Located in the extreme southwestern part of the state of Tennessee, on the borders of Arkansas and Mississippi, Memphis was named after the imperial city of ancient Egypt. But this city in the great American South is best known for making Elvis fans dream. It was here that the King took his first musical steps, that he built Graceland where he now rests, and that he recorded his first hits. What could be more normal, then, than to have the Elvis Week pay tribute to the King on the anniversary of his death, as it does every year? A perfect opportunity to discover this mythical city.
A city steeped in history
In addition to the King, it is also here that the blues, "invented" by W. C. Handy in 1908, found an anchor in the animation of Beale Street, that soul was embodied in the Stax studios and that white and black music gave birth to rock. More recently, in 1997, it was in Memphis that the young singer Jeff Buckley, who came here to recharge his batteries and try to record his difficult second album, drowned in the Wolf River, which flows into the Mississippi on Mud Island, at Beale Street. A place of musical pilgrimage, then, but also of memory in the struggle for civil rights: it was also in Memphis, at the Lorraine Motel, that Martin Luther King died. A city buzzing with history (s) that will be a must during your stay in the region. Add to that a certain charm made of old brick buildings and unusual architecture, a passion for the languor of the great Mississippi that flows peacefully and important events throughout the year. After the International Blues Challenge (end of January - beginning of February), one of the city's biggest festivals is Memphis in May. Five events are worth mentioning: the Beale Street Music Festival, International Week, World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, 901Fest and Great American River Run. The Mid-South Pride Festival, one of the most important gay events in the South, takes place in mid-October. Famous Memphis native personalities include actor Morgan Freeman, Shawn Lane (guitarist), Lisa Marie Presley and singer Justin Timberlake.
If Beale Street is small and very easy to walk along, you will need a vehicle or trolley to reach most of the places of interest scattered throughout the city. For those who would then head to Mississippi State and the river delta, Memphis is the starting point for the Mississippi Blues Trail
Elvis Week, long live the king!
Every year, to celebrate the King's death, thousands of pilgrims come to Memphis to pay tribute to their idol on Elvis Week. Graceland was then submerged, Elvis' tomb drowned in a flood of gifts and, in the city, multiple events (concerts, conferences...) were organized. Graceland is the home that Elvis acquired at the age of 22, at the height of his glory. He stayed there until his death with his parents and grandmother, all buried in the Meditation Garden adjoining the house. It is obviously a place revered by the King's fans: the flow of visitors never runs out and is particularly impressive at the time of the celebration of his death in August. With the Platinum Tour, you will have access to the King's house, entirely decorated by him (more or less happily); his car collection (impressive); his two jets and his collection of stage costumes (a whole programme), to which are added temporary exhibitions. An audio guide in French for the visit of The Mansion is included in the ticket price. Don't be discouraged when you arrive at the site: it extends on either side of the huge Elvis Presley Boulevard, in an uninterrupted flow of traffic. A shuttle bus will take you to The Mansion located on the other side of the ticket office and related exhibitions.
Located in the square of the FedEx Forum, the Rock'n' Soul Museum describes the two great musical movements that developed in Memphis from the original blues. You will find guitars and stage costumes of the greatest, including B.B. King's mythical Lucille. A good museum but which must be completed by a tour of the Stax museum for soul or the Sun Studio for rock.
At 18, Elvis Aaron Presley pushes the door of the Sun Studio at 706 Union Avenue. It is a recording studio that Sam Phillips set up in the early 1950s. A unsilvered sound engineer but a blues fan, he recorded the greats of Beale Street like Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King or Ike Turner. Until that famous day in 1953 that changed the life of the studio and the young Elvis. Sam Phillips is not there to receive him but when his assistant asks him: "How do you sound? ", the future King replied: "Ma'am, I don't sound like nobody". He recorded That's All Right Mama in this studio, his first hit that propelled him to the rank of star. Sam Phillips' nose will introduce him to other current stars including Carl Perkins (Blue Suede Shoes), Jerry Lee Lewis (Great Balls of Fire) and Johnny Cash (Walk the Line). Nothing has changed since the 1950s and you will feel the atmosphere of the time in the small café that now serves as a reception and gift shop. The guided tour is led by enthusiastic young people who will share with you their love of this studio. Just a stone's throw from Sun Studio, Saint Blues has been making high-end electric guitars since 1984 (with a production shutdown between 1989 and 2006), including superb models built from cigar boxes. We are here in a craft business, very different from the giant Gibson. This does not prevent great musicians from trusting this brand. This is the case with Albert King, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Carlisi, Joe Walsh and Billy Squire. The staff, very friendly, will be pleased to show you around. At the Gibson Guitar Factory, you will discover the process of transforming a simple piece of wood into a mythical instrument. Before or after the visit, take a look at the factory shop where you can try out the guitars on display. Just to finish off a great Elvis Week rock'n roll!
Smart info
When? When? Of course, you can visit Memphis all year round. To attend Elvis Week 2019, see you from August 9 to 17.
Getting there. Plan at least one stopover and a dozen flight hours between Paris and Memphis.
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Useful. To prepare your trip as well as possible.
MEMPHIS TOURISM OFFICE - More information on the website
ELVIS WEEK 2019 - More information on the website
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