Memphis

First stop at the Sun Studio in downtown Memphis. That’s considered the birthplace of rock’n’roll and was open in 1950 by rock pioneer Sam Phillips at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. Reputedly the first rock-and-roll single, Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats’ “Rocket 88” was recorded there in 1951 with song composer Ike Turner on keyboards, leading the studio to claim status as the birthplace of rock & roll. Blues and R&B artists like Howlin’ Wolf, Junior Parker, Little Milton, B.B. King, James Cotton, Rufus Thomas, and Rosco Gordon recorded there in the early 1950s. Rock-and-roll, country music, and rockabilly artists, including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Feathers, Ray Harris, Warren Smith, Charlie Rich, and Jerry Lee Lewis, recorded there throughout the mid to late 1950s until the studio outgrew its Union Avenue location and moved nearby.
What else can we say? We shed some tears and moved on…
We then checked in at the Comfort Inn, close to the Mississippi River, had a quick shower and went out to check out the city vibes. Memphis has lots of character downtown, around Main Street and up to Beale Street, where most of the night life goes on. Old buildings line up with modern skyscrapers, trees cast their shades on Main Street, making the heat just bearable, while the Main Street Trolley cars are lazily rattling up and down the road. We had fried shrimps and oysters at a pub on Beale Street, while two blues men were strumming their guitars. Back to the hotel, we had a rest and then went out again for dinner. We had a great traditional bbq’d meal at Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous, a huge restaurant on two floors, full of war memorabilia. Following Lonely Planet’s advise, we then walked up to Earnestine & Hazel’s, an atmospheric run-down venue which reminds of a turn of the 19th century brothel.
On the way back we stopped at the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4th 1968. We paid respect, then jumped on a trolley car and went back to the hotel.
Next day we left the hotel quite early, next stop Graceland…

Click here to see to Memphis Photo Gallery