Pridefully driving around Memphis, bragging on all things great that derive from the Bluff City, Carolyn Michael-Banks, founder of A Tour of Possibilities in Memphis, Tn. gives black history-focused tours.
With blues playing on her radio, Michael-Banks, also known as Queen, takes visitors to sites of historical and cultural significance to African Americans.
She highlights the best things about our city. But Queen does not sugarcoat the history.
Driving along Riverside drive, touting the majestic Mississippi River, the colorful bridges, the remarkable story of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Pyramid, our amazing musical history and Beale Street, she reminds her guests, “if this body of water could speak, I can only imagine the stories it would tell.”
Looking over the river, Michael-Banks offers a view of the city from a different vantage point. “On this body of water, two commodities were transported that changed the economy of this area;” she says as her voice tone changes, she pauses “cotton and enslaved people. On this same river, many used to escape slavery as well.”
For two-and-one-half hours, she highlights black owned businesses and the contributions that African Americans have made to make Memphis a such a great and significant city. She boasts about our soul food, blues music and B.B. King, COGIC, Stax, Robert Church and Obama’s visit.
But the guided historical tour also does not hide the darker side of the city’s history including injustice, segregation and racism.
Queen reminds Chicagoans Maryann and Reginald Marsh, touring on this day, that in front of them is the location where Nathan Bedford Forrest once had “Fresh Negro’s For Sale.” Woven through the ride that includes various wonderful landmarks, magical stories of inspiring people and popular Memphis attractions, she also tells of people who lived in fear of lynchings, of city riots, a civil rights struggle and the Martin Luther King assassination.
There’s no doubt about her love for the city. What she loves to share most is a sense of hope, optimism and deep respect for the people that came before her, the people like Tom Lee, Rosa Parks, Danny Thomas and Ida B. Wells, “the people who saw things that appeared to be impossible, but made them possible, in spite of.”
That is why she has named her tour A Tour of Possibilities.
By Karen Pulfer Focht ©2024
A street scene from Coney Island, New York By Karen Pulfer Focht ©2024
I was recently interviewed for Shoutout LA, a part of the Los Angeles-based Voyage Group of Magazines. They also published a few of my favorite photos, they asked me about parenting, about my mentors, the challenges I have faced and they asked about what I love about our city Memphis, Tennessee.
As they grow and spread their work to other cities and build community across the country, they ask their interviewees questions designed to spark meaningful conversations. Questions about life, work, love, parenting, finances, and more.
Here is a link to my interview.
STAX ARTISTS THROUGH THE YEARS
Photo gallery includes: Rufus Thomas, The Memphis Horns, Isaac Hayes, Justin Timberlake, Barack and Michelle Obama, David Porter, The Memphis Horns, Booker T. and the MG’s, Sam Moore, Marva Staples, Charlie Musselwhite, Al Bell, Albert King, Steve Cropper, Jerry Lee Lewis with Ben Cauley, Doobie Brothers Michael McDonald with Carla Thomas, Kirk Whalum and the Stax Kids and Graziano Uliani.
SOULSVILLE: The neighborhood around Stax, and home to many musical greats!
It’s no secret that what made me fall in love with Memphis and made me want to stay in Memphis for so many years was the music. The people, yes, the warm climate, yes, the fantastic professional opportunities, yes, the central location, yes and the low cost of living, yes. But the music-- absolutely yes!
I‘ve always loved jazz and the blues. My father entertained me with silly songs any child would love, like Slim Gaillard- Potato Chips and “Flat Foot Floogie.” He went to an elite school in the northeast and had to listen to this “race” music secretly, as it was frowned upon.
Memphis is home to The Blues Foundation because of the rich blues musical history and heritage. Memphis and the Mississippi Delta are like Mecca for blues fans and blues pilgrims.
As long as I’ve lived here, I have noticed that Europeans were very knowledgeable about Memphis music, much more so that many Americans. Americans came to Memphis to see Graceland. But it’s always been the Europeans who were savvy on the blues, R&B, and the soul music that has its roots in Memphis. The Stax Documentary explains this.
There is the Poretta Soul Festival, in Rufus Thomas Park the third week of July, every year, in Porretta Terme, province of Bologna. Graziano Uliani, frequently comes to Memphis seeking out new local talent for his festival.
I have a vivid memory of Rufus Thomas telling me how excited he was that they were naming a park after him.
It’s the music created here in this region that draws people from all over the world, to Memphis.
In the last decade, Memphis has risen to the top of places to visit by influential travel magazines like National Geographic and Condé Nast . “Memphis is one of two destinations from the U.S. highlighted in Condé Nast Traveler's “23 Best Places to Go in 2023,” which covers 22 countries and six continents,” a Commercial Appeal story reported.
I got to know Stax artist Rufus Thomas when I first moved here from Chicago. Rufus captivated me right away and quickly became of my favorite entertainers. He was SO MUCH FUN! He was an amazing entertainer with roots in vaudeville. He could still get a crowd going with Funky Chicken and Walking the Dog, into his 80’s. I have many fun memories of seeing him perform on Beale Street. He used to say, “If you could be black for one Saturday night on Beale Street, never would you want to be white again.”
His daughter Carla, who still lives in Memphis, was also a successful Stax artist. You can still find Carla out buying flowers, or as a guest or singer at one of the many Memphis music events held over the years. Carla is Stax royalty. She had the good fortune to record with Otis Redding before he was killed in a plane crash in 1967.
Redding’s music is so soulful, it just pierces right into your heart.
