Named
for the ancient Egyptian capital on the Nile, Memphis on the
Mississippi is best known for the rise and fall of two men who
led vastly different movements. Elvis Presley rocketed to fame
here in the mid-1950s; his Graceland estate draws over 700,000
visitors a year. And it was here on April 4, 1968, that the
Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated.
But Memphis
culture also draws heavily on its early 20th-century role in
giving birth to the blues. Favorite son WC Handy composed the
first published blues tune just before WWI, making Memphis the
home of the blues and Beale St its address. Today, the dockside
city retains a certain soulful grittiness from a history replete
with cotton, riverboats and blues. Highlights include the famous
Sun Studios, where Presley made his first recordings; Graceland,
Presley's estate; and the glossy stretch of clubs and cafes
on Beale St.
