Memphis plans to be king of rock parties
New Year's Eve will launch yearlong celebration
On New Year's Eve, a Countdown on Beale event will launch the yearlong celebration that will be tied to three anniversaries associated with Elvis Presley.
The first of these appointments is the singer's birthdate, Jan. 8. Elvis Week, Aug. 7-16, will also include 50th anni festivities, and July 5, the day Presley recorded "That's All Right," will be marked by an attempt to get radio stations around the world to play the song simultaneously on the air.
Although Cleveland has the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as disc jockey Alan Freed coined the term while there, Memphis has laid claim to title as the birthplace of rock 'n' roll thanks to recordings made at Sam Phillips' Sun Studios: Jackie Brentson's "Rocket 88" in 1951 and Presley's early sessions, which produced "That's All Right," "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and "Mystery Train."
Recently, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music was opened in Memphis to celebrate legends such as Rufus Thomas, Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs, the Staple Singers and Isaac Hayes.
Unlike Sun Studio, which remains open, the former movie theater that housed the legendary Stax and Volt labels -- dubbed Soulsville USA -- was razed during a less historically minded era.
Justin Timberlake, B.B. King, Scotty Moore and Hayes have been appointed musical ambassadors by Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton.
