Books – There are so many to expand your experience in this city, but here are my favorites:
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- Hellhound on his Trail by Hampton Sides is the book that first stirred my interest in Memphis. It’s the story of the stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the international hunt for his assassin, James Earl Ray.
- Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock ‘n’ Roll by Peter Guralnick is an ardent, unrestrained portrait of an American original, the driving force behind Sun Studios, with extensive interviews and firsthand personal observations extending over a 25-year period.
- Last Train to Memphis by Peter Guralnick is the first biography to go past that myth and present an Elvis beyond the legend. Based on hundreds of interviews and nearly a decade of research, it traces the evolution not just of the man but of the music and of the culture he left utterly transformed, creating a completely fresh portrait of Elvis and his world.
- Dewey & Elvis by Louis Cantor caught my eye after researching the history behind the musical, Memphis, which is loosely based upon Dewey Phillips, one of the original DJs in Memphis who first played “race” music on a white radio station, and “outed” Elvis as white when he asked him which high school he went to.
Getting There – Not all airlines fly to Memphis, but the ones with the most flights are American, Delta, Southwest and United. I’ve also taken Amtrak into Memphis, which was a treat!
Click here for my own personal stories about Memphis!
