Frommers memphis tn

Many fans of American music and they come from all over the world know Memphis. Walking down Beale Street today, sitting in the Sun Studio Cafe, or waiting to pass through the wrought-iron gates of Graceland, you're almost as likely to hear French, German, and Japanese as you are to hear English.

British, Irish, and Scottish accents are all common in a city known throughout the world as the birthplace of the most important musical styles of the 20th century.

For these people, a trip to Memphis is a pilgrimage. The Irish rock band U2 came here to pay homage and wound up infusing their music with Americana on the record and movie U2: Rattle and Hum. Lead singer Bono, when interviewed for the city's new Soulsville museum, called the city's musical heritage "extraordinary. Pilgrims come to Memphis not only because Graceland, the second most-visited home in America after the White House , is here, but they also come because Beale Street was once home to Handy -- and later, B.

King, Muddy Waters, and others -- who merged the gospel singing and cotton-field work songs of the Mississippi Delta into a music called the blues. They come because Sun Studio's owner, Sam Phillips, in the early s began recording several young musicians who experimented with fusing the sounds of "hillbilly" country music and the blues into an entirely new sound.

This uniquely American sound, first known as rockabilly, would quickly become known as rock 'n' roll, the music that has written the soundtrack for the baby-boom generation. You can also get information online at www.

You'll find paintings and photography by artists from the Mississippi Delta, plus baby gifts and home decor, in South Main Historic District. Smoky jazz, blues and country bars line famous Beale Street , the home of the blues, especially at B. King's , where the legendary guitarist plays several times each year. Away from Beale Street, sip a cocktail and watch the sunset over the Mississippi from the rooftop garden of the Madison Hotel , or take in an opera or Broadway musical at the Orpheum Theatre.

Don't overlook the surprisingly lively bar scene in East Memphis steakhouses. Eating in Memphis is to experience some serious Southern comfort, and the slow-cooked, pulled-pork sandwiches served at the landmark Corky's Bar-B-Q are a favorite. Try traditional fried chicken, catfish and grits. Downtown , dine al fresco on anything from sushi to tapas in Cooper-Young , or seek out tacos along Summer Avenue. White tablecloth dining -- think steak -- is best in East Memphis , and for something more casual, choose among a cluster of welcoming little eateries around the square in Collierville.

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