Okay, Saturday...waht happened Saturday...
On Saturday, we got off to the usual 11am start that my aunt usually gets off to. We went to Sun Studio first. If you get the chance, you.must.go. The studio part itself is original, intact. Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Studio, installed the tiles amd plumbing in one of the bathrooms. His secretary painted the place and installed the plumbing in the other bathroom. They were the only two emloyees of Sun Studio. Sam Philips only leased the building, when his lease ran out in the 60s he moved to another building. Except for a barbershop and a scuba shop the buildin remained empty until the 80s. The recording equipment was returned and it was reopened as a studio and tourist attraction. Duran Duran will be recording there soon.
When Elvis made his famous recording for his mother, it was the secretary (I should look up her name
) recorded him. He kept returning to talk to her and she kept reminding Sam about him. Sam eventually listened. 
When Johnny Cash came to Memphis, he was an appliance salesman. Supposedly the only