This was my trip of a lifetime. I went to visit Graceland. I had wanted to do this possibly as far back as schooldays and it was awesome! I flew into Atlanta Georgia for the beginning of my trip. Walked along Peachtree Road and saw CNN News and the old Coca Cola HQ. Found a great shopping area called Atlanta underground and had a burger at Johnny Rockets. Next day I picked up my rent a car. This is my white Chrysler Sebring.
Headed thru Atlanta (8 lanes); drove upto South Carolina - took a scenic route. This is Table Rock National Park. Then on to North Carolina aiming for Tennessee. With the Appalachian mountains for company I arrived in Gatlinburg Tennessee and ate at the Hard Rock.
Next day drove thru the Great Smokey Mountain National Park to Pigeon Forge, then on my way to Chattanooga which is lovely and found the Choo Choo and Track 29. The old station is now a Holiday Inn.
After Chattanooga I went to Lynchburg Tennesse, the home of Jack Daniels whisky. Did the distillery tour, here with my guide David. He was fun and the tour was fantastic.
Next day, Saturday, I drove into Nashville, Music City. My first visit was to THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM - 3 floors explaining the story and history from early beginings, to present day. My entrance ticket also included The RYMAN AUDITORIUM, the orignal home of the Grand Ol' Opry and the stage where, in 1945, Bluegrass was born.
And STUDIO B RCA VICTOR sound studios celebrating 50 yrs 1957 - 2007.
Found my way out to Opryland, about 8 miles from centre of Nashville. Checked in th the FIDDLERS INN MOTEL. Very kind lady got me in that night to the GRAND OL' OPRY WOW!! VINCE GILL, THE OAKRIDGE BOYS, MARTY STUART + GUEST JAMES BURTON and loads more. Fantastic.
Sunday went exploring. Went up to Bowling Green Kentucky. On the way stopped in Hendersonville to visit Hickory Lake and the house of Johnny Cash. Sadly it had been burned to the ground, some renovation accident. Owned by Barry Gibb, bet he was devastated.
Returned to Nashville, went out to BELLE MEAD an old plantation house, Cruised around Music Row.then hit the bars on Broadway. Acoustic sessions till dark then electric takes over. TOOTSIE,S LEGENDS and my favourite THE SECCOND FIDDLE.
Monday my last day in Nashville. saw the OPRYLAND HOTEL, THE GIBSON GUITAR SHOWCASE CENTRE, back to town and went to the MUSICIANS HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM. Its all about the instraments used on all the hit records out of Nashville in the last 40 yrs. A beautiful day walked around town WILLIE NELSON MUSEUM, CHARLIE DANIELS SHOP AND MUSEUM, EARNEST TUBB RECORD STORE. Walked up onto The Shelby St pedestrian footbridge over the Cumberland River. Then a late lunch in THE HARD ROCK CAFE the best one ive been in. Did the bars again on Broadway till late.
On the Tuesday morning Iam leaving Nashville with some sadness, heading down the I 40 " Music Highway " to Memhpis Tennessee and to the birthplace of Rock n Roll and also The Blues. On my way I stopped of at Jackson and took in some railroad history at the museum of Casey Jones. I also drove round the town, it was also the birthplace of Carl Perkins.
I arrived in Memphis and headed for GRACELAND on Highway 51S. Then I saw it for the first time oh wow!!!!!!. Just across the road is HEARTBREAK HOTEL down the bottom of Lonely St. I checked in for 3 nights and bought my entire Memphis package, it was a great deal. That night used the hotel shuttle service to go into Memphis and Beale Street. Its so vibrant and exiting down there. Spent my first evening in B.B. KINGS Blues Club. The house band were awesome. Had a beer and some catfish and caught the last shuttle bus back to H.H.
Wednesday and I was driving into GRACELAND in one of these buses and up to the front of the house. I had upgraded my pass to Elvis V.I.P. it was well worth it and meant I could stay there all day and come and go as I please. I could also walk in and around the house and gadens at leisure and didnt have to just go thru and out again.
