The Roots of Memphis Music: Graceland, Beale Street & More

If you're going to Memphis, you're most likely going to Graceland, but there are also several other museums and sites here tied to the history of rock and blues music. Although the blues was born down in the Mississippi Delta, south of Memphis, it was on Beale Street that this soulful music first reached an urban audience. Today, after a period of abandonment, Beale Street is once again Memphis's busiest entertainment district. Visitors can hear blues, rock, jazz, country, and even Irish music on Beale Street. To learn more about the various musical styles that originated along the Mississippi River, visit the Mississippi River Museum, on Mud Island, where there are several rooms full of exhibits on New Orleans jazz, Memphis blues, rockabilly, and Elvis.

In addition to being the birthplace of the blues and the city that launched Elvis and rock 'n' roll, Memphis played an important role in soul music during the 1960s. Isaac Hayes and Booker T and the MGs recorded here at Stax Studio. Other musicians who launched their careers from Memphis include Muddy Waters, Albert King, Al Green, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, and the Box Tops.

The Memphis Music Experience -- Want to save $20 on admission to the city's Top 5 music attractions -- Graceland, Sun Studio, Stax Museum, Rock 'N' Soul Museum, and the Gibson Guitar Factory? Then purchase your tickets at one of two Memphis visitor centers. The exclusive offer is available only at the Arlington Road visitor center, off Intestate 40, at exit 25, east of the Memphis city limits. The other location is near Graceland in the south Memphis suburb of Whitehaven, at 3205 Elvis Presley Blvd. For more information, call tel. 888/633-9099.