Our days to follow in Memphis were to be jammed-packed with music and music-related experiences, but first we had to get there from Nashville. This involved more than a 200 mile journey with a couple of stops along the way.
First up was Parker’s Crossroads and it was a worthy stop indeed. This was the site of a battle in 1862 during the American Civil War which raged between the Union in the North and the Confederacy in the South. The root of the conflict was a dispute over whether slavery should be permitted to expand which the Confederacy wanted, or prohibited which the Union wished. The issue had come to a head when Abraham Lincoln (who was opposed to the expansion of slavery) was elected US President in 1860.
A more recent replica on site
The subsequent American Civil War raged between 1861 and 1865. In 1862 the Confederates clashed with the Union at Parker’s Crossroads. After a battle both sides claimed victory but the Confederate forces later withdrew having suffered greater casualties. Up to 750,000 soldiers lost their lives during the American Civil War, much of the South had been destroyed and the Confederacy collapsed. Slavery was abolished and four million black slaves were given their freedom.
The importance of visiting Parker’s Crossroads is that for around 20 years various groups have been fighting to preserve the battleground and its history. Some 350 acres of land have been saved, but developers and investors are eager to expand their foothold. A small visitors’ centre with storyboards and a video assist in keeping the history alive, with the help of those volunteers.
From Parker’s Crossroads we had the opportunity to stop off for lunch at a nicely decorated area called Overton Square, before heading into Memphis and its musically-abundant Beale Street.
A pretty area where even the roads are painted
Beale Street was called so by developer Robertson Topp in 1841. He named it after the naval officer, military general, explorer and diplomat Edward Fitzgerald Beale. The street was originally home to merchants trading goods with ships on the nearby Mississippi River. Around a similar time it attracted performing musicians.
But there was another important name to arrive on this street during the latter half of the 1800s, that of Robert Church. He is considered to be the first African-American millionaire in the South, born of a black mother and white father who owned a steamboat. As a young man employed as a steward, he regularly travelled the Mississippi with his father. He later sought work in Memphis, saving enough money to open a saloon.
In 1878-1879 the city’s population was devastated by Yellow Fever. Property prices plummeted. Seeing an opportunity Church bought businesses and undeveloped land along Beale Street. In one area he created Church Park which became a hub for recreation. Musicians gathered at this site, along with clubs and restaurants.
Famous names associated with the area included Jazz man Louis Armstrong; Rock, Soul, Funk and Blues man Rufus Thomas; and BB King (the ‘Beale Street Blues Boy’) to name but a few.
In the 1960s the street became a National Historic Landmark, and in 1977 was declared the ‘Home of the Blues’ by an act of Congress.
We visited several venues along the street, but perhaps the best music and entertainment we experienced during our whole trip was in Blues City serving ‘Music and meat that can’t be beat’. Here the Rockin’ 88s (pictured below) played, with its frontman doing a good impression of Jerry Lee Lewis.
Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2024