The front of the house is so beautiful I took lots of pics from all angles. When I went inside the house it was lovelier than I had imagined. The main thing I felt was that it was still a home. Iam sure he knows when musicians come calling. From the lounge and dining room and 1 downstair bedroom you walk in the kitchen. From there into the jungle room. Then down some stairs and into the pool room and the tv room and bar.To the rear of the house is the trophy room with all the gold discs and more. The office where the entire business was run from is also at the rear of the house. And also the squash court with all the many awards for film and record sales, and also agreat selection of stage costumes.
The gardens are beautifully kept and the entire grounds cover 14 acres. The last stop on the tour is the meditation gardens where Elvis is burried with his Mother Father andGrandmother. Its really beatiful and adorned with flowers and boquets which arrive daily from all over the world. At the head of Elvis,s grave is the eternal flame, its from his closest friends. It was a really quiet day and I could move around easily with not many people and no ques. I think I struck lucky. I left at the end of the day at 5-30 in fact the last one to leave.
Across the road again and into the car museum. Some really fabulous cars and Harley davidson motor bikes. His last car the Stutz Blackhawk and of course the 1956 pink caddilac. A stroke of luck in the car museum when I met James Burton and his wife Louise got autographs and some great pics.
Past various shops and onto the airplanes, houndog 2 and The Lisa Marie. He called it his flying Graceland complete with showers dinning and lounge area and double bedroom. I spent the evening winding down in H.H. with Elvis on the big screen, some food and a couple of beers. Truly an unforgettable day.
Thursday caught the 9pm shuttle from H.H. to downtown Memphis. First stop at SUN STUDIOS 706 Union Avenue. there is a guided tour which is very good, but to stand in the studio itself and to almost place your feet where RocknRoll was born is spine tingling. The first ever sounds from ELVIS, CARL PERKINS JOHNNY CASH, JERRY LEE LEWIS AND ROY ORBISON. Its not very big or grand, but thats it thats where it all started.
Then back into the shuttle bus and a few minutes later into Memphis. Just of Beale Street is the ROCK N SOUL Museum well that took care of the next 2-3 hours. Very informative on all aspects and doesnt dissapoint. On finishing that, the GIBSON GUITAR FACTORY is just across the road and the tour again is superb. You almost see each stage of making the guitars from body and neck shaping, gluing, spraying, fitting electrics, testing etc. Just imagine the guitar testers go into work each day and play guitar all day.
Had some lunch in Beale Street, and went to the PEABODY HOTEL, The finest in Memphis. That night back down to Beale Street and took in live blues in WC Handy park. This is the street where the Blues was born. These guys play for hours and for tips, great just to sit and listen. In my with package was a meal at the MEMPHIS HARD ROCK CAFE, just across the street.
Friday Iam moving to a motel in downtown Memphis, after checking in Iam making my way to 926 Mclemore Avenue, the home of Memphis Soul " STAX " Having been a lifelong fan of OTIS REDDING I just couldnt wait to get there. Great history, BOOKER T AND THE MG,S, RUFUS AND CARLA THOMAS, SAM N DAVE, THE BARKAYS AND ISAAC HAYES, THE STAPLE SINGERS, IKE AND TINA TURNER, ARETHA FRANKLIN, AL GREEN, THE MEMPHIS HORNS and more. Original instraments on " Time is tight " "Green onions " preserved and sealed in perspex cases. I found it hard to leave.
Just round the corner is Mulberry Street, and the LORRAINE MOTEL AND THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM scene of the assasination of DR MARTIN LUTHER KING. I went into the museum and it told the story of the beginings of slavery to the civil rights movement, it was very moving.
Later I went back to SUN STUDIOS and found it empty so went to the shop and got some merchandise and had a coke. Iam now only a mile from Beale Street and that night ate at DYERS. They deep fry their burgers, bun and all, and fries. its very greasy but very tasty.
