Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, is more than just a street - it is a pulsating heart of American music history that captivates visitors with its mixture of lively present and deep-rooted past. This place is an Iconic Destination for Music Lovers - the Beale Street merges party and history.
As soon as you enter the three blocks between the Mississippi River and East Street, you are surrounded by the characteristic soundtrack of blues, soul, and rock 'n' roll that booms from every open door and from every stage.
To begin with, there is, of course, Elvis Presley in his typical pose. The lock of hair is flying, the guitar too. Tourists crowd around the monument that stands at the entrance to perhaps the most famous street of blues and rock.
Where Elvis was born
Beale Street in Memphis is the place that Elvis discovered after his family moved here. In the East Trigg Baptist Church, he got a feel for gospel music, and on secret trips to Beale Street with its bars, brothels, and pubs, Elvis sharpened his ear for the sound of African Americans.
The mix of white country music and black rhythm and blues changed the music world forever. Blues, rock 'n' roll, and soul - three musical revolutions came from Memphis, Tennessee. With the Rock 'n' Soul Museum and a guitar factory, the southern metropolis has maintained its position as a dream destination for music fans to this day.
The attractions are located close to each other in a pretty city center that is unrivaled in the USA. "The Beat Starts Here" - the motto of the new Rock 'n' Soul Museum is by no means exaggerated.
Historical heritage and musical roots
Since its founding in 1841, Beale Street has developed into the cultural epicenter of the African-American community. After the Civil War and the yellow fever epidemic in 1878, Robert Church shaped the street as a place of emancipation, where black businesses, newspapers such as Ida B. Wells' Free Speech, and music clubs flourished for the first time.
Legendary musicians such as W.C. Handy, who composed the "Beale Street Blues" here in 1916, and B.B. King formed the typical Memphis blues, which later influenced rock 'n' roll and soul. The civil rights movement also left its mark: in 1968, striking garbage workers marched here before Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis.
A street full of life and music
When darkness falls, Beale Street magically comes to life. Neon lights bathe the brick facades in colorful light, while guitar riffs and saxophone solos resound from clubs like the Rum Boogie Café.
Street artists are out and about, visitors stroll from bar to bar, past monuments like the bronze statue of W.C. Handy, surrounded by spontaneous jam sessions. At "Silky O'Sullivan's," you sit in a beer garden atmosphere where a band plays that would fill large halls in any other city.
Where did it all come from? How did it all start? The Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum is the best place to find out. At the east end of Beale Street, in the shadow of the FedExForum, lies the museum, which documents in large, wide rooms how rural work songs and gospel chants of the 1930s became the global soundtrack of the 20th century. It was a miracle that ultimately remains inexplicable.
The things they are used
But impressive. Here you can find original costumes - including Elvis Presley's iconic jumpsuits - and instruments such as B.B. King's guitars or synthesizers from Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Jukeboxes invite you to listen to hits from Howlin' Wolf to Al Green, while digital audio guides provide background information on exhibits such as Sun Records contracts or STAX studio recordings.
The museum also has a half-cut car that once belonged to Jerry Lee Lewis. Justin Timberlake's sneakers, Roy Orbison's glasses, Jim Dickinson's boots, and handwritten drafts of lyrics by Johnny Cash and Elvis' gold-plated cell phone - fans of the great history of rock couldn't get any closer.
Another highlight is the depiction of social upheaval: from racial segregation in radio stations to the emergence of crossover genres, the museum shows how music overcame barriers. Visitors learn, for example, how black and white musicians worked together at Stax Records - a revolutionary act in the 60s. And carried out with primitive music machines - the tape recorders that can be seen look like dinosaurs to today's eyes.
The sound of old music
Outside in the present, old music sounds. The clubs are open late into the night; everyone is dancing, everyone is drinking. Many bars themselves are reminiscent of museums, with walls that are hung from top to bottom with devotional items from the history of rock. Sting's guitar hangs here, next to Priscilla Presley's.
But Beale Street is not a museum - it breathes, pulsates, and writes new stories every day. Whether at the nightly blues jam or on a small open-air stage, where a talented young singer, who is actually just visiting, performs a dreamy version of "Stay with Me" on the spot. A young man in front of the stage sways to the beat. His eyes are closed, his hair stands on end as if he were electrified.
