music tour of memphis

The Complete Guide to the Memphis Music Scene

Welcome to the ultimate guide to exploring the electrifying music scene of Memphis, Tennessee a city pulsating with rhythm and rich with musical history. From the iconic stages of the New Daisy Theatre to the vinyl havens like River City Records, and the soulful echoes of Memphis Music, this guide is your ticket to immersing yourself in the heartbeat of the Bluff City’s sound. Get ready to groove at legendary venues like B.B. King’s Blues Club, sip on the city’s musical heritage, and discover the stories behind the music that has shaped Memphis into a cultural powerhouse.

Key Takeaways

• Memphis is a treasure trove of musical history, home to iconic venues like the New Daisy Theatre and B.B. King’s Blues Club.
• Vinyl enthusiasts can revel in the city’s record stores, with River City Records offering a deep dive into musical treasures.
• The city’s music festivals are a vibrant celebration of sound, showcasing a wide array of talent and providing a guide to festival-hopping.
• Memphis’ rich music history can be explored through landmarks such as Sun Studio and the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum.
• Beale Street remains the pulsating heart of Memphis nightlife, offering a mix of mainstream and hidden gem music spots.

Exploring the Heartbeat of Memphis: Iconic Music Venues

Memphis, a city that’s synonymous with music, offers a symphony of venues each with its own unique rhythm and history. From the storied walls of the New Daisy Theatre to the soul-stirring blues at B.B. King’s Blues Club , the city’s venues are a testament to its rich musical heritage.

The New Daisy Theatre: A Stage with History

The New Daisy Theatre, with its marquee lights and vintage charm, has been a beacon for live music since the 1940s. It’s a place where the past and present collide, offering a stage that has seen the likes of iconic musicians and emerging talents alike.

B.B. King’s Blues Club: A Night of Legendary Blues

At B.B. King’s Blues Club, the air is thick with the legacy of the blues. Here, the spirit of B.B. King himself lingers, inviting patrons to immerse themselves in the authentic sounds of Memphis blues.

Overton Park Shell: Open-Air Concerts with Soul

The Overton Park Shell , an open-air venue with a history as rich as the music it hosts, provides a perfect backdrop for concerts under the stars. It’s a place where the community gathers to celebrate the universal language of music.

Cozy Cafes and Backyard Breweries: Intimate Music Experiences

For those seeking a more intimate musical experience, Memphis’s cozy cafes and backyard breweries offer the perfect setting. These smaller venues provide a personal connection to the music, allowing the audience to feel every note.

In every corner of Memphis, from downtown to midtown, the music venues are alive with the sounds of the city’s soul. They are not just places to listen to music; they are sanctuaries where the heart of Memphis beats the strongest.

Vinyl Ventures: Memphis’ Record Store Circuit

The New Daisy Theatre isn’t just a venue; it’s a historical landmark where the walls echo with the sounds of legends past. This storied theatre has seen the rise of countless artists and continues to be a cornerstone of the Memphis music scene.

Experience the soulful embrace of the blues at B.B. King’s Blues Club, where the legacy of the King of Blues himself is enshrined. It’s a place where every night is a tribute to the rich musical heritage of Memphis.

At Overton Park Shell, the music takes on an extra layer of magic under the open sky. This iconic venue has hosted some of the most memorable concerts in Memphis history, offering a unique blend of nature and notes.

Discover the heart of Memphis’s music in its cozy cafes and backyard breweries. These intimate spaces offer a personal connection to the city’s sound, often featuring up-and-coming artists in a relaxed setting.

Memphis Music Festivals: A Celebration of Sound

Memphis is a city that dances to the beat of its own drum, and nowhere is this more evident than in its vibrant music festival scene. With a rich musical heritage that spans genres and generations, Memphis festivals are a testament to the city’s enduring love affair with rhythm and melody.

Annual Festivals You Can’t Miss

Memphis’ music festivals are a kaleidoscope of sound and culture, attracting fans from all over the world. From the soulful strains of the Beale Street Music Festival to the down-home blues of the Memphis in May International Festival , there’s an event for every music enthusiast. Don’t miss the chance to see local legends and international stars share the stage in a city that’s synonymous with musical innovation.

A Guide to Festival-Hopping in Memphis

Festival-hopping in Memphis is an art form. Start with the smaller, niche events like the River City Jazz & Music Festival, and work your way up to the larger, more iconic gatherings. Remember to pace yourself, stay hydrated, and immerse yourself in the eclectic atmosphere that each festival offers. It’s not just about the music; it’s about the experience.

The Best Eats at Memphis Music Festivals

No festival experience is complete without indulging in the local cuisine. Memphis music festivals are known for their array of food options, from classic Southern barbecue to innovative fusion dishes. Here’s a quick bite of what you can expect:

• Smoked brisket sandwiches
• Gourmet grilled cheese
• Hot, fresh beignets
• Artisanal ice pops

Embrace the flavors of Memphis as you groove to the tunes. The food is as much a part of the festival as the music itself.

The Soul of Memphis: A Journey Through Music History

Memphis’ music scene is a tapestry woven with the threads of history and the vibrant energy of the present. The city’s soulful sound has been shaped by legends and continues to inspire new generations of artists.

Sun Studio: Where Legends Were Born

Sun Studio stands as a monument to the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s where icons like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash recorded their first hits, and its walls still echo with the sounds of the past.

Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum: A Tapestry of Musical Heritage

The Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum offers a deep dive into the city’s musical evolution. Exhibits showcase the fusion of soul, blues, and rock that defines Memphis music.

Blues Hall of Fame: Honoring the Greats

In the Blues Hall of Fame, the stories of blues legends come to life. It’s a place of reverence for the artists who laid the foundation for Memphis’ musical identity.

Memphis Music Hall of Fame: Stories Behind the Stars

The Memphis Music Hall of Fame celebrates the city’s musical pioneers. It’s where the tales of triumph and struggle behind the music are told, preserving the legacy for future fans.

Memphis’ music is a journey through time, a narrative that continues to unfold and captivate music lovers around the world.

Beale Street Beat: The Pulse of Memphis Nightlife

Beale Street isn’t just a street; it’s the heartbeat of downtown Memphis, echoing the sounds of legends like B.B. King and Muddy Waters. Today, it’s a vibrant tapestry of bars, clubs, and the annual Beale Street Music Festival, which transforms the area into a musical wonderland.

Tips for Visiting Beale Street: Do’s and Don’ts

Navigating Beale Street can be overwhelming with its plethora of dining and entertainment options. To make the most of your visit, start with these simple tips:

• Do explore the diverse range of live music venues.
• Don’t stick to just the main strip; venture off to discover hidden gems.
• Do enjoy the local cuisine at the many eateries.
• Don’t forget to check out the street performers and souvenir shops.

Best Live Music Spots on Beale Street

Beale Street is home to iconic venues that offer an authentic Memphis music experience. Here are a few must-visit spots:

• B.B. King’s Blues Club and Restaurant
• Blues City Cafe
• Rockhouse Live

Each venue has its own unique vibe and history, promising a night filled with soulful tunes.

Beale Street’s Hidden Gems: Beyond the Mainstream

Beyond the neon lights of the main drag, Beale Street harbors some lesser-known spots where the music is just as lively and the crowds are cozier. Seek out these hidden gems for an intimate musical encounter that you won’t find in the guidebooks.

Memphis Music Tours: Behind the Scenes of a City’s Sound

Bus Tours: Rolling Through Musical Landmarks

Experience the vibrancy of Memphis music with a bus tour that takes you through the city’s most iconic musical landmarks. Feel the rhythm of the streets where legends once walked, and see firsthand the places that have shaped the Memphis sound.

Walking Tours: Step into the Rhythm of Memphis

Immerse yourself in the city’s musical heritage with a walking tour. Stroll down Beale Street , absorbing the rich history and contemporary beats that make Memphis a true music lover’s paradise.

Private Tours: Personalized Musical Journeys

For those seeking a more intimate exploration of Memphis’ music scene, private tours offer a tailored experience. Dive deep into the stories and sounds that have made Memphis a cornerstone of American music.

Discover the city’s musical past, present, and future as you connect with the soul of Memphis on these immersive tours.

Local Tunes: Discovering Memphis’ Up-and-Coming Artists

Memphis is a city that thrives on its musical heritage, and the future of its sound is in the hands of the up-and-coming artists who are shaping the scene. Discovering new talent is an adventure in itself , and there’s no better place to embark on this journey than in the heart of Memphis.

Spotlight on Emerging Talent

The city’s music landscape is as diverse as it is dynamic, with fresh faces emerging across genres. Artists like Amy Lavere, Mark Edgar Stuart, and Bailey Bigger are just a few names making waves. Keep an ear out for their tunes in local venues and beyond.

Where to Catch Live Local Acts

Memphis musicians reflect on the past year and look ahead with anticipation. From cozy cafes to bustling breweries, live music can be found everywhere in Memphis. Whether it’s a soulful acoustic set or an electrifying rock performance, the city’s venues are alive with the sound of its next generation of stars.

Supporting Memphis’ Music Scene: How You Can Help

Supporting local music isn’t just about attending shows—it’s about becoming part of the community. Buy their music, wear their merch, and spread the word. Your involvement helps ensure that the beat goes on in this city of innovators and change-makers.

Memphis Music Education: Workshops and Classes for Enthusiasts

Memphis isn’t just a city with a rich musical past; it’s a vibrant hub for those looking to hone their craft or start their musical journey. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced musician, the city offers a variety of workshops and classes that cater to all levels.

Learning the Blues: Workshops for Beginners

Dive into the heart of Memphis’ musical identity by learning the blues. Workshops for beginners are abundant, offering a hands-on approach to the genre that started it all. Embrace the rhythm and soul of the city as you strum your first blues chord and learn from local musicians who live and breathe this timeless music tradition.

Masterclasses with Local Musicians

For those looking to refine their skills, masterclasses with seasoned local musicians provide an invaluable experience. Engage in intimate sessions where you can learn techniques, songwriting, and performance skills. Memphis is home to artists who have graced stages worldwide, and their insights can propel your musical abilities to new heights.

Music Schools and Programs in Memphis

Memphis boasts a range of music schools and educational programs that offer structured learning paths for various instruments and genres. From the Center for Southern Folklore to the vibrant classrooms of local colleges, there’s a place for every learner. Here’s a quick overview of some options:

• The Center for Southern Folklore: Celebrating the arts with live concerts and a colorful atmosphere.
• Local colleges: Offering degree programs and individual courses in music theory, performance, and more.

Memphis is a city that not only cherishes its musical roots but also nurtures the growth of its future stars. Whether you’re picking up an instrument for the first time or looking to take your talents to the next level, Memphis’ music education scene is ready to welcome you.

A Music Lover’s Itinerary: Planning Your Memphis Music Pilgrimage

Memphis, Tennessee, is a mecca for music enthusiasts, offering a rich tapestry of blues, soul, gospel, and rock ‘n’ roll. To fully immerse yourself in this musical paradise , a well-planned itinerary is essential. Here’s how to make the most of your Memphis music pilgrimage.

Day-by-Day Guide to the Ultimate Music Experience

Crafting the perfect day-by-day itinerary ensures you won’t miss a beat. Start with iconic venues like Sun Studio and the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, then groove your way through Beale Street’s vibrant nightlife. Reserve days for deep dives into music history and nights for live performances that resonate with Memphis’ soul.

