertained himself while also watching three televisions at a time, the 'gold room', where gold discs and numerous awards are exhibited, the 'music room'.


   Elvis himself also had a 'meditation garden' built, where his parents Gladys and Vernon and his grandmother are now buried in addition to him.

A small plaque also commemorates Elvis' twin brother, Jesse Garon, who died at birth.


   This year, August 16, marks the 45th anniversary of his death and Graceland, which among other things celebrates the 40th year of opening to the public, has organized various initiatives and exhibitions, including 'Graceland: Welcome to My World' and 'DearElvis'.

While Cannes pays homage to him with the biopic `` Elvis '' signed by Baz Luhrmann which will also see the Maneskins at their debut in the world of cinema parading on the red carpet of the Monteedes Marches.

They are the version of the iconic IF I CAN DREAM, the song they already sing for the soundtrack of Luhrmann's film which will only be released in cinemas from 22 June.


   After honoring Elvis' memory, the next stop is Beale Street, which stands for music (especially Blues) as Broadway in New York stands for theater.

This is where Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters, Albert King, Memphis Minnie, B.


   B. King, Rufus Thomas, Rosco Gordon and other blues and jazz legends played and helped develop the style known as Memphis Blues.

Beale Street is a nearly three-kilometer-long strip of restaurants and clubs, including BB King's Blues Club.


   Memphis is also the home of the historic 'Sun Studio' recording studio where in 1954 an unknown Elvis Presley, overcome his shyness, picked up a microphone and sang a completely new version of That's Alright, Mama.

It was the birth of a new sound.

One that combined country, r'n'b, folk and pop surpassed racial barriers.

Elvis is a white perfectly comfortable with black music.


   Soul music is breathed instead at the Stax Museum which traces the history of the famous record label Sax Records, with its greatest star, Otis Redding, still considered today among the greatest singers of all time.

At the Stax there is the story of the pioneers of music who overcame the racial and socio-economic barriers to create a genre that changed the cultural nature of the world, the so-called 'soul music'.


   The queen of soul music, ArethaFranklin, was also born in Memphis.

Here is still the house she lived in before her family moved to Detroit.


   Not just music, Memphis is also where civil rights battles took place.

And it is also here that the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. It was April 4, 1968 when the African American activist coming out on the balcony of room 306 on the second floor of the Lorraine motel was hit by a rifle shot in the head.


   And again the city is home to St. JudeChildren's Research Hospital.

It is a kind of miracle place for children with serious illnesses and who receive treatment completely free of charge.


   In addition to music and history, Memphis is also a vibrant place from a lifestyle and culinary point of view.

An eclectic neighborhood for the mix of restaurants, bars and shops is Cooper-Young, very similar to Williamsburg or Bushwick in New York for vitality.


   Among the most iconic restaurants, at 'The Four Way' still serves soul food that delighted the palates of Martin Luther King, Jr, Elvis Presley and Drake, while the Arcade Restaurant boasts the ElvisBooth, the table where they usually sat Elvis for breakfast and used to eat 'fried peanut butter' n 'bananasandwich', a sandwich with banana and peanut butter.


   https://www.memphistravel.com (ANSA).


Source: ansa

All life articles on 2022-05-24

You may like

Life/Entertain 2024-02-14T05:11:34.433Z

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.