As with many great artists, he died way too young at age 26. Stax music was experiencing some real success when Redding and many band members died in a plane crash.
As a photojournalist in Memphis, over the years I covered the only survivor of that plane crash, Ben Cauley. Other influential Stax artists like Booker T. and the MG’s, Isaac Hayes, Albert King, Marva Staples, David Porter, Steve Cropper and Sam Moore have all been in my camera’s viewfinder.
The documentary goes into the run of bad luck that followed Redding’s death, the assassination of MLK in Memphis and the signing of a bad contract by Stax owner Jim Stewart, who in a very Memphis way, trusted the people he was working with, and in the end, the trials of Stax record executive Al Bell.
By the time I had come to Memphis, Stax had closed. But there was an appreciation for the Stax contribution to Memphis music legacy.
The documentary helped me appreciate more deeply the people, their experience and the music that is so deeply woven into the fabric and culture of Memphis.
I covered the opening of the Stax Museum and the music programs they had for the kids of Memphis. These programs are still teaching our city’s youth about the magical musical legacy here while cultivating the next musical generation. I went to New York City to cover the Stax Kids when they played at Lincoln Center and I also was on assignment when Memphis Music, including several Stax artists, Justin Timberlake and harmonica great Charlie Musselwhite were honored at the White House by Michelle and President Obama.
Wayne Jackson , and his wife Amy, were good friends of ours. He was one of the Memphis Horns. Jackson and partner Andrew Love were on hundreds of Top Ten and Number One hits, gold and platinum records. They were considered the Rolls Royce of horn sections. Jackson fully appreciated the experience and told about it in this short video I did before he passed away. He says “Memphis was just on fire! And Andrew and I were walking right down the middle of that street. We played on hit records every day”
Memphis is just such a musical treasure box that never ceases to amaze and entertain me. Living here you run into these folks here and there. Most of them have always been very accessible.
“Indeed, many musical luminaries either hailed from or resided in the Soulsville neighborhood,” writes Alex Greene in Memphis Magazine.
Even though I felt like I knew the Stax story and many of the players and much of the music, the Stax documentary opened my eyes with more intimate details, historical glimpses, and great storytelling that helped me appreciate what the artists and producers went through, good and bad to create and capture the “Memphis sound.”
By Karen Pulfer Focht ©2024
Memphis Photojournalist
Wayne Jackson - https://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/waynejackson-memphishorns
For a really in-depth read, Rob Bowman, author of Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records is serving as a consultant on the series. Soulsville, U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records: Bowman, Rob
Visual Highlights from the 2023 Ameripolitan Music Awards
THE AMERIPOLITAN AWARDS ARE HOSTED BY DALE WATSON AND CELINE LEE
Each year, a mix of quirky and eccentric musical artists come together for a reunion and celebration with like-minded people in Memphis, Tennessee. Performers are honored and supported while having fun and sharing their music at the Ameripolitan Music Awards which are hosted by American Country singer and songwriter Dale Watson and his wife, singer Celine Lee. This year’s awards were held at the Guest House at Graceland Feb. 17-19th, 2023.
The event has been on hold for the past few years due to the pandemic but is once again in full swing.
You can find a list of the winners here.
Lucky for Memphians, the event is held right here in Bluff City and it offers hours of endless fun. Their four-day-long party rotates between Hernando’s Hide-A-Way and the beautiful Guest House at Graceland while celebrating Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Rockabilly, and Outlaw genres of music.
Spiffy dancers in their best attire, swing their way across the floor, inspired by some of the nation’s top artists. Vendors come from around the country selling boots, fringe jackets, belt buckles, and clothes, sometimes gently worn, authentic, top-notch vintage outfits. Sunday evening, after brunch and a few rounds of Chicken Sh*t Bingo at Hernando’s, the crowd moves back to the Guest House for the Awards.
All of this takes place just up the street from the home of Elvis Presley, Graceland.
Memphis has become a popular tourist destination, especially for those with a passion for music. With a rich musical history, Condé Nast Traveler named Memphis one of the 23 Best Places to Go in 2023 list and the 3 Best Places to Go in the U.S. in 2023 list.
Alex Greene from the Memphis Flyer did a story to preview the event. https://www.memphisflyer.com/full-schedule-for-ameripolitan-music-awards-released
“The King is No. 1 at the domestic box office.
After a heated box office battle, “Elvis” emerged victorious over “Top Gun: Maverick” to claim the top spot on North American box office charts.” Variety
https://variety.com/2022/film/box-office/box-office-top-gun-maverick-elvis-winner-1235304037/
ENJOY SOME PHOTO AND VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS FROM GRACELAND IN MEMPHIS
What does Lisa Marie think about the new Elvis movie?
How does Austin Butler feel about playing Elvis?
In early June of 2022 sneak preview was held in the theater at Guest House at Graceland with producer Baz Luhrmann and the actors in the movie. The actors each spoke about being in the movie before the screening.
Graceland Through the Years
The Wedding Chapel at Graceland
I was fortunate enough to meet and photograph Sam Phillips, the man who discovered and recorded Elvis at Sun Studio. Phillips was a real visionary.
Christmas at Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, in Memphis, Tennessee.
A short video of Christmas at Graceland, In Memphis, Tennessee
Did you know you can sleep where Elvis slept? The Memphis apartment he lived in can be rented out for the night.
This was Elvis’s favorite horse on the carousel at Liberty Land in Memphis, Tennessee. It is now at the Children’s Museum in Memphis.
Dennis Quaid drops into Memphis nightclub Hernando’s Hide-A-Way which has become a Memphis hotspot for live music.
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