Elvis’s career took a turn on Beale Street.
The Memphis road is called the home of the blues. It now includes 25 bars and restaurants. The street was a big influence in Elvis’s early trajectory, as it’s where he immersed himself in the music of such artists as B.B. King and Big Mama Thornton.
You can engage with Elvis history, and much of the musical history of the country, on Beale Street. Get started at the Memphis Rock n Soul Museum (memphisrocknsoul.org), which tells how musical styles born from 1930s sharecroppers were forged in the explosion of Sun, Stax, and Hi Records. Then tour nearby Sun Studio (sunstudio.com) where musical legends Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis were discovered. It’s known worldwide as the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll.