For the first installment of my project for Dr. Falcone's Ethnomusicology class, I am writing about three music-related news articles. Of course, for this project I am focusing on blues music as often as I can. I also wanted to choose news articles that were related to one another for this portion of the assignment. I decided to write about three articles related to the music of Memphis, TN because Memphis is arguably one of the two most important cities in the blues, along with Chicago. I found the three articles below by searching Memphis newspaper sites, and I believe they give a good glimpse of the unique musical culture that Memphis has produced.
1. The Memphis Music Hall of Fame
A Hall of Our Own, Memphis Flyer, November 22, 2012
The Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, developed with assistance from the Smithsonian, is regarded as one of the best museums in Memphis, and also one of the best museums dedicated to rock, soul, and blues. It celebrates the unique milieu of music that came up from the Delta, concentrated in Memphis, and then radiated out to the radios and concert venues of the rest of the world. About seven years ago, realizing their unique position, the museum's leaders began a push to construct a Memphis Music Hall of Fame, recognizing the many diverse musicians and music industry professionals of one of America's most musical cities.
The process of developing the Hall of Fame and selecting an inaugural class of inductees involved many tough decisions, but a class of 25 was finally selected for 2012. Nominating committee members strove to choose a representative sample of Memphis musicians to get the Hall of Fame off to a good start. John Doyle, executive director of the Rock 'n' Soul Museum said the committee's "first question was, 'Do you want the expected list of nominees?' And I said I want what you consider the right list of nominees."
Not surprisingly, this process produced an interesting list that includes many expected greats as well as a variety of artists and bands who are less well-known or not as strongly associated with the music of Memphis. Performers such as Elvis, Isaac Hayes, and B.B. King, who were associated with '50s rock 'n' roll, '60s soul, and Beale Street blues, were obvious choices, while others such as Sam Phillips of Sun Records also seemed to be a lock for the inaugural class. However, there were also a few obscure choices, such as gospel composer Lucie Campbell and music teacher Professor W.T. McDaniel. The two most controversial choices were the pioneering rap group Three 6 Mafia, the youngest act in the class of 2012, and ZZ Top, who are more associated with Texas than Memphis, although, according to nominating committee member David Less, "ZZ Top, in truth, kept Ardent Records alive," recording their first records at the Memphis label and living in town during their sessions.
Some of the musicians left out of the 2012 class were recently inducted in the class of 2013, including Johnny Cash, probably the biggest omission from the 2012 class, and Carla Thomas, whose father Rufus was inducted the preceding year. Other musicians, such as Memphis native Justin Timberlake, will have to wait for another year. The Memphis Music Hall of Fame is currently housed in the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum just south of Beale Street near the FedEx Forum.
2. Bobby "Blue" Bland
Bland celebrated by dignitaries, fellow musicians at funeral service, Go Memphis, June 27, 2013
Bobby "Blue" Bland, the soul-blues singer whose multidecade career featured a series of chart-topping R&B hits in the 1960s, passed away on June 23 of this year at the age of 83. It is clear from the list of attendees at his Memphis funeral that he made a huge impression on many people. Speakers from fellow singer B.B. King to civil rights activist Jesse Jackson paid their respects to the late singer. It is always remarkable to see how much love and respect one person can engender through sharing their gift of music with the world. Also, the presence of people such as Memphis's current and former mayors shows what a great deal of importance the people of Memphis place on their city's music.
Bland was known for his smooth, soft, melodic voice that graced a host of well known songs. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he scored hits with songs including "Turn on Your Love Light," "I Pity the Fool," "Further on up the Road," "Cry, Cry, Cry," and his cover of T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday." Hits from his later career include 1974's "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City," which was later covered by the band Whitesnake, and 1985's "Members Only."
I did get a chance to see Bobby "Blue" Bland live in 2010 at Blues Masters at the Crossroads in Salina. Unfortunately, by that time the aging Bland's voice was very quiet, and what the article described as his "signature vocal 'squall'" had become a disconcerting parody of its former self. Nonetheless, I am glad that I did have the opportunity to see him perform while he was still alive.
3. Memphis Music and Heritage Festival
Memphis' music heritage on stage this weekend, Go Memphis, August 29, 2013
Memphis's music heritage is nothing if not diverse, and its present music scene continues in that tradition as evidenced by the 27th annual Memphis Music and Heritage Festival, put on this past Labor Day weekend by the Center for Southern Folklore. Over the course of two days, bands with styles ranging from blues to country to reggae put on dozens of performances at stages along Peabody Place in downtown Memphis.
This year, the honored performer at the festival was singer Joyce Cobb, who wrote a musical review entitled "Beale Street Saturday Night," which, like the festival, celebrated Memphis's diverse music heritage. The bands that were at the festival are not particularly famous outside of their own music scenes, but the festival seems to be a big event because it brings together so much music in one place and it has established a reputation for featuring good music.
The festival is free, although the Center for Southern Folklore encourages donations to help support its many programs. These include performances, educational programs, and an effort to reissue rare old recordings housed in the center's archives. For a festival to last 27 years, its organizers must be doing something right, and it appears that they are doing a good job of sharing Memphis's cultural heritage and helping keep its music alive.
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