The outside of the studio looks no different than it did in Elvis Presley's time. The oversized Gibson guitar hangs over the door of the little drugstore next to the studio that has been turned into a visitor's center and Sun Records gift shop.
Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee 6/23/07
The outside of the studio looks no different than it did in Elvis Presley's time. The oversized Gibson guitar hangs over the door of the little drugstore next to the studio that has been turned into a visitor's center and Sun Records gift shop.
Recording Studio Inside of Sun Records 6/22/07
We took a tour of Sun Records where we saw cases of old recording equipment. The tour finishes up in the studio where Elvis Presley first recorded. The studio still has instruments in it, just as it would have Presley's time. There are historic photographs on the walls, and visitors can even pause to have their pictures taken holding Elvis Presley's microphone.
Sun Records in Memphis 6/23/07
This historic marker outside of Sun Records tells about the legendary recording studio where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis recorded their hits. Since we decided not to visit Graceland, this was the end of the line for our visit to Memphis.
Rock and Soul Museum Sign
No photographs could be taken inside the museum. This sign out front show that the Rock and Soul Museum was created by the Smithsonian Institution. The museum is located at 191 Beale Street, right across the street from the Gibson guitar factory, which is also open for tours.
Rock and Soul Museum 6/23/07
The Rock and Soul Museum in Memphis opened its doors in 2000. The museum's exhibits tell the story of musical pioneers of Rock and Soul music. Our visit the the museum united many areas of my studies on this trip, since the exhibits began with the rural field hollers and sharecroppers of the 1930s, and ended with the explosion of recording studios during Memphis’ musical heyday in the 70s. Visitors use audio headsets to listen to narrations of the exhibits and thoughout the museum are several juke boxes with selections of songs from the various decades to listen to.
W.C. Handy and the Blues 6/23/07
The W. C. Handy Park, located on Beale Street and dedicated to W.C. Handy in 1931, has a long tradition of hosting blues acts. Since its creation, Handy Park has been a meeting ground for musicians. Blues artists still play the park for tips.
W. C. Handy's House 6/23/07
This photo shows a small shotgun house at 352 Beale Street which was W.C. Handy's house. Originally located at 659 Jennette Place, this house was Handy's home when he wrote such classics as "Yellow Dog Blues" and "Beale Street Blues." The house is now headquarters of the Blues Foundation. We were not there during the hours of operation, so we were not able to go inside.
W. C. Handy Statue in Downtown Memphis 6/23/07
W. C. Handy is known as the father of the blues. This statue in downtown Memphis is located next to his house. Handy was a business many who operated Pace and Handy Music Company on Beale Street in Memphis. He published "Beale Street Blues" and "St. Louis Blues", which made him the first to publish music with the word "blues" in the title.
Exploring the Legacy from Across the Street 6/22/07
A visit to the museum concludes in the Exploring the Legacy building across the street from the Lorraine Motel. Exploring the Legacy adds 12,800 square feet of exhibition space and connects the main campus of the Museum to the Young and Morrow building and the Main Street Rooming House where James Earl Ray allegedly fired the fatal shot resulting in the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Visitors stand and look out the still open window of the Rooming House to the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. This portion of the museum also has information on the various conspiracy theories about King's assassination.
Martin Luther King's Room at the Lorraine Motel 6/22/07
The balcony where King was assassinated is marked with a wreath.
Lorraine Motel at the Civil Rights Museum 6/22/07
The National Civil Right Museum was built to incorporate the
Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The motel, which had been a foreclosed property for many years, was purchased by the Martin Luther King Foundation in 1982. A visit to the museum finishes outside of Rooms 306 and 307 of the motel, which are left as they would have been on that fateful April day.
Civil Rights Museum - Memphis, Tennessee 6/22/07
The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee opened to the public in 1991. The museum exhibits tell the story of many key episodes of the American civil rights movement and the legacy of this movement to inspire participation in civil and human rights efforts. Using photographs, videos and interactive displays, visitors to the museum climb on the bus with Rosa Parks and feel the tensions surrounding life-sized figures of student sit-ins at lunch counters.
Live on the Air with Sonny Payne's King Biscuit Time 6/22/07
D J Sonny Payne has been broadcasting the King Biscuit Time Blues Radio Show on KFFA daily at 12:15 for over sixty years. The radio program is done live from the Blues History Museum in Helena, Arkansas. We just so happened to pull into the museum at 12:10, in time to be Sonny's guests, live and on the air.
Blues Museum Musical Formula 6/22/07
These displays at the museum show the formula for writing blues lyrics. When we teach Langston Hughes poetry in American Literature we do a unit on writing blues lyrics. This is the poetic formula I have been using in the classroom for this activity. Then we have students bring in musical instruments and we spend a day "singing the blues" in class.
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