Memphis Music Pioneers

When people talk about Memphis music, the conversation often boils down to one question: How could a city at the far west corner of Tennessee amass so many historically important artists from a variety of genres?

To the people of Memphis, the answer is obvious. What connects these legends is more than geography, more than the South. It’s their spirit that made them legends. Elvis, Isaac and Al, three of the biggest stars to ever hail from Memphis, were all mavericks. They had vision. And they were all determined to do something that others hadn’t done before.

The first words Elvis uttered when he walked into Sun Studio in 1953 were “I don’t sound like nobody.” That swagger quickly launched the young kid from Tupelo, Miss., into the national spotlight and a career that changed popular culture forever. Almost 60 years later, The King’s influence can still be felt around the world, including in Memphis. In addition to Sun Studio, people can visit Lauderdale Courts and see where Elvis grew up, eat a peanut butter and banana sandwich in Elvis’ booth at The Arcade Restaurant or hire one of many quirky tour guides to drive you down to Tupelo to see the house where The King was born.

While Elvis was making history on Union Avenue, a few talented musicians, songwriters and singers were doing their own thing on McLemore Avenue. The legend of Stax Records often begins and ends with Otis Redding and Booker T. and the MGs. Some even realize that the film "Shaft" is part of Stax lore. But what most people don’t know is that a majority of songs the label produced were written almost entirely by two people: Isaac Hayes and his partner, David Porter. Before either became solo stars, this duo wrote songs like “Soul Man” and “Hold On I’m Comin’” that helped Stax develop a sound that was authentic to Memphis. The history of Stax, as well as Isaac, David, Otis and others, can be seen, read about and heard at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.

The Memphis sound, though, wasn’t limited to Elvis or the artists at Stax. Just a few blocks away, Al Green was making his own mark. With the guidance of the late legendary producer Willie Mitchell, Al Green went on to record some of soul music’s biggest hits, including “Let’s Stay Together," “I’m Still In Love With You” and “Take Me To The River.” Today, Al Green continues to record new music, tour the world and, on almost every Sunday, preach the good word at his Full Gospel Tabernacle church in South Memphis.