Combining Music and Dining: A Culinary Soundtrack

Memphis isn’t just about the music; it’s about the flavors that accompany it. Plan meals at venues where the culinary arts meet the musical ones. From BBQ joints with live blues to cafes where jazz is the main course, your taste buds and ears are in for a treat.

Memphis Music Souvenirs: Take a Piece of the Sound Home

No pilgrimage is complete without souvenirs. Record stores, boutique shops, and museum gift stores offer memorabilia that will keep the music playing long after you’ve returned home. Look for vinyl records, unique instruments, and artist-themed merchandise to commemorate your journey.

Remember, the heart of Memphis’ music scene beats beyond the main attractions. Explore diverse neighborhoods, attend can’t-miss events, and discover the city’s rich musical culture. From honky-tonks to hidden gems, your Memphis pilgrimage will be an unforgettable symphony of experiences.

Memphis’ Musical Future: Trends and Innovations in the Scene

Memphis has always been a city that not only cherishes its musical past but also eagerly embraces the future. The city’s music scene is continuously evolving, with new venues and artists emerging, bringing fresh sounds and experiences to locals and visitors alike. Innovation is at the heart of Memphis’ musical evolution , ensuring that the city’s sonic landscape is as vibrant and dynamic as ever.

The Evolution of Memphis Music

Memphis’ music scene is a living, breathing entity, always in motion. From the days of blues and rock ‘n’ roll to the modern beats of hip-hop and indie, the city has never stopped producing groundbreaking music. The legacy of legends like Elvis Presley and B.B. King inspires a new generation of artists who are redefining the Memphis sound for the 21st century.

Upcoming Artists and Bands to Watch

The city’s music is as diverse as its population, with up-and-coming artists in genres ranging from soul to electronic. These fresh faces are the ones to watch as they carve out their own niches and gain national attention. Keep an ear to the ground for the next big thing to come out of Memphis.

Innovative Music Venues and Concepts

Memphis is home to a variety of music venues, each with its own character and history. Newer establishments are experimenting with immersive audiovisual experiences and community-driven events, offering more than just a concert but a full sensory journey. These innovative spaces are reimagining what a music venue can be, making each visit a unique adventure.

Memphis continues to be a beacon for music innovation, with a scene that’s as eclectic and spirited as the city itself.

As we bring our musical journey through Memphis to a close, it’s clear that the city’s vibrant beats and soulful rhythms are as alive today as they’ve ever been. From the hallowed halls of Sun Studio to the jubilant crowds at the Beale Street Music Festival, Memphis continues to be a sanctuary for music lovers of all stripes. Whether you’re a die-hard blues aficionado or a rock ‘n’ roll enthusiast, this city offers a symphony of experiences that resonate with the rich tapestry of American music history. So, keep this guide handy, let your heart follow the melody, and immerse yourself in the unforgettable Memphis music scene. Until next time, keep the music playing and the spirit of Memphis in your soul.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes the memphis music scene unique.

The Memphis music scene is renowned for its rich musical history, blending blues, soul, gospel, and rock ‘n’ roll. Iconic venues like the New Daisy Theatre and legendary clubs such as B.B. King’s Blues Club offer a vibrant and authentic atmosphere that celebrates the city’s deep-rooted musical heritage.

Can I take music-themed tours in Memphis?

Yes, Memphis offers a variety of music-themed tours, including bus tours that visit historic landmarks, walking tours that allow you to step into the rhythm of the city, and personalized private tours for a more in-depth musical journey.

Where can I find live local music in Memphis?

Live local music can be found at cozy cafes, backyard breweries, and open-air venues like the Overton Park Shell. These intimate settings provide a platform for up-and-coming artists to showcase their talent.

Are there any music festivals in Memphis I shouldn’t miss?

Memphis is home to several annual music festivals that celebrate the city’s musical diversity. These events are a must-visit for any music enthusiast looking to experience the city’s lively music scene and cultural vibrancy.

What are some must-visit music attractions in Memphis?

The Sun Studio, Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, Blues Hall of Fame, and Memphis Music Hall of Fame are essential stops for anyone interested in the history and impact of Memphis music. These attractions offer immersive experiences and a look into the stories behind the music.

What should I know before visiting Beale Street?

When visiting Beale Street, it’s important to be aware of the vibrant nightlife and live music spots. There are also hidden gems beyond the mainstream that are worth exploring. Keep an eye out for local tips and guidelines to make the most of your visit.

How can I support the Memphis music scene?

Supporting local venues, attending live shows, purchasing music and merchandise from local artists, and spreading the word about Memphis’ music scene are great ways to contribute to the city’s cultural landscape.

Are there educational opportunities for music enthusiasts in Memphis?

Memphis offers music workshops and classes for all skill levels, including blues workshops for beginners and masterclasses with local musicians. The city’s music schools and programs provide educational opportunities for those looking to deepen their understanding of Memphis’ musical roots.

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Rock 'n' Roll Tours

901-883-5043

Immerse Yourself in Memphis' Legendary Rock 'n' Roll Scene

Experience the Heartbeat of Memphis with Rock 'n' Roll Tours: The Best Rock 'n' Roll Memphis Tours

Hey there, fellow rockers! Get ready to immerse yourself in the heart of Memphis's iconic music scene as we embark on an unforgettable journey through the city's legendary soundscape. From the soulful melodies of blues to the pulsating rhythms of rock 'n' roll, our public tours offer an exhilarating exploration of Memphis's rich musical heritage. Join us for an adventure that will ignite your passion for music and leave you craving more!

Let's Rock Like Legends

Dive into the rich history of music and learn about iconic recording studios that birthed u nforgettable hits. From the legendary Sun Studio, where Elvis Presley made history, to the soulful sounds of Stax and Hi, and t he hidden gems of Memphis's underground music scene, get ready to experience the heartbeat of rock 'n' roll like never before!

Your Ultimate Jam Session

At Rock 'n' Roll Tours, we're all about turning up the volume and making memories that rock! Whether you're a die-hard fan or a curious explorer, our public tours are crafted to suit your style and fuel your passion for music. Get ready to crank it up and let loose on a journey filled with rhythm, soul, and plenty of rock 'n' roll spirit!

Dive into Music Histo ry

Join us as we unravel the vibrant threads of Memphis's musical legacy, revealing the stories behind the unforgettable hits. From the iconic birthplace of rock 'n' roll to the hidden recording studios and vibrant venues that shaped the genre, our expert guides will lead you on a sonic journey through the city's dynamic soundscape and soulful roots.

Let's Rock Your World

Get ready to rock your world with Rock 'n' Roll Tours in Memphis! Whether you're a seasoned rocker or a newbie to the scene, there's something for everyone on our public tours. So gather your friends, join us, and get ready to groove in the city where every beat tells a story!

What Sets Us Apart 

Local Rockstar Guide

Meet Brandon, your local rockstar guide who eats, sleeps, and breathes the soulful vibes of Memphis. With insider knowledge and electric enthusiasm, Brandon is on a mission to ensure that every second of your tour rocks your world. Get ready to experience the city like never before through the eyes of this music maven!

Jam-Packed Adventures

Whether you're strutting down the streets on foot or cruising in one of our vehicles, get ready for an adventure guided by the rhythm of the city. From intimate walking tours that immerse you in the soul of Memphis to dynamic car rides where Brandon leads the way, each experience promises excitement and discovery. Choose your path and let's embark on a journey through Memphis that you'll never forget

Discover Rock 'n' Roll Treasures

Join Brandon as he peels back the layers of Memphis's musical tapestry to reveal its hidden rock 'n' roll gems. From underground venues pulsating with raw energy to historic landmarks steeped in music history, Brandon will unveil the city's best-kept secrets. Whether you're embarking on a solo escapade or rocking out with a group, get ready to discover the legendary treasures that Memphis has to offer.

Private Walking/Car Tours

Explore Memphis on your terms with our Private Walking/Car Tours. Whether you're interested in delving deeper into Elvis's legacy or discovering hidden gems off the beaten path, we'll tailor a tour to suit your preferences. From intimate strolls through historic neighborhoods to themed adventures focused on blues, soul, or rock 'n' roll, let us create a personalized experience just for you. Contact us to discuss your custom tour today!

Beale Street Blitz 60-Minute Rock 'n' Roll Adeventure $28 Per Person

Discover the vibrant essence of Memphis with our Beale Street Blitz, where you'll explore legendary Beale Street's rich musical heritage, and hear the stories and secrets of legendary local figures and musical pioneers.

Testimonials

"Very knowledgeable about Memphis history and landmarks with a fun demeanor and presentation."

Alan H., Chapin, United States

"This tour has been a highlight of our trip and highly recommend it to anyone."

Sally P., Adelaide, Australia

Ready to join the ranks of our satisfied customers?  Book your Rock 'n' Roll adventure or customize your own private tour experience today!

"We loved how much Brandon loves Memphis and fights hard for its history."

Randi Y., Toronto, Ontario

Our story: rock 'n' roll tours.

Rock 'n' Roll Tours was born from a lifelong passion for music and a deep-rooted connection to the soulful rhythms of Memphis. Founded by Brandon Cunning, a music aficionado with a penchant for the sounds of the '50s era, the company emerged as a tribute to the city's rich musical heritage.

Inspired by his experiences as a Beale Street entertainer and radio DJ, Brandon recognized the undeniable magic of Memphis and its pivotal role in shaping the history of rock 'n' roll. With a desire to share this magic with others, Rock 'n' Roll Tours came to life.

Driven by a mission to provide immersive and unforgettable experiences, Rock 'n' Roll Tours offers a variety of curated journeys through the heart of Memphis's music scene. From intimate walking tours to exhilarating car rides, each adventure is crafted to transport guests back in time and immerse them in the city's vibrant culture.

Join us on a rhythmic odyssey through Memphis and discover the soul-stirring melodies that have echoed through its streets for decades. Welcome to Rock 'n' Roll Tours.

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Latest Videos From Rock 'n' Roll Tours

Stay tuned for our latest adventures and behind-the-scenes footage! Watch our newest video to immerse yourself in the rhythm and soul of Memphis.

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Phone: 901-883-5043

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THE LEGENDARY SUN STUDIO

Memphis tennessee, open every day of the week , monday - sunday 10am -5:15pm .

Tours begin once an hour on the bottom of the hour. No reservations

(10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 

Pricing and hours updated as of Jan 1, 2024

LOCATED AT 706 UNION AVENUE AT THE CORNER OF UNION AND MARSHALL.

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK  

ADULTS: $20

CHILDREN 5-11: $15

All tickets available first come, first served. If you'd like to purchase vouchers (does not   reserve  date or time), head on over to the shop!

Tel. 901- 521-0664

Toll free. 800 - 441-6249.

Music Cities Tour: Memphis, Nashville & More

October 30, 2024 thru november 6, 2024.

E mbark on a 8-day journey where melodies meet the mountains. From the legendary Graceland to the vibrant heart of Nashville’s music scene, discover the stories behind iconic tunes. Let the festive spirit of Dollywood enchant you, and be awed by the timeless beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains. This tour is a symphony of America’s musical legacy and natural wonders!

Transportation

Air Transportation Included

Luxury Motorcoach

8 days, 7 nights

Activity Level 3

Meals Included

• 14 meals (7 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinner)

Availability

Tour highlights.

