Most frequently when a person hears the words Memphis and music in the same sentence they automatically think of Elvis Presley. And there is nothing wrong with this association, and it exists for a solid reason. However, the city was also the location where other famous artists began their careers and various genres of music are represented by them. Singers and musicians such as Johnny Cash, B.B. King and Issac Hayes all started their careers in Memphis and were part of its early music scene. In addition to country, many genres are celebrated and represented in this strong music oriented city.
Many of the people who visit the city and stay in one of the hoteles Memphis plan on visiting Graceland while they are there and are very familiar with Elvis’ association to the city, though they are pleasantly surprised when they learn of the others and all of the festivals and live music venues that exist in the city. And in addition to the popular forms of music that are represented by these artists, the city is also known for its love and support of opera. In 1906 the Metropolitan Opera visited Memphis on its first road trip, and due to the city’s great appreciation of the art they returned. However, eventually the company reduced their stops to the larger cities and no longer performs in Memphis.
Blues, country, rock and roll are all very popular in Memphis and it should be noted that the type of country that is most prevalent in this city is known as crunk, or share cropper country, which is distinguished from the rhinestone country that is associated with Nashville. The music scene is celebrated in the annual Beale Street Music Festival , which is one of the largest events that takes place in Memphis every year. Some of the biggest legends in the music industry have performed during this festival and it generally includes about sixty different performers. It is frequently considered to be the Mardi Gras of the mid-south and people from all over the country travel to Memphis to be a part of it. Memphis has a strong music scene and while Elvis will most likely remain the most famous association to it, there are many stars who began their career in this city and continually return to perform in it.