The first morning in Memphis was amazing having woken up and being amongst friends. Daters and I had a rough plan of what we were going to do but nothing concrete so we swung by a lovely little deli on Mud Island called Cordelia’s where we bought coffee and headed into the centre. We were aiming for the Amtrak station and went to the correct area but it took us ages to find it and when we did the woman there was completely unhelpful and told me that I couldn’t pick up my ticket anywhere but New Orleans. So, we walked [View Full Entry]

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Davenport, Iowa - Memphis, Tennessee Sunday 28th September (Day 34) Today we were heading for Memphis, but we still had a little time to spend with Kelly and Robbie before we left (and with Bradlee and Dustin, playing on the game cube). We went out for breakfast (somewhere - I forget, sorry) but eventually had to say goodbye, and head off back through Davenport, over to Moline airport in time to take the rental car back and catch our flight to Memphis. Awesome guys - great to stay with you in your home. Thanks for having us! We again had to [View Full Entry]

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Suggested Listening for this Entry: "Moody Blue", "Way Down" and "My Way" by Elvis Presley. A concert clip of Elvis performing "My Way" a few weeks before his death is attached below. If you need a chuckle and want to know what "really" happened to Elvis, listen to "The King Gets a Day Job" by the Reverend Billy C. Wirtz. Suggested Food and Drink for this Entry: Are there any situations where prescription drugs can be considered nourishment? While 1957 can be considered the zenith of Elvis’ career, 1958 can be considered the year when the seeds of Elvis’ undoi [View Full Entry]

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Suggested Listening for this Entry:"Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats", "Howlin' Wolf Boogie" and "Moanin' At Midnight" by Howlin' Wolf and "Bear Cat" by Rufus Thomas. Suggested Food and Drink for this Entry: As Jackie Brenston sang in "Rocket 88", go around the corner and get a fifth, everbody in your car should take a little nip. Ike Turner, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Rufus Thomas, Junior Parker, Little Milton, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison. All American music legends who started their recording careers at a sma [View Full Entry]

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Suggested Listening for this Entry:”That’s All Right”, “Blue Moon of Kentucky”, and “Good Rockin’ Tonight” by Elvis Presley. Then go back and listen to Arthur “Big Boy’ Crudup’s original version of “That’s All Right”, Bill Monroe’s original 1940’s version of “Blue Moon of Kentucky”, and Wynonie Harris’ version of “Good Rockin’ Tonight”. Suggested Food and Drink for this Entry: Although nearly the same meal was suggested for the Rock N Soul Museum [View Full Entry]

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Suggested Listening for this Entry: Some Little Milton from his days on the Malaco Record Label in the 1990's and the early 2000's. Start with "The Blues is Alright", "Annie Mae's Cafe", "A Juke Joint in My House" and "She Know How to Wear a Hat". (A video clip from earlier in Little Milton's career is included at the end of this entry.) Suggested Food and Drink for this Entry: Anything you can smoke and cover in barbecue sauce. You’ll soon discover why. D.C. area blues guitarist Linwood Taylor once told me “it ain’t a party unless the cops come”. [View Full Entry]

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Suggested Listening for this Entry: Marshall Chapman's CD It's About Time.... It has very little to do with Memphis other than having a song that references Elvis and the Pyramid, but oh well. The CD was recorded live at the Tennessee State Prison for Women in Nashville, so there probably were some former Memphis residents in the audience. Suggested Food and Drink for this Entry: Tamales....I didn't partake of any while in Memphis or the Delta, but there were signs for restaurants serving them all over. Maybe a reader could explain to me the Mid-South's apparent fas [View Full Entry]

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Suggested Listening for this Entry: "Heartbreak Hotel", "Don't Be Cruel", "Hound Dog" and "Crying In the Chapel" by Elvis Presley. Suggested Food and Drink for this Entry: To eat, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. To drink, anything you think would help you wash down such a nasty sandwich. Unless you were born on the moon, you know the Legend of Elvis Presley….a poor white kid who was born in Mississippi, and spent his teen years in Memphis, combines elements of blues, country and gospel to invent rock and roll. His career explodes in the mid-1950’s, [View Full Entry]

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Suggested Listeing for this Entry: "These Arms of Mine" and "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding. "Soul Man" by Sam and Dave. "Knock on Wood" by Eddie Floyd. (A clip of Redding performing "Try a Little Tenderness" is included at the end of this entry.) Suggested Food and Drink for this Entry: Again let the music be your nourishment. In 1962, a blues guitarist named Johnny Jenkins came from Georgia to the Stax studio for a recording session. The session did not go well and was ended before the allotted time was used. With Jenkins that day was his driver [View Full Entry]

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Suggested Listening for this Entry: "Starting All Over Again" by Mel and Tim. "Who's Making Love" by Johnnie Taylor. "Walk on By" and "Theme from Shaft" by Isaac Hayes, a clip of which is included below. Suggested Food and Drink for this Entry: No food, just a forty of Schlitz Malt Liquor. (Unfortunately, Rufus Thomas' ad for Schlitz Malt Liquor isn't available on YouTube.) After the events late 1967 and early 1968, Stax found itself in a dire position and change was in order. The company was sold to Gulf and Western, co-founder Estelle Axton left the company and her b [View Full Entry]

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