Saturday I went back up to Graceland for a last look round. I would have gone in again but it was very Disney!!. Huge crowds and party hats. Not my kind of thing. I didnt want to spoil my precious quiet memories of the previous Wednesday. I did some shops then drove back down to Memphis Had a walk round Looked at the trams on Main Street and River Front. I caught the monorail out to MUD ISLAND right on the Mississippi River, museum shops and more info. My last night in Memphis it had to be Beale Street and BB KINGS BLUES CLUB.
Sunday Iam leaving Memphis I went across the Mississippi Bridge into Arkansas for breakfast. Then back into Memphis for an unforgetable Gospel service at THE TEMPLE OF DELIVERENCE. One more look at Sun Studios, and a drive down Union Avenue and Iam leaving Memphis. Iam heading for Tupelo Mississippi and the BIRTHPLACE of Elvis Presley.
Sunday afternoon I arrived in Tupelo Mississippi and spent a lovely couple of hours or so visiting the BIRTHPLACE OF ELVIS A PRESLEY. It is of course a humble little two room shack built mostly from wood. The Birthplace is well laid out with nice gardens, a stutue of Elvis at thirteen, a chapel and of course, a gift shop. In the gardens themselves there are plaques on the walls with various stories from the people who new him first ie, his school teacher, an Uncle who was also a preacher. Also a man named Guy Harris, they grew up together and the friendship lasted all their lives.
Tupelo was a welcome break from the hustle of Memephis I had a nice meal that evening and a good nights rest in a nice motel.
Monday Iam heading for Huntsville Alabama when I drove into a town called Tuscumbia and just there on the right hand side THE ALABAMA MUSIC HALL OF FAME. Well I couldnt believe it. I had made plans for my trip, but I hadnt planned for this.The history of Alabama music is sensational. So many well known stars " Hank Williams, Nat king Cole, Sam Phillips, Lionel Richie, The Commodores, The Temptations, Emmy Lou Harris, Dr Hook and the list goes on. Unlike any where else I had been, cameras and video were allowed.
As I left Tuscumbia ( named after a Red Indian chief ) I drove to the next town of Muscle Shoals where they have an extensive area of recording studios.
I visited FAME STUDIOS where Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Eddie Floyd and Authur Conley, just to name a few had all recorded there.
I then went to MUSCLE SHOALS SOUND STUDIOS 3614 JACKSON HIGHWAY, where The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart, Millie Jackson and loads more. Not forgetting the famous Muscle Shoals Horns. That night stayed in a Super 8 right beside I85 at Huntsville and ate at Ruby Tuesdays next door.
Tuesday Iam of toward Birmingham and Montgomery. I didnt stop at Birmingham and so headed for Montgomery. I wanted to find the grave of Hank Williams and after a little while found the cemetery. I got directions to the gravesite although it is so resplendent I think I would have found it anyway.
After, I went into the centre of Montgomery. I was reall y impressed, the State Capitol Building was huge, and the downtown area was very nice.
I noticed museums and an area of the oldest buildings in the town which were obviously being well preserved. Later that afternoon I drove up toward Atlanta. I had to be at the airport next day for 12-00 midday. On leaving my motel I heard people talking of Jonesboro.
As I was driving to the airport I saw a sign for Jonesboro in Clay County, just south of Atlanta. A quick stop of and found myself in " GONE WITH THE WIND" country. A little town with a museum in the old Railway station. I had of course most of my trip been travelling "through the cradle of the civil war " and I was told one of the worst battles was fought at Jonesboro on the railway tracks. I picked up a few bits of Info, but I had gone to see and feel the roots of Rock n Roll, The Blues and Country Music, and did I.!!!! Sadly after handing in my Chrysler Sebring, this time I headed for my plane home. What a trip !!!!!.,
