City of Memphis Considered the Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock ’n Roll, the city of Memphis’ musical roots run deep. However, music is just a chapter in the history as well as the future of the city located in the heart of MidAmerica. Memphis, named after the capital of ancient Egypt, boasts all the amenities you would expect in a city with over 1,000,000 residents while retaining the charm and down-to-earth feel of a small town. Downtown Memphis is in the midst of a building boom valued at $2.3 billion which is transforming the heart of the city. One of the most visible projects has been the construction of AutoZone Park, the downtown ballpark which is the home of the Memphis Redbirds, the St. Louis Cardinals’ Triple-A club. The new 14,320-seat stadium includes 1,500 club seats, 48 luxury suites and is located at the corner of Third Street and Union Avenue across from the world-famous Peabody Hotel. Downtown is served by the Main Street Trolley. The trolley system, which first opened in April of 1993, currently consists of the Main Street Line which passes near such Memphis landmarks as Beale Street, the Pinch District, Court Square and the National Civil Rights Museum. The Riverfront Loop includes a station in front of The Pyramid and offers riders a unique vista of the Mississippi River. Memphis musical roots can be traced to band leader W.C. Handy who wrote the first blues song
here in 1909, a campaign theme for Memphis mayor “Boss” Crump called “Boss Crump Blues” and later published as “The Memphis Blues.” The sound soon caught on and blues bands filled the clubs along Beale. Young musicians who performed along Beale included Muddy Waters, Furry Lewis, Albert King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and B.B. King. Where Beale Street meets the Mississippi River is Tom Lee Park, site of the annual Beale Street Music Festival. The weekend-long musical festival is just a part of the month-long Memphis in May International Festival which also includes the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and the Sunset Symphony. Located just off Beale Street is the Peabody Place Retail and Entertainment Center which is slated to open late this year. The 300,000 square foot retail complex will feature a 21-screen movie theater and 3D IMAX as well as several theme restaurants. Also located within a block of Beale Street is Gibson Guitar Memphis which includes factory tours and cultural exhibits. Also on the same property is the Smithsonian’s Rock ’n’ Soul Museum which includes artifacts documenting music’s past. Memphis’ musical roots also includes Stax and Hi-Records as well as Sun Records recording studios. Stax became known for “sweet soul music” through such artists as the MarKeys, Booker T. and the MGs, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam
Riverboats are a common site along the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis.
and Dave and Isaac Hayes. One of Hi-Records premier artists was Al Green. Sun Records’ most famous recording artist was Elvis Presley and also boasted Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Pickens and Johnny Cash among its recording artists. E l v i s Presley’s Graceland is one of the five most visited home tours in America and is the
most famous home in America after the White House. In 1991, Graceland was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over 600,000 visitors tour Graceland each year. Also located downtown is the refurbished Orpheum Theater which serves as a venue for performances by Ballet Memphis, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and traveling broadway shows as well as the Orpheum Classic Movies series and other concerts. The city’s location makes Memphis a major distribution hub with two interstate highways intersecting in the city. Memphis is also home of FedEx, the nation’s largest package carrier which makes Memphis International Airport the world’s busiest cargo airport in the world. Over 500 commercial passenger flights originate from Memphis International each day. Memphis is also a twice daily stop by Amtrak’s City of New Orleans which runs from Chicago to New Orleans.