• 2 Nights at the Guest House at Graceland
• Memphis City Tour
• Sun Records Recording Studio Tour
• Elvis Experience Tour at Graceland
• Welcome Dinner
• Loretta Lynn’s Ranch Guided Tour
• 3 Nights at the Gaylord Opryland Resort
• Country Music Hall of Fame
• Ryman Auditorium
• Grand Ole Opry with Included Dinner
• Nashville City Tour
• General Jackson Showboat
• Santa Fe Show & Dinner
• 2 Nights at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa
• Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas
• Great Smoky Mountain National Park
• Skyland Ranch Show & Dinner
• Roundtrip Air Transportation from ABQ
• Transportation by luxury motorcoach
• 7 nights lodging
• Admissions to listed attractions
• Guided tours at selected attractions
• Your professional SUN TOURS tour director
• All taxes and gratuities for selected items (except housekeeping)

Day 1 — Graceland

Fly into Memphis and transfer to the Guest House at Graceland for a two-night stay. Graceland is the famed home of Elvis Presley which sits on a 13.8 acre estate and is now a testament to his legacy. We have the evening to enjoy Graceland and an independent dinner.

Day 2 — Memphis Music History

The next day, discover Memphis on a city tour and dive into music on a tour of Sun Records Recording Studio. A cornerstone of American music history, this legendary studio played a pivitol role in the evolution of rock ‘n’ roll, blues, and country music. It is perhaps best known for discovering and recording Elvis in 1954. For lunch, head back to Graceland then take the Elvis Experience Tour. This evening we have a Welcome Dinner at King’s Palace Cafe.

Meals included: (B, L, D)

Day 3 — Loretta Lynn's Story

Journey to Nashville today, with a stop to tour Loretta Lynn’s Ranch . Loretta’s story is truly “a Rags to Riches story”. There are many attractions on the grounds including the Coal Miner’s Daughter Museum, with everything from Loretta’s simple mountain life in Kentucky to her rise to stardom. Her legendary career and life are preserved at her Ranch.

Check into the Gaylord Opryland Resort for a three-night stay and enjoy independent time.

Meals included: (B)

Day 4 — Nashville Music History

Delve into the roots of country music with a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame . This treasure trove of artifacts, photographs, recordings, and memorabilia tell the story of country music’s origins and evolution.

Enjoy an independent lunch in bustling Downtown Nashville, followed by the iconic Ryman Auditorium tour. Known as the “Mother Church of Country Music,” the Ryman is a historic venue celebrated for its unparalleled acoustics and pivotal role in popularizing country music through the Grand Ole Opry. This evening take part in a specially included dinner and show at the Grand Ole Opry.

Meals included: (B, D)

Day 5 — Music City, USA

Embark on a Nashville City Tour to discover the city’s charms. Nashville is known as “Music City USA” and offers a unique blend of history and culture. Learn more about its landmarks and the familiar names that Nashville has produced.

Later, board the General Jackson Showboat for a scenic lunch experience as you float down Tennessee’s Cumberland River. After a break at the resort, enjoy the Santa Fe Show & Dinner.

Day 6 — Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas

Today, we set off for Pigeon Forge , famously known as the home of country music icon, Dolly Parton. We’ll arrive at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort by early afternoon, just in time to dive into the festive cheer of Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas. Explore a winter wonderland adorned with more than 6 million twinkling lights and dozens of towering Christmas trees that add a cheerful shimmer to the rides and attractions.

Enjoy an independent afternoon and evening exploring the park’s holiday-themed attractions and entertainment at your leisure.

Day 7 — Great Smoky Mountains

Embrace the beauty of Appalachia today by venturing into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park , where you’ll find an expanse of lush forests and mist-covered mountains. The Smokies are among the oldest mountains in the world, formed 200-300 million years ago. Their ancient landscapes and the fog that often envelopes them, giving them their “smoky” appearance all add to their mysteriousness. The journey continues to SkyLand Ranch in the late afternoon. Here, the SkyLand Ranch Show & Dinner awaits, offering an evening of entertainment paired with a dining experience.

Day 8 — Farewell to Music Cities

On the last day of our tour, we will transfer back to Nashville to catch our flight home, taking back memories of music and mountains.

Itinerary is subject to change.

Memphis - Home of the Blues

Memphis is often referred to as the Home of the Blues. Beale Street, a historic street lined with blues clubs and restaurants, played a pivotal role in the development of the blues genre, with legendary musicians like B.B. King and W.C. Handy performing there.

Elvis Presley - King of Rock & Roll

Elvis began his music career in 1954 with Sun Records in Memphis. The label's owner, Sam Phillips, is often credited with discovering Elvis, though it was actually his assistant, Marion Keisker, who first took note of him.

Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn rose from humble beginnings in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, to become a trailblazing country music icon, known for her poignant, autobiographical songs that spoke candidly about the lives and challenges of working-class women. Her enduring legacy is marked by groundbreaking hits like "Coal Miner's Daughter," through which she carved a path for future generations of female artists in the traditionally male-dominated genre of country music.

Nashville - Music City, USA

Nashville is globally recognized for its profound influence on the country music industry, hosting iconic venues like the Grand Ole Opry House, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the historic Ryman Auditorium.

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton rose from humble beginnings in rural Tennessee to become a towering figure in country music, known for her prolific songwriting, distinctive voice, and philanthropic efforts. With timeless hits like "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You," her impact transcends music, embodying resilience and generosity, and her Imagination Library initiative has endeared her to millions as a champion of childhood literacy.

Great Smoky Mountains

The Smokies are among the oldest mountains in the world, formed 200-300 million years ago. Their age contributes to the rounded, gentle slopes that contrast with the sharp ridges found in younger mountain ranges.

Hotel Information

Guest house at graceland.

Memphis, TN

Gaylord Opryland Resort

Nashville, TN

Dollywood's DreamMore Resort & Spa

Pigeon Forge, TN

Package Pricing

$3,915 per person, triple occupancy.

Deposit: $200

$4,165 per person

Double occupancy, $4,915 per person, single occupancy, final payment due:, july 23, 2024.

Deposit: N/A

Price Includes

Roundtrip Air Transportation from ABQ Transportation by luxury motorcoach 7 nights lodging 14 meals (7 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinner) Admissions to listed attractions Guided tours at selected attractions Your professional SUN TOURS tour director All taxes and gratuities for selected items (except housekeeping)

Booking Policy

Final Payment Due: July 23, 2024

Cancellation Fees:

• None:  Through July 23, 2024
• $200: July 24 – August 27, 2024
• $2,600: August 28 – September 24, 2024
• 100%:  After September 24, 2024

TRAVEL PROTECTION STARTS AT $288

ACTIVITY LEVEL RATING

The activity level for this tour is Activity Level 3: Moderate.

Expectations: Expect a moderate amount of walking. There will be time to rest on the coach and between attractions. To enjoy this tour, you should be prepared to walk slightly longer distances, climb stairs and tolerate periods of standing, for example on city walks, sightseeing stops or ship excursions. The daily pace and timing can fluctuate significantly between longer and shorter travel days, with additional activities possibly occurring in the early morning or evening. There may be some changes in altitude or temperatures.

Appropriate for: Most travelers beginning with those who are moderately fit, lead semi-active lives, are comfortable participating in long days of activities and expect some physical exertion.

For your reference, we send to you a detailed itinerary approximately 3-4 weeks prior to the scheduled tour departure. This has day-by-day times and events, hotel information where you can be reached in case of an emergency, and airline information.

The times listed on the itinerary are all approximate. We cannot be held responsible for schedule changes due to unforeseen circumstances with the weather, transportation agents, highway conditions, hotels or contracting agents.

AIRLINE TICKETS

You will be issued your boarding pass the morning of our departure, after your arrival at the Albuquerque International Sunport. If you have a frequent flyer number, or a TSA number, please call our office at least 3 days prior to the tour to ensure we can note these in your reservation.

If you are joining the tour from locations other than Albuquerque, we make other arrangements for you to join the tour. Please call our office for more details.

AIRPORT SECURITY

Do not forget to bring your government issued picture ID to show at the airport. A Driver’s License is required in Alaska but you must have a valid US Passport for the cruse portion of the tour. If you do not have the proper ID, the airline will turn you away.

CHECKED BAGGAGE FEES

On our airline for this tour, passengers may be assessed a fee per checked in bag, by the Airlines, upon checking in for the flight.

EMERGENCY CONTACT

It is always a good idea to carry on your person a list of medications that you are taking and an emergency contact phone number while you are traveling. And we suggest making a copy of the itinerary and provide it to a friend or family member.

GRATUITIES/ITEMS INCLUDED IN PRICE

All hotel baggage handling fees are included. We also include basic gratuities for the Tour Director, Coach Driver, and local Tour Guides. If someone has truly gone above and beyond additional tipping is permitted, but never required.

LODGING REQUESTS

If you would like to request special accommodations at the hotel(s) where we are lodging, please call us as soon as possible and we will forward these requests for you. The phone numbers of the hotel(s) where we are staying are listed on the itinerary.

Many hotels around the country have instituted a "reconditioning fee" of $300 or more that is levied upon a guest that smokes in a non-smoking room. If this occurs during our tour you will be responsible for paying this fee to the hotel prior to check-out.

TRAVEL REQUESTS

We pay close attention to your requests but please realize that these are merely requests and cannot be guaranteed.

RESPONSIBILITY

SUN TOURS acts solely as an agent in arranging hotels, transportation, sightseeing, baggage-handling, and other services and does not assume any liability for injury, damage, loss or delay due to any act or default of any company or person. We, along with our subcontractors, reserve the right to make changes to an itinerary if it is necessary for the proper handling of a tour.

WEATHER AND CLOTHING/MISC. SUGGESTIONS

In early November, Tennessee welcomes the crisp, cool embrace of late autumn with temperatures that can vary widely across the state. Eastern regions, particularly in the higher elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains, tend to be cooler, with daytime temperatures often in the mid-50s to low 60s°F (around 12-17°C), and nights that can cool down significantly. The central and western parts of the state experience milder conditions, with slightly warmer temperatures during the day. The entire state can enjoy clear, sunny days interspersed with cooler, overcast weather, and occasional rain showers, painting a picturesque autumnal scene with vibrant fall foliage on display, especially in the wooded and mountainous areas.

Inquire About This Tour

Submit your inquiry for more information about a tour. We will get back to you with a (human) response as soon as possible. During the week that’s usually within a couple of hours. Evenings and weekends may take us a little bit longer. Please note that this is an inquiry for tour bookings only and does not constitute or confirm a reservation on a tour.

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Call 505.889.8888 to Book Today!

If you aren't ready to inquire by email or would rather call and speak to a team member, we look forward to hearing from you.

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Concerts in Memphis

Find tickets to all live music, concerts, tour dates and festivals in and around Memphis.

Currently there are 215 upcoming events.

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213 upcoming concerts

• Wednesday 29 May 2024

Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire

FedExForum , Memphis, TN, US

Fredo Bang Kuttem Reese and Yolo Ru

Growlers , Memphis, TN, US

Fredo Bang, Kuttem Reese, and Yolo Ru

Memphis, TN, US

Pet Mosquito and Sweet Knives

BAR DKDC , Memphis, TN, US

• Thursday 30 May 2024

Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla

Blue Canoe , Tupelo, MS, US

Cyrena Wages

BarWare , Memphis, TN, US

• Friday 31 May 2024

Nate Bargatze

• Friday 31 May 2024 – Saturday 01 June 2024

WING FEST 2024 Adina Howard, Kut Klose, T.k. Soul, Link, Revolution Band, DJ Von, Marcellus the Singer, and KJ Willis

Fairpark District , Tupelo, MS, US

What’s for Brek-Fest 2024 Pet Mosquito

Lamplighter Lounge , Memphis, TN, US

• Saturday 01 June 2024

Minglewood Hall , Memphis, TN, US

Attila Traitors, Not Enough Space, and the NOTIONS

Adverzo, Grupo Retro, and Edwin Luna y La Trakalosa de Monterrey

Memphis Coliseum , Memphis, TN, US

Clancy Jones

Hernando's Hide-A-Way , Memphis, TN, US

Las Chicas Rolands

Casa Blanca Event Center , Memphis, TN, US

Whiskey South

Lafayette's Music Room , Memphis, TN, US

Big Al And The Heavyweights

Andrew Best

Lausanne Collegiate School , Memphis, TN, US

Takuya Nakamura

The Green Room at Crosstown Arts , Memphis, TN, US

• Saturday 01 June 2024 – Saturday 01 June 2024

Mid-South Pride 2024 Brian Falduto

• Sunday 02 June 2024

Kirk Whalum

Crosstown Theater , Memphis, TN, US

• Monday 03 June 2024

Cannon Center for the Performing Arts , Memphis, TN, US

Year of October

Hi-Tone Cafe , Memphis, TN, US

• Tuesday 04 June 2024

Germantown Community Library , Germantown, TN, US

• Wednesday 05 June 2024 – Wednesday 05 June 2024

2024 Tupelo Elvis Festival: Gala @ The Cotton Mill (SOLD OUT) 2024

Cadence Bank Arena (formerly Bancorpsouth Arena) , Tupelo, MS, US

• Thursday 06 June 2024

Dierks Bentley, Steep Canyon Rangers, and Live at the Garden

Radians Amphitheater , Memphis, TN, US

Haley Reinhart

Pallbearer Rwake and The Keening

Tommy Prine

Germantown Performing Arts Center (GPAC) , Germantown, TN, US

• Thursday 06 June 2024 – Thursday 06 June 2024

2024 Tupelo Elvis Festival: Youth ETA Contest @ Birthplace (Add-On) 2024

2024 Tupelo Elvis Festival: Meet the Contestants Showcase 2024

2024 Tupelo Elvis Festival: After Party Thur @ Silver Moon (Add-On) 2024

• Thursday 06 June 2024 – Saturday 08 June 2024

2024 Tupelo Elvis Festival: Festival Pass (7 Events) 2024

• Friday 07 June 2024

Horseshoe Casino's Bluesville , Robinsonville, MS, US

electric blue yonder

PJ and the Bear eastwoods

Demifiend Kittenhouse, Qemist, and Crispy

Black Lodge , Memphis, TN, US

• Friday 07 June 2024 – Friday 07 June 2024

2024 Tupelo Elvis Festival: Behind the Jumpsuits (Conversations) 2024

2024 Tupelo Elvis Festival: Ultimate Competition First Round 2024

2024 Tupelo Elvis Festival: After Party Fri @ Silver Moon (Add-On) 2024

• Friday 07 June 2024 – Saturday 08 June 2024

Mississippi Moon Festival 2024 Kelly Hunt, Rachel Maxann, Amber Rae Dunn, Bruce White, Alexis Jade, Josh Threlkeld, Kitty Dearing, and Wyly Bigger

Aisling Farm , Olive Branch, MS, US

• Saturday 08 June 2024

Sex Mex little baby tendencies and Big Clown

Guitar Wolf Hans Condor

• Saturday 08 June 2024 – Saturday 08 June 2024

2024 Tupelo Elvis Festival: Ultimate Competition Finals 2024

2024 Tupelo Elvis Festival: After Party Sat @ Silver Moon (Add-On) 2024

• Sunday 09 June 2024

Keri Hilson and Carl Thomas

Orpheum Theatre , Memphis, TN, US

Marisol Terrazas and Gro

Blue Moon Event Center , Memphis, TN, US

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Memphis Music Tour

Description: Transportation only. Ask about our group rate with tickets included. Stop off at three locations:

• Stax Museum of American Soul Music (Closed on Mondays)
• Memphis Rock ‘N Soul Museum
• Sun Studio – The birthplace of Rock ‘N Roll!

Tickets: Adult: $26 Children: $21

Length: Approx 3.5 hour

Departs: Departs daily from ticket office at approximately 10:00 A.M.

Advance purchase highly recommended!

• MLK SPECIAL TOUR
• Graceland Experience Tour
• Memphis Hop
• Elvis Experience/Memphis Hop

In operation since 1988, Blues City Tours is your guide to Graceland, the Tunica Casinos and much more!

Reservations / Information – 24 Hour Hotline – Memphis, TN: 901.522.9229 Blues City Tours reserves the right to change/cancel Tours without notice.

Member of: Memphis Better Business Bureau, Mid-South Chamber of Commerce, Tunica Chamber of Commerce, Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, Recommended by: AAA, Licensed by: the TN Public Service Commission

© 2016 Blues City Tours

Website Design by Control Alt Designs

• Discovery Tour

There's more to Memphis than music! Experience the beauty and variety of Memphis on this in-depth tour of our historic downtown.

For the Explorer In You

Get the complete Memphis experience on this all-inclusive tour. It’s a part history tour, part attraction hopping, part food tour that will introduce you to everything that makes Memphis special.

MEMPHIS DISCOVERY TOUR

“Best of Memphis” tour featuring some fascinating history, a BBQ tasting, admission to either the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum or Edge Motor Museum, and more.

Add a riverboat cruise on the mighty Mississippi for an unforgettable adventure!

2 Hours; or

3 hrs with museum admission; or

6 hrs with Riverboat cruise

Departs From: Beale St. and BB King Blvd (at Alfred’s)

Advance purchase required. Tours sell out quickly! To purchase by phone, call (877) 230-0331 or (901) 527-9415

You’ll visit:

• The Lorraine Motel , to see the balcony where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot
• Central BBQ , to sample some of the best barbeque in Memphis (tasting included )
• I Am A Man plaza
• Lansky Brothers , clothier to Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and B.B. King, and still one of the most stylish places to shop!
• the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum , a Smithsonian museum exploring the city’s unparalleled musical heritage; or
• Edge Motor Museum , Memphis’ only auto museum, featuring iconic American sports cars of the post-war era
• Optional admission to Memphis Riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River

Along the way, we’ll show you our favorite Memphis sights, including:

• Victorian Village
• Orpheum Theater
• St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital
• Redbirds’ Stadium ( AutoZone Park )
• historic Cotton Row
• Court Square , the heart of 19th century Memphis
• Shelby County Courthouse
• St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral
• Beale Street
• Hotel Chisca , where DJ Dewey Philips played Elvis for the first time
• Lauderdale Courts , Elvis’ teenage home

GRACELAND INSIDERS

Show your Graceland Insiders card and get 10% off any tour.

Promo Code: TCB

“ I really enjoyed this tour. The driver was very knowledgeable & funny. I learned things I did not know from this tour. It’s definitely worth doing!” Anonymous, June 2019

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• Memphis True Crime Tour
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197 Beale Street Memphis, TN 38103 901-527-9415

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Memphis City Highlights, Tourism and Travel

  Memphis City Highlights offers tourism and travel options for both the new and occasional visitor. From city tours to luxury airport transfers, we are here to make your trip safe and enjoyable. 

Memphis City Highlights: Guided Sightseeing Tour

Welcome to Memphis , a city where history, music, and culture converge to create an extraordinary tapestry. 

Join us on a memorable, guided sightseeing tour of this vibrant city, where the past meets the present, and music fills the air. City highlights include Big River Crossing , Mud Island, Slave Haven Underground Railroad, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the World Famous Beale Street, National Civil Rights Museum, Sun Studio, and the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum .

Access link below for additional tour details and reservation information. 

Available on both Viator and TripAdvisor.

Walking and Trolley Tracks Tour in Memphis

 Welcome to the beautiful city of Memphis! 

Get ready to embark on a delightful 2.5 mile walking & trolley tour of some of the city's most iconic and historic landmarks. Lace up your walking shoes, grab a bottle of water, and let's get started. 

To begin our tour, we'll start with a leisurely walk along the riverfront and enjoy the panoramic views of the Mississippi River. Following our walk along the river, we'll journey to the South Main Arts District and browse the eclectic art displays and charming boutiques. We'll also stop outside the National Civil Rights Museum and see the balcony where Dr Martin Luther King Jr. was tragically assassinated. After our time on South Main, we'll take the Main Street Trolley and make our way to Mud Island . If we're lucky, we might catch a glimpse of a riverboat cruising along the mighty Mississippi. 

Stride Through History: African American Heritage Tour

Embark on a captivating walking tour through downtown Memphis, delving into the rich and vibrant African American history that has shaped this iconic city. 

Led by knowledgeable guides, this tour will take you on a journey through time, exploring significant landmarks, cultural sites, and pivotal moments in African American history. From the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement to the rise of African American music, experience the powerful stories and influential figures who have made Memphis a bastion of African American culture . 

Lace up your walking shoes and get ready to immerse yourself in this enlightening and inspiring tour. 

  Available on both Viator and TripAdvisor.  

Shadows of the Delta: Downtown Memphis Ghost Tour

Welcome to "Shadows of the Delta: Downtown Memphis Ghost Tour! " 

Embark on a spine-chilling journey through the heart of Memphis as we explore the haunted history, eerie legends, and ghostly tales that lurk in the shadows of this vibrant city . Prepare to be thrilled and captivated as we traverse the streets and uncover the supernatural secrets of downtown Memphis. 

Are you ready to face the spirits that wander the streets of Memphis? 

VIATOR AND TRIPADVISOR BOOKING OPTIONS: COMING SOON!

Private Airport Transfers

Early Departure or Late Arrival? 

No worries...

Allow Memphis City Highlights to provide luxury transport to the Memphis International Airport from your mid-town or downtown hotel. Round-trip transfer also available.

  Available on both Viator and TripAdvisor.

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Home » Travel Guides » United States » Tennessee (TN) » 15 Best Memphis Tours

15 Best Memphis Tours

Located in southwestern Tennessee along the Mississippi River, Memphis is considered to be one of the most historic and cultural cities of not only Tennessee but also all of the United States of America.

In the present day, Memphis features as a hub for trade, knowledge, art, and entertainment. Home to blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll music, Memphis has a unique aura, as well as delicious traditional food. The combined traditional and modern amenities of the area ensure the best experience of the sunny days and exciting nights.

To make sure you don’t miss any of the highlights of the city, here are 15 of the best tours that will show you the best of Memphis.

1. Memphis Tour With Optional Graceland Admission

Head out on the streets of Memphis and discover all its major highlights, ranging from the Memphis Pyramid to the National Civil Rights Museum, and optional entrance to Graceland.

Spend 3 hours touring the city of Memphis with a narrator to tell you all the facts and tidbits about sites you visit. The tour will take you on a cruise along the Mississippi River, drive by the Pyramid Arena, Lorraine Hotel, Peabody Hotel and finally grant admission into Graceland Mansion.

This tour offers you the best sights of Memphis city, from the hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated to Elvis Presley’s former home, all of them being things that you don’t want to miss.

2. Sun Studio Guided Tour

Explore one of the must-visit places in Memphis, the Sun Studio, where rock ‘n’ roll, blues, and soul music came to life.

This is a 45-minute guided tour that will take you around the most famous recording studio in the world, where a number of great musicians like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and B.B. King made their magic happen. And you also get a voucher to spend at the Sun Studio store, where you can find some of your musical favorites.

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3. Historic Memphis Walking Tour

Explore the history of Memphis on a walking tour as you roam its streets, exploring all the hotspots of the city. Marvel at the beautiful and iconic sights as you gain more knowledge about the city.

This 2-hour tour will take you to all the historic and beautiful sights of the city, including the iconic Beale Street. Visit the architectural wonders of the city such as Court Square Fountain, Lincoln American Tower, and Calvary Episcopal Church, as your guide tells you about the city’s civil war, prohibition history, and its rich culture.

4. Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum Admission

Discover the mansion which was once home to the Woodruff and Fontaine families and is furnished with fabulous antiques from the Victorian era.

This hour-long tour that will give you a deeper insight into what the city was like back in the nineteenth century, as you learn more about what the city was like during that era.

Explore the Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum in a small group, at your own pace. Scan QR codes throughout the house and learn more about the house and history.

5. Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum Admission

Get your music mode on and visit the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum to discover the history of the music that came to life in Memphis.

Spend your day at the museum indulging in Memphis’ musical legacy, and discover more about important musicians such as BB King and Muddy Waters, who were major pioneers in the music industry.

Explore costumes, instruments, photographs and more belonging to the musicians of Memphis, with an audio guide that includes up to 5 hours of information and over 100 songs, making this experience one of a kind.

6. Taste of Downtown Memphis Food Tour

This is a food crawl that serves you the history of the city along with its traditional food, as you tour six different restaurants with a local food expert.

Enjoy 3 hours of classic Memphian food at six restaurants, including not only award-winning restaurants but also known family-owned eateries. Escape the tourist traps as a local tells you all the right places and the right things to eat.

Follow your guide on this tour as he leads you to the best restaurants of the town and learn more about the history of Memphis in between restaurants and food.

7. Memphis Mojo Music Bus Tour

Tap your feet to the music on this bus tour that will guide you around the city of the birth of blues as local musicians keep you grooving with music, tambourines, and bongos.

Spend up to three hours with local Memphis musicians that entertain and guide you around the city as you visit all the major sites of the city including Beale Street, Stax Studio, Lorraine Moter, and even admission into Sun Studio.

It’s a tour packed with music, history and loads of enjoyments that is definitely one of a kind.

8. Haunted Pub Crawl In Memphis

Hold your breath and beat the fear on this pub crawl that takes you through the haunted pubs of the city.

Spend two and a half hours discovering three of the city’s haunted pubs where you get to hear stories and legends straight from the locals and your guide.

Rely on your guide, a paranormal investigator, who will tell you only the real and verified ghost stories as you enjoy your drinks at the pubs.

9. Elvis Memories Sightseeing Tour

Follow the memories of Elvis Presley around the city of Memphis as you explore the city from his eyes.

It’s a two-to-three-hour tour that will allow you to visit all the places important to Elvis Presley’s life such as his home, school, and the very beautiful Botanical Garden Home, as a local guide tells you more about his life and the sites you visit.

Enjoy this family-friendly tour, which is perfect for anyone who is an avid fan of the star, and enjoy the pleasures of eating fried peanut butter and banana sandwich at Elvis’ favorite restaurant too.

10. Hard Rock Cafe

Take a break from long and tiring tours and stop for lunch at the very popular Hard Rock Cafe, situated right in the midst of the never-ending bustle of the iconic Beale Street.

Spend your afternoon at the Rock Hard Cafe and delve into the prix-fixe menu. Enjoy the music genre-themed meals and the accompanying beverages, both of which come from classic American cooking.

Enjoy priority seating and scrumptious food while you marvel at the rock memorabilia on the walls and relax.

11. Memphis Ghosts Walking Tour

Set out on an adventure to the darker, secluded, and haunted sights of Memphis on this walking tour that will give you the chills.

Embark on this 2-hour tour, led by a local guide that tells you all the spooky tales of various hauntings, paranormal sightings, and legends from around the city. Go through the former brothel Ernestine and Hazel’s, which is known to be home to a number of notorious spirits.

Hear about haunting tales from guides and locals as you visit the haunted sites on this chilling tour.

12. Memphis City Tour And Riverboat Cruise

Head out sightseeing in downtown Memphis with a guide and enjoy a ride down the Mississipi River on an old-fashioned paddlewheel boat.

Enjoy over 6 hours of exploring the city of Memphis, its history and captivating sights, on land as well as water. Witness Memphis’ classic Beale Street and the old mansions in the Victorian Village neighborhood as a guide tells you about their history and culture.

This is a land and water tour that takes you through beautiful sites and history of Memphis in a day, ensuring you see the best of the city.

13. Self-Guided Memphis Music Tour With Transportation

Explore three of Memphis’ most famous historical sites of the music industry, discovering the history of each at your own pace on this self-guided tour.

This 5-hour tour will take you to Stax Records, Sun Studio, and the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, and allow you to enjoy and explore each site as fast or as slow as you wish, as you discover the landmarks where musical history was made.

This is a tour perfect for anyone that enjoys music with live commentary along the tour and round-trip transportation throughout.

14. Memphis Discovery Tour Including Rock & Soul Museum

Uncover the rich culture and history of downtown Memphis on this coach tour as you visit most of the city’s attractions and learn more about them.

This 3-hour tour is led by a guide that gives you an insight into the city’s music scene on Beale Street and at the Orpheum Theater and Gibson Guitar Factory, as well as its civil rights landmarks such as the Lorraine Motel. During the tour, you also get to witness the sites that hold historic importance such as the Court Square, Victorian Village, and Cotton Row.

Enjoy discovering all the aspects of Memphis and then fill your belly at the included barbecue at a local restaurant.

15. City Of Memphis Tour

This tour is ideal for anyone visiting Memphis for the first time, with visits to all the major hotspots of the city while learning all about the city’s history and present.

This three-hour tour will take you to the key sights of the city including the iconic Beale Street, the famous Graceland, and the historic Victorian Homes as you get a deeper insight on all of the locations and their historic importance.

The tour allows you to choose from morning or afternoon bookings, and includes round-trip transportation to and from your hotel, which makes touring the city of Memphis all the more convenient.

15 Best Memphis Tours:

• Memphis Tour With Optional Graceland Admission
• Sun Studio Guided Tour
• Historic Memphis Walking Tour
• Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum Admission
• Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum Admission
• Taste of Downtown Memphis Food Tour
• Memphis Mojo Music Bus Tour
• Haunted Pub Crawl In Memphis
• Elvis Memories Sightseeing Tour
• Hard Rock Cafe
• Memphis Ghosts Walking Tour
• Memphis City Tour And Riverboat Cruise
• Self-Guided Memphis Music Tour With Transportation
• Memphis Discovery Tour Including Rock & Soul Museum
• City Of Memphis Tour

There are 7 Live Music Shows in Memphis Today

Live Music In Memphis

Memphis and live music - two things that have been synonymous with modern American music since the city's inception.

If you're a fan of blues, soul, rock n' roll, R&B, hip-hop, rap, gospel, or any other number of music genres, Memphis music has undoubtedly made an impact on the tunes you listen to. A globally celebrated music mecca, the City of Soul has brought the world countless musical icons that built their fame on playing live music in Memphis, from legends like B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and Johnny Cash, to more contemporary artists like Justin Timberlake and Three 6 Mafia.

From downtown Memphis music scenes like the iconic Beale Street to the variety of outdoor music festivals in beautiful Overton Park, the Memphis music scene truly has something for everyone.

If you're searching for live music in Memphis tonight or a Memphis live music calendar to plan your next outing, the We Are Memphis Music page has what you need.

Read on and rock on!

GET PLUGGED INTO THE MEMPHIS MUSIC SCENE

Sign up and stay in the loop for all the latest on everything Music in Memphis.

Upcoming Shows

These are all the live music shows we have in our calendar for the next week. You can search for shows farther in the future, or for shows in specific parts of Memphis, by genre, or even by cover charge by using our Live Music Search . Do you know of an event that's not on our live events calendar? Have an event you want to promote? Tell us about your event and we'll add it to our calendar!

Tuesday, May 28th View All Events

May. 28 th @ 6:00 pm

Neil's Music Room

Lafayette's Music Room

May. 28 th @ 7:00 pm

Carolina Watershed

Blues City Cafe

May. 28 th @ 10:00 pm

Wednesday, May 29th View All Events

May. 29 th @ 6:00 pm

May. 29 th @ 7:00 pm

Memphis Music Room

May. 29 th @ 7:30 pm

FedEx Forum

May. 29 th @ 8:00 pm

May. 29 th @ 9:00 pm

Thursday, May 30th View All Events

May. 30 th @ 6:00 pm

Crosstown Concourse

Rum Boogie Cafe

May. 30 th @ 6:30 pm

The Grove at GPAC

May. 30 th @ 7:00 pm

Slider Inn Downtown

The Peabody Rooftop

May. 30 th @ 7:30 pm

Overton Park Shell

May. 30 th @ 8:00 pm

Wild Bill's Juke Joint

Hernando's Hideaway

May. 30 th @ 9:00 pm

May. 30 th @ 9:30 pm

May. 30 th @ 10:00 pm

Friday, May 31st View All Events

May. 31 st @ 3:00 pm

Memphis Listening Lab

May. 31 st @ 5:00 pm

May. 31 st @ 7:00 pm

Theater South

May. 31 st @ 7:30 pm

May. 31 st @ 8:00 pm

Lamplighter Lounge

Earnestine & Hazel's

May. 31 st @ 9:30 pm

May. 31 st @ 10:00 pm

Saturday, June 1st View All Events

Jun. 1 st @ 11:00 am

Jun. 1 st @ 12:00 pm

Jun. 1 st @ 1:00 pm

Jun. 1 st @ 5:00 pm

Jun. 1 st @ 7:00 pm

Jun. 1 st @ 7:30 pm

The Green Room at Crosstown Arts

Jun. 1 st @ 8:00 pm

Minglewood Hall

Sunday, June 2nd View All Events

Jun. 2 nd @ 3:00 pm

Jun. 2 nd @ 6:00 pm

Crosstown Theater

Jun. 2 nd @ 7:00 pm

Tin Roof Memphis

Jun. 2 nd @ 8:00 pm

Jun. 2 nd @ 9:00 pm

Black Lodge

Monday, June 3rd View All Events

Jun. 3 rd @ 6:00 pm

Jun. 3 rd @ 7:00 pm

Jun. 3 rd @ 10:00 pm

Tuesday, June 4th View All Events

Jun. 4 th @ 6:00 pm

See All Upcoming Shows

Ready to Experience Live Music in Memphis?

We don’t blame you! Memphis is a music city through and through. One of the best ways to discover what we’re all about is through live music in Memphis – and lucky for you, there’s tons to choose from.

Whether you’re looking for live music in Memphis this weekend or live music tonight, We Are Memphis Music Live is your go-to resource. You can narrow the dates you’d like to view in our search bar so that you only see shows that work for you. Then you can narrow it even further: search by cover charge, area of town, genre and more to find the concert you’re looking for or discover something new.

Find Concerts in Memphis That Fit Your Budget

We love the features that allow you to search by cover charge and area of town, because they serve the true Memphis music lovers!

If you know you want to see live music near you tonight, and you know you’d like to discover something new for around $10, you can easily narrow the offerings to see just shows happening in your neighborhood at $10 or less. It’s the perfect way to discover something totally new, and on We Are Memphis Music Live you’ll be able to check out live performance videos of the artists before you head to the show!

Get A Bird’s-Eye View of Live Music in Memphis

Maybe you’re a live music pro and you want to see it all! If that’s you, and you’d rather browse everything that’s out there, you can do that, too.

Next to the page numbers as you click through the listings, you’ll see a button that says ‘See All.’ Click it to view every single show happening in the city, in chronological order, for your perusing pleasure.

Each show can be clicked to open up a listing page where you can get even more info about the event – see what part of town the venue is in if you’re not familiar, view the cover charge and ticket link where applicable, and in many cases you can even check out a live performance video of the artist performing. It’s a great way to get a preview of an artist you might not have seen live before but are curious about checking out!

Discover Our Curated Memphis Live Music Picks

Last but not least, you can also view picks curated by We Are Memphis Music Live partners, like Memphis’ own community freeform radio station WYXR.

Each month, the team at WYXR selects shows that they think you just can’t afford to miss. You can easily view just the events they recommend by selecting WYXR Picks under Partner Picks in the search bar! We know it’s always helpful to have a trusted source recommend a show – especially when you are looking to discover something new! Keep reading to learn more about how we build in recommended picks for live music throughout the site.

We’re constantly thinking of more ways to make it even easier to discover live music in Memphis, whether you’re a lifelong Memphian and music lover or you’re just visiting the city and looking to get a taste of what we have to offer. We want you to get out and see live music in our city!

With options to narrow your search to laser focus on shows happening near you, happening tonight or this weekend, and even those that’ll cost you less than $5 or $10, we promise you’ll find what you’re looking for!

Explore the Memphis Music Scene

The Memphis music scene isn’t confined to a single neighborhood or just a few genres – you can find live music happening near you any night of the week in just about any genre.

Looking for live music tonight? We’ve got you covered. Looking to plan ahead and save the date for bigger shows you might spend a little bit more on? We can help with that, too! We Are Memphis Music Live is your one-stop source, and we’ve made it easy for you to find exactly what you’re looking for.

One of the ways we do this is through our curated picks and recommendations. If you’re a pro in the Memphis music scene, you can use our search tools to narrow and find the shows you’re looking for. If you’re just getting started exploring, though, you might be interested to check out some of our weekly and monthly features.

Weekly Live Music Recommendations

Each week, you can read about our team’s curated recommendations for live music in Memphis in a piece we call WAMM Recommends.

This will include all the info you need: links to purchase tickets, show dates and start times, background on why we think you shouldn’t miss this show, and we’ll always include a live performance video for the band or bands who are on the bill. We want you to discover something new, and we know having a preview of what’s in store is a huge help in making the decision to go to the gig.

Monthly Live Music Recommendations

Each month, you’ll be able to do some planning ahead – so get out your calendar! We want to make you aware of shows in advance so that you can save the date, get tickets before they sell out if needed, and be sure you don’t miss a show that you’d really love to see.

Sometimes you’ll be on the hunt for live music tonight or live music this weekend, but we know it’s nice to plan ahead – especially for those shows you’re going to shell out a little bit more to attend. Look for this story around the last week of each month. It’ll detail up to 10 shows we think are essential in the coming month, plus give you all the usual info: ticket links, show dates and times, and links to preview the artists on the bill with live performance videos.

Listen to Memphis Artists on Spotify

If you're looking for Memphis musicians to jam out to when you aren't at a live concert, check out our Memphis Artists playlists on Spotify.

While you can find any live music happening in Memphis on We Are Memphis Live, including local artists and national touring artists, this feature particularly emphasizes the Memphis-based artists we think you should know. Our monthly Spotify playlists feature between 12-18 artists who are performing live somewhere in the city in the month ahead.

Don’t have time to read a story about our recommendations? No problem. Just press play on this Spotify mix each month and you’ll be able to listen through to what’s coming up. Press pause when you hear something you love, and we promise you’ll be able to find the information on when and where you can see that artist live at We Are Memphis Music Live.

See Live Music on Beale Street

It’s impossible to understand and feel the history of music in Memphis without taking a trip to Beale Street. This iconic heartbeat of downtown Memphis is the home of the blues and features live music every single night of the week in multiple venues, as it has for decades.

In addition to blues and rock’n’roll, you can also find genres from hip-hop to soul to EDM, and even a chance to make some Beale Street music magic yourself with karaoke.

Walk Your Way Through Beale Street

Beale Street might not just be on your radar for this trip – it might be your entire itinerary! Thousands of visitors each year come to Memphis solely to experience the history of Beale Street music.

While you’re on Beale Street, don’t forget to explore the brass music notes that you’ll see in the sidewalks all around you – they represent the names of Memphis music legends and people who have made a huge mark on the Memphis music scene throughout history. You just might learn something or discover a Memphis music figure you didn’t know about!

If you’re looking to learn about Beale Street live music offerings – before you just set out and wander the street, discovering with your ears! – we’ve got you covered on We Are Memphis Live. You can easily search for events downtown by using the downtown tag in the search bar to expand your reach just a bit – you’ll discover music happening on world-famous Beale Street, but you’ll also find hidden gem venues throughout Memphis’ downtown, including live music events happening in buzzy downtown neighborhoods like South Main Historic Arts District, the Pinch District and more.

Beale Street Music is Just the Beginning

Use your Beale Street music experience as a jumping off point to discover more live music in Memphis and get to know the Memphis music scene.

Whether you’re hitting up a venue in the South Main district or elsewhere downtown, or even hopping a little bit further east to Crosstown or Midtown, you might find that you see some of the same faces – and hear some of the same voices! – as you explore the live music offering in our city.

While Beale Street tends to focus on blues and rock’n’roll, many of the artists and musicians who perform there are also part of bands performing myriad other genres, from pop to soul to indie rock to folk, throughout the city. Starting on Beale Street and building outward, you can truly experience the full Memphis music story, from past to present to future.

Billy Strings is coming to Memphis with shows on back-to-back nights at FedExForum

Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and bluegrass musician Billy Strings will headline two shows at FedExForum in Memphis.

The shows are set for Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 at the Downtown Memphis venue.

Strings, a guitar phenomenon who was raised in Michigan and now based in Nashville, is hitting the road this fall in support of the release of his first concert album, "Live Vol. 1," which is due July 12.

Since Strings' 2017 debut, he has been awarded Best Bluegrass Album at the 63rd Grammy Awards, Artist of the Year at the 2023 and 2022 Americana Music Awards, and Entertainer of the Year at the 2023, 2022 and 2021 International Bluegrass Music Awards, among several other honors.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, June 14, although different presale options are available. To sign up for presale access, visit  billystrings.com .

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

For more information about the show, visit fedexforum.com . For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com .

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'Hot Girl Summer' in Memphis: Megan Thee Stallion & GloRilla tour on its way to FedExForum

Hip-hop stars megan thee stallion and glorilla are bringing the hot girl summer tour to memphis' fedexforum on may 30.

Get ready, "Hotties." Hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion is about to play Memphis, and Bluff City rap queen GloRilla will be there with her.

Megan, the three-time Grammy Award-winning Texas rapper, will headline Downtown’s FedExForum as part of a stop on her Hot Girl Summer Tour on Thursday, May 30, along with hometown hero Big Glo.

Here’s what to know before the highly anticipated show comes to Memphis.

Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla hit the road

In mid-March, Megan Thee Stallion teased the tour on her social media with a swimsuit photo, accompanied by the caption: “HOTTIESSS GET READY TO COME HAVE SOME FUN WITH ME AT THEE HOT GIRL SUMMER TOUR. Get your outfits ready nowww! We getting started this MAY. im so exciteddddd.”

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

A week later she confirmed the dates , including a Memphis stop. It was also announced that Memphis breakout star GloRilla would be part of the package.

The tour kicked off May 14 in Minneapolis and continues through the Midwest and East Coast before heading to the South. The full Hot Girl Summer run will take in 30 cities across the U.S. and Europe. Memphis is among several Southern cities — including Atlanta, Raleigh, North Carolina, and a couple Florida stops — included on the tour.

Megan Thee Stallion in Memphis

Megan Thee Stallion has made some memorable appearances in Memphis, going back to a 2019 performance at FedExForum as part of the Yo Gotti birthday bash .

Following the pandemic, Megan Thee Stallion returned to the city in 2022, when she headlined the Beale Street Music Festival at Liberty Park . Her Saturday night concert at the fest was delayed by several hours due to thunderstorms, and looked like it might not happen at all.

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But once she took the stage, well after midnight, her performance proved definitive, and its impact immediate, as the crowd erupted and remained in a heightened state as she served up a succession of sharp, highly provocative hits — from "Freak Nasty" to "Sex Talk," "Eat It" to "WAP.”

Her assured and energetic set made clever use of a dazzling production aesthetic — lots of glittering lights, fog machine blasts and choreography. Fans can expect more of the same, and on an even bigger level, at the upcoming FedExForum show.  

GloRilla comes home to Memphis

As an added attraction, the Hot Girl Tour will include GloRilla — the 24-year-old Memphis rapper born Gloria Woods — who’s become the female leader of the Bluff City’s current hip-hop renaissance .

In early 2022, GloRilla’s viral hits “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” and “Blessed” launched her into national consciousness. Since then, she’s scored a Top 10 Billboard record with “Tomorrow 2,” a remix collaboration with hip-hop queen Cardi B.

In late ’22, GloRilla earned a surprise  win at the BET Hip Hop Awards , taking home the Best Breakthrough Artist award and released her debut major label EP, “Anyways, Life Is Great,” via  Yo Gotti’s CMG label .

GloRilla signed with CMG during a ceremony that summer at which time Gotti noted that the rapper was “a natural born star — she has a different sound and approach that’s needed in hip-hop right now.”

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The prediction seemed to come true quickly when, in late 2022, GloRilla was honored with a Grammy nomination for “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)." Though she didn’t take home the award at the ceremony, Glo has continued her run on the charts with the 2024 singles “Yeah, Glo!” and her collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, “Wanna Be,” as well as a new EP she released in April, “Ehhthang Ehhthang.”   

She also made news in March after palling around with President Joe Biden at the White House . GloRilla garnered less desirable headlines a month later with a DUI arrest in Georgia .

Hot Girl Summer Tour tickets

The Hot Girl Summer tour has proved to be one of the hottest, hardest and most expensive concert tickets to get this year.

The show sold big numbers early, and the most recent check-in on Ticketmaster reveals only a small number of seats remain.

A relative handful of good floor seats are available for $438. A few seats in the sections to the side of the stage can be had for between $311 and $403 — and that’s about it, at least if you don’t want to go the reseller route.

For those desperate to see the concert, verified resale tickets are available through Ticketmaster, starting at $85 for nosebleed seats in the upper sections. Resale options and prices go all the way up to $947 for tickets that give you access to the “Hottie Club” standing room only section right in front of the stage.

Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla in Memphis: Hot Girl Summer Tour

Thursday, May 30, at FedExForum, 191 Beale St.

Tickets start at $311; go to Ticketmaster.com

Asking Alexandria announce fall 2024 U.S. tour with Memphis May Fire and The Word Alive

Asking Alexandria have announced the second leg of their All My Friends tour today .

The second leg will start on September 24 at The District in Sioux Falls, and it’ll conclude on November 2 at Senator Theater in Chico. Memphis May Fire will rejoin the band for this second leg with Archers as the opening act.

Tour dates can be seen below. Tickets will go on sale to the general public this Friday (May 31) at 10:00 a.m. local time here . Pre-sale tickets will go live today (May 28) at noon EST/9 a.m. PST with the code Friends2024.

Asking Alexandria will be supporting their latest studio album Where Do We Go from Here? Memphis May Fire will be plugging their latest release Remade in Misery . The Word Alive will promote their latest album Hard Reset . Archers will be supporting their new album All That I Have Left , which was released earlier this month.

Asking Alexandria tour dates

9/24 Sioux Falls, SD @ The District

9/25 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave / Eagles Club - The Rave Hall #

9/27 Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue

9/28 Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre #

9/29 Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe *

10/1 Chicago, IL @ House of Blues - Chicago

10/2 Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom

10/4 Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's

10/5 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues - Cleveland

10/6 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza

10/8 Boston, MA @ Big Night Live

10/9 Portland, ME @ Aura

10/11 New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place

10/12 Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony

10/13 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts

10/15 Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum Complex - Piedmont Hall

10/16 Birmingham, AL @ Iron City

10/18 Chattanooga, TN @ The Signal

10/19 Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works ^

10/20 Saint Louis, MO @ The Pageant ^

10/22 Kansas City, MO @ The Truman #

10/23 Tulsa, OK @ Cains Ballroom #

10/25 Albuquerque, NM @ Revel

10/26 Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre - Tucson

10/27 Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues

10/29 Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco

10/30 Ventura, CA @ Majestic Ventura Theatre

11/1 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore

11/2 Chico, CA @ Senator Theater #

^ no Memphis May Fire

* no Archers

# non Live Nation date

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Billy Strings Announces 2024 Fall Tour & First-Ever Live Album

Billy Strings delivered a double-whammy of an announcement on Tuesday when he revealed dates for a 2024 fall tour and plans to release a long-awaited live album. Titled Billy Strings – Live Vol. 1 , the album is out July 12th via  Reprise Records on a variety of formats.

First, the tour: Billy Strings’ fall tour will kick off with the bluegrass guitarist’s fourth-annual curated  Renewal festival in Buena Vista, CO (9/27–9/28). The 16-date jaunt is made up almost entirely of two-night runs, featuring stops in Clarkston, MI (10/4–10/5), Indianapolis (10/11–10/12), and Huntsville, AL (10/18–10/19) ahead of a two-night Halloween run at the newly-renovated  CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore (10/31–11/1).

Other stops include Memphis (12/6–12/7), Tulsa (12/10), Fort Worth (12/12), and finally Austin (12/13–12/14). The Austin run will begin at the intimate 2,750-capacity Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater before moving to the spacious 15,000-seat  Moody Center to close out the tour. Tickets for the Moody Theater show will be available via a lottery open only to those with tickets to the Moody Center show.

A pre-sale for tickets to Billy Strings’ 2024 fall tour (except Renewal) will begin Wednesday, June 12th at 10 a.m. ET. Fans can sign up for access here . Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 14th at 10 a.m. local time. Past Renewal attendees will have access to a pre-sale beginning Tuesday, June 4th ahead of the general on-sale on Thursday, June 6th. Visit Billy’s website for complete ticketing details.

Related: Here’s What We Learned From Billy Strings’ Interview On ‘WTF With Marc Maron’ [Listen]

As for the live album, Billy is keeping the tracklist close to the vest. Beginning July 1st, fans will have the chance to win free Billy Strings tickets for life by guessing the complete tracklist. More details will be announced soon, and fans can sign up for updates here . What we do know is that  Billy Strings – Live Vol. 1 will come in a variety of formats now available for pre-order. Vinyl variants include Red & Black Splatter, Translucent Red, Translucent Blue, and a double CD wallet version in addition to arriving on all major streaming services. Find complete pre-order information here .

In the meantime, Billy is on a brief break in touring until June 20th when he joins mandolinist  Chris Thile for a special set at  Telluride Bluegrass Festival followed by performances at  Buckeye Country Superfest in Columbus, OH (6/22–6/23). Additionally, Billy recently revealed that his next studio album will be called Highway Prayers , spilling the beans during a lengthy interview on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast .

Billy Strings 2024 Fall Tour Dates

SEP 27, 2024 – SEP 28, 2024 Renewal 2024 Buena Vista, CO

OCT 4, 2024 Pine Knob Music Theatre Clarkston, MI

OCT 5, 2024 Pine Knob Music Theatre Clarkston, MI

OCT 11, 2024 Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN

OCT 12, 2024 Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN

OCT 18, 2024 The Orion Amphitheater Huntsville, AL

OCT 19, 2024 The Orion Amphitheater Huntsville, AL

OCT 31, 2024 CFG Bank Arena Baltimore, MD

NOV 1, 2024 CFG Bank Arena Baltimore, MD

DEC 6, 2024 FedExForum Memphis, TN

DEC 7, 2024 FedExForum Memphis, TN

DEC 10, 2024 BOK Center Tulsa, OK

DEC 12, 2024 Dickies Arena Fort Worth, TX

DEC 13, 2024 ACL Live at The Moody Theater Austin, TX

DEC 14, 2024 Moody Center Austin, TX

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Billy Strings (@billystrings)

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Take a look inside Graceland, the Memphis mansion that Elvis Presley called home. His granddaughter is fighting a forced sale.

• Graceland is the 13.8-acre estate in Memphis, Tennessee, that Elvis Presley once called home.
• The King of Rock 'n' Roll lived in the house from 1957 until his death in 1977.
• Now, Presley's granddaughter is fighting to stop an auction of the estate.

It's been 47 years since Elvis Presley died, but legions of fans still flock to Memphis, Tennessee, to see the sprawling Graceland estate the star once called home.

Per the official Graceland website , Presley lived in the mansion from 1957 until his death in 1977. Located off a highway that was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard in 1971, the two-story residence sits on 13.8 acres of land.

Since 1982, Graceland has operated as a museum dedicated to the star. Ticket packages offer access to the mansion, with prices for adults starting at $82. According to the website , it has hosted over 20 million visitors from across the globe.

On May 19, 2024, a public notice announced the foreclosure sale of the property, claiming that Promenade Trust — which operates Graceland — owes Naussany Investments and Private Lending $3.8 million to repay a loan that Presley's late daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, took out in May 2018.

However, Lisa Marie's daughter, the actor Riley Keough, filed a lawsuit to prevent the auction of the estate, alleging that the signatures on the loan documents were forged.

A temporary restraining order was granted, delaying the auction. An injunction hearing is scheduled for May 22, per USA Today .

Also known as the "King of Rock 'n' Roll," Presley was a cultural icon of the 20th century.

Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Mississippi. Heavily influenced by the country, gospel, and blues music that he listened to as a child, Presley started his singing career in 1954.

With hits such as "Hound Dog" and "Can't Help Falling in Love with You," he would go on to become one of the most successful performers of all time, with 14 Grammy nominations and millions of records sold, per the Recording Academy .

On August 16, 1977, Presley collapsed in his Graceland home and was found unconscious by his girlfriend, Ginger Alden. She documented the moment she found him on the master bathroom floor in her 2014 memoir, The Mirror reported.

According to The New York Times , coroners pronounced him dead on the same day, with the official cause of death attributed to heart failure. He was 42 years old.

Presley purchased the Graceland estate in 1957 for $102,500.

The Colonial Revival-style mansion, which was built in 1939, has eight bedrooms and four bathrooms, The Guardian reported after a tour of the house. About half of the 23 rooms in the house are off-limits to visitors, including the entire second floor — where the star's master suite is located.

According to the Graceland website , visitors are only allowed access to common spaces, including the living room, the kitchen, and the TV room. Spanning 17,552 square feet, the sprawling residence has five sets of staircases, three fireplaces, and a kidney-shaped swimming pool.

Presley frequently had friends and family over at the mansion, including an entourage of confidants and associates the media dubbed the " Memphis Mafia ." Some members of the group were childhood friends of Presley's, including his bodyguards Red and Sonny West.

In 2006, Graceland was designated a National Historic Landmark, per the National Park Service .

One of the most iconic features of Graceland is the entrance gate. Designed to resemble a musical score, there are figures on the gate depicting the star with his guitar.

According to the museum's website , Presley had the gate — which cost $1,339 — installed shortly after he purchased the residence. Throngs of fans would wait by the gate in hopes of catching a glimpse of their idol. Occasionally, he would also sign autographs for them through the gate.

"Back in the day, if you were ever at the gates of Graceland and you saw the cars around the front of the mansion, that meant Elvis was home," Angie Marchese — the Graceland archivist — told The Daily Express .

The brick wall that surrounds the estate is also popular with fans, the website states. Over the years, it has been covered in personal messages that fans have left in memory of their idol.

The interiors of Graceland are lavishly decorated. The living area has a custom-built 15-foot sofa and a 10-foot coffee table.

The sofa was originally a metallic blue, but Presley later had it reupholstered in white — which is what it still looks like today, per the Graceland website . He added the stained-glass windows in 1974 and chose to use a peacock design, which symbolizes eternal life and resurrection in ancient Christianity.

The dining room, which has black marble flooring in the center, was a place for Presley and his friends to gather.

"Elvis sat at the head of the table because it did give him one of the best views of the TV that's over to the corner on the right," Marchese said during a 2020 Instagram Live on the estate's official account .

She added that there was also a button under the table where they could call the kitchen for more food.

One of the most famous rooms in Graceland is the Jungle Room.

The room's name only came about after the mansion opened to the public.

Presley personally picked out the Polynesian-inspired furniture because it reminded him of Hawaii, which was his favorite holiday spot, per the museum's website . He installed a waterfall and covered the room with plants to complete the look.

A shag carpet covers both the floor and the ceiling, per the website. This soundproofed the room and allowed Presley to turn the space into a makeshift recording studio. Presley recorded some of the songs on his album "From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee," here.

The pool room features fabric-lined walls and ceiling, which took 10 days to install.

The Graceland website states that Presley worked with a designer, Bill Eubanks, to develop the room's concept.

A crew of three was needed to cut and attach 350 to 400 yards of cotton fabric strips to the walls and ceiling.

Presley died upstairs in his master suite, and it has been preserved exactly as he left it.

"It looks as if he just got up and left," Marchese said during the 2020 Instagram Live. "The record on the record player is the last record he listened to. There's a styrofoam cup that sits on a bookshelf."

Towards the end of his life, Presley spent much of his time holed up in his bedroom upstairs, especially if he was "in pyjamas or unshaven," Alden told The Daily Express .

The TV room, which is designed in a navy, white, and yellow color scheme, has three television sets.

Inspired by US President Lyndon Johnson, who liked to watch three news broadcasts simultaneously, Presley also wanted three television sets in his TV room, per the official Graceland website .

Although the upper floor remains off-limits, Presley's office desk has been brought down and turned into an exhibit for fans to see.

Presley's record label, RCA, gave him the desk as a gift for selling one million copies of the "Blue Hawaii" soundtrack, Marchese told The Daily Express .

Presley's gold records are on display in the Hall of Gold in the Trophy Building.

Presley constructed a new wing in the mansion in the mid-1960s to store a slot car track, as stated in Graceland's National Historic Landmark Nomination application .

Connected to the main house via a sheltered walkway, the estate renamed the new wing the "Trophy Building" and remodeled it to house his awards.

The estate updated the building in 2017 to feature an exhibit that focuses on Presley's personal life and his family, per the Graceland website . Some items on display include his wedding outfit, family photos, and his daughter's childhood toys.

Presley enjoyed playing racquetball. After he died, the racquetball building was transformed into an additional trophy hall for a few years.

The entire room was filled with posthumous awards and included a display of his famous jumpsuits, per the museum's website . In 2017, the racquetball court was restored to its original condition and all the trophies were moved into a new exhibit.

Presley has been laid to rest alongside his parents on the grounds of the Graceland estate, in the Meditation Garden.

Elvis Week, which commemorates the anniversary of Presley's death, takes place between August 9 and August 17, per the museum's website .

Every year, fans from around the world flock to Graceland to leave flowers at his grave. The estate hosts around 500,000 visitors every year.

Presley's only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, is also buried in Graceland, next to her late son Benjamin Keough and close to her father.

Lisa Marie Presley died on January 12, 2023, at 54. The announcement of her death came hours after her mother, Priscilla Presley, confirmed she had been rushed to the hospital.

In an August 2022 essay she wrote for People Magazine , Lisa Marie spoke about grief and how she was "destroyed" by her son Benjamin Keough's death. She also blamed herself "every single day."

Keough died by suicide in July 2020 , at 27, and was buried at Graceland.

In January 2023, a representative for Riley Keough, Lisa Marie's eldest daughter, confirmed in a statement to BI that her mother would be buried next to her son.

Elvis Presley saw a resurgence in popularity in 2022 when the Baz Luhrmann movie, "Elvis," starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, came out in theaters.

Members of the cast showed up at Graceland for the Memphis premiere of the film on June 12, 2022, per the daily Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal .

A press junket to promote the film was also in the screening, including a GMA interview with Tom Hanks and Austin Butler recorded in the Jungle room.

May 22, 2024: This story has been updated to reflect details of the ongoing lawsuit regarding the property's foreclosure.

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Drummer Shamakah Ali brought Memphis rhythms to Toronto’s music scene

Shamakah Ali regularly drew on the deep soul and funk of his Memphis roots to create a signature groove that made even the creakiest of legs want to dance. Glenn Rodger/Supplied

During the 25 years he lived in Canada, while still touring internationally, drummer Shamakah Ali regularly drew on the deep soul and funk of his Memphis roots to create a signature groove that made even the creakiest of legs want to dance. Famous artists such as Al Green, Lionel Richie and Isaac Hayes all called upon him because his laid-back, feel-good groove made them sound better. He was much in demand as a session player, whether for live concerts or recording sessions, where his solid backbeat sweetened the sound and inspired the musicians around him.

When Mr. Ali wasn’t playing big stages on the road, he drummed at smaller venues in his adoptive city of Toronto, where love enticed him to move in 1997. Mr. Ali and his family eventually returned to the U.S. in 2022 to look after remaining family. His own death from cancer took place on May 1 in a Houston hospital. He was 61.

Growing up in the music mecca of Memphis, Tenn., the boy inhaled the rhythm of the city’s iconic Beale Street, said to be birthplace of the blues and where the civil-rights movement took shape. An early memory was accompanying his mother on a march with Martin Luther King Jr. down Beale Street to city hall in support of striking garbage workers.

Life in the sweltering city, steeped in economic struggle, segregation and music, awoke in him dreams of escape. With his innate sense of rhythm, he saw drumming as a way out. Never having taken a lesson, the preteen would listen to songs until he knew them by heart. The first time he played publicly was as a volunteer outside W.C. Handy Park collecting money to help support the formation of the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, supporting and celebrating the blues. The organization now has its own music awards that are the blues equivalent of the Grammies.

By age 15 he ventured into Beale Street clubs, where he gained invaluable experience by sitting in with Albert King and Rufus Thomas, two great musical entertainers of the era. At that time, he had not yet taken the name Shamakah.

Born on Sept. 2, 1962 in Memphis, he was the youngest and only biological addition to six children adopted by Mattie Mae (née Murphy) Polk, a school pastry chef, and William Edward Polk Sr., a construction worker. He was named after his father. However, when he learned that two generations earlier, freed slaves often took the name of their owner, and that William Edward Polk had been a white politician and slave owner, he would have no further part of it. In his mid-20s he chose the name Shamakah Khalid Ali after consulting with a friend, Rochelle Danquah, professor of American History at Michigan’s Oakland University.

“He told me he wanted to adopt an African-American name that had a special meaning to it. We settled on Shamakah because it means a person of determination who spreads goodness, and he always brought goodness to all the spaces he occupied,” Ms. Danquah said.

After his name change, Mr. Ali intended to convert to Islam but he decided against it for fear of upsetting his strict Baptist mother.

Mr. Ali’s first big musical break came in the form of an actual break in the arm of a friend who happened to be the drummer for Al Green. Mr. Ali stepped in as a replacement and shortly afterward found himself accompanying the artist on Oprah Winfrey’s television show, the beginning of many gigs with the soul legend. Another well-known group he joined was the Barkays, backup band for the late singer Otis Redding. The success of the Barkays’ two albums resulted in a major tour across the U.S. and Japan, a country that reveres American jazz and blues. In a long and storied career, one highlight Mr. Ali cherished was his invitation to perform at singer/songwriter Isaac Hayes’s birthday bash at the Copacabana in New York in 2000. His driving beats propelled the band to new heights for songstress Chaka Khan, the Queen of Funk.

Owing to his versatility and prowess in a range of genres – including funk, country, gospel, disco, soul, hip-hop, house and rock – he was in demand to work with a variety of artists. “The list of headliners that he played and toured with is impressive,” said esteemed Toronto composer and producer Lance Anderson, who hired Mr. Ali for several musical productions and festivals across Canada.

“He also had a drumming credit on the soundtrack of Ruby’s Bucket of Blood, starring Angela Bassett. He was much more than a regular ‘gigging’ or jobbing’ musician,” Mr. Anderson said.

Not only did Mr. Ali memorize his own parts, he memorized those of fellow musicians. No slip, or error escaped unnoticed. It might be remarked upon afterward with a gentle dig softened by a megawatt marquee smile that could light up a room. At 6 foot 2, he had an unmistakable presence. Quisha Wint, a vocalist and owner of QW Productions, a booking agency in Toronto, referred to her “go-to” drummer as “A great big teddy bear who gave bear hugs. He was a gentle giant.”

With four children from a first marriage, Mr. Ali found love for the second time with Cindy Wilson, a seventh-generation African-Canadian, with whom he had a son. When they met, Ms. Wilson was an entrepreneur and divorcee with two children of her own. Their large blended family made for hectic times. “One time we decided to take three of his kids and two of mine on the road with us. I just remember the kids fighting and tussling. Shamakah and I locked ourselves in the hotel bathroom. We looked at each other and said ‘What are we doing?’ That’s all history now as the kids get along great.”

The couple met in 1997 at a concert where she was wandering backstage looking for a bathroom. “I didn’t know who he was,” Ms. Wilson said. “But we ended up talking and my girlfriends and I gave him a ride back to his hotel.” After a whirlwind romance, Ms. Wilson convinced Mr. Ali to settle in Canada. She said one deciding factor was seeing Caribana (now called the Toronto Caribbean Carnival), a colourful celebration of Caribbean culture.

“He loved the freedom of Canada and its multi-ethnicity. He fully intended to take out Canadian citizenship but never got around to it,” Ms. Wilson said. “But in the end that didn’t matter. He loved it here. Canada was his heartbeat.”

Mr. Ali leaves his wife, Ms. Wilson; daughters, Akia and Ebony; sons, Terrell, Davion, Evan and Trimani; and 11 grandchildren.

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‘Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A.’ Review: Looking for a Little Respect

An HBO series tells the triumphant, tragic story of the record label Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes and the Staple Singers called home.

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By Mike Hale

Multipart music documentaries come at us these days with the insistence and abundance of the old K-tel collections , scrambling to satisfy the cravings of every variety of pop nostalgist. Recent months have added “James Brown: Say It Loud” (A&E), “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon” (MGM+), “Kings From Queens: The Run DMC Story” (Peacock) and “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” (Hulu), among others, to the rotation.

That’s four Rock & Roll Hall of Fame acts right there. But if you are looking for something even bigger — the arc of America across the 1960s and ’70s, set to a rough and infectious soundtrack — I know a place: “Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A.,” premiering Monday on HBO.

The stormy, relatively short history of Stax Records (it went from founding to bankruptcy in 18 years) is rich material, shaped by a serendipitous blend of personality, geography and studio acoustics and propelled by the regional dynamics of race, class and music in Memphis, away from the record-industry centers of New York and Los Angeles.

The director Jamila Wignot, who has profiled Alvin Ailey for “American Masters” and directed episodes of Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s “Finding Your Roots,” brings more organizational sense than imaginative flair to the four-episode series. “Soulsville, U.S.A.” gives a conventional talking-heads treatment to a story that calls out for more. But that story, tracking from innocence to cynicism and triumph to calamity, is so involving that Wignot’s straightforward approach isn’t fatal.

And the interviewees doing the talking are a notably varied and engaging group. They include the white farm boy Jim Stewart, earnest, folksy and disastrously naïve, who founded the label with his sister Estelle Axton; the charismatic Black businessman Al Bell, who came on as promotions director and saved the company when it seemed doomed, only to preside over its eventual demise; and Booker T. Jones, leader of the house band Booker T. and the M.G.’s, who looms over the early episodes like a cool, cryptic, scholarly guru of soul.

The story of Stax begins with Stewart and Axton’s willingness, born of both openness and necessity, to work with the musicians who happened to be around, many of whom were Black and untested. (Jones relates the well-known anecdote of how he was pulled out of his high school algebra class for his first Stax session.) Stewart quickly abandoned country music and embraced the urgent, deeply felt rhythm and blues and Southern soul that performers like Carla and Rufus Thomas, Sam & Dave, and Otis Redding provided, backed by Booker T. and the M.G.’s and shepherded by songwriter-producers like Isaac Hayes and David Porter.

The early Stax hits, as the company’s fortunes steadily rose through the mid-60s, flow through the first two hours of “Soulsville U.S.A.,” and they carry you along on a continual, grinning high. The electrifying live performances include Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin’” during the European tour that certified the label’s ascendance and Redding’s epochal “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” at the Monterey Pop festival. (The series uses a fair bit of footage from D.A. Pennebaker’s “Monterey Pop” documentary and the 1973 concert film “Wattstax,” but the performances are riveting no matter how many times you’ve seen them.)

“Soulsville, U.S.A.” divides neatly into two halves, the first culminating in the catastrophes that almost took Stax down the first time around: Redding’s death in a plane crash in 1967 followed by Atlantic Records’ appropriation of nearly the entire Stax catalog in 1968, the result of a contract Stewart had signed but not read. The second half becomes more about business and culture and less about music, as Bell revives the company and rides the Black power movement to a new level of national prominence (with Hayes’s Oscar-winning “Theme From ‘Shaft’” and the Wattstax concert) but runs afoul of another major-label partner, CBS Records, and can’t stop a quick slide into bankruptcy.

In the last two installments Jones, who left the label in 1970, fades out and the primary voices are those of Bell and the former Stax publicity director Deanie Parker. The story they tell is that the upstart company was killed off by a racist record industry and a racist Memphis business establishment specifically because it was Black-led and, eventually, Black-owned. It’s easy enough to believe, but the lack of less partial, more analytical voices is noticeable and unfortunate. (Some context is provided by the music writer Rob Bowman, whose book “Soulsville, U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records” is credited as a primary source for the documentary.)

It has been nearly half a century since Stax existed as anything more than a name on a reissue label, a fate poignantly conveyed by the onscreen message, following the HBO logo, “In association with Polygram Entertainment, Concord Originals, Warner Music Entertainment” — the companies that own the Stax songs on the soundtrack. As Al Bell says, “The big fish eat the little fish.” But the songs can still take you there.

Mike Hale is a television critic for The Times. He also writes about online video, film and media. More about Mike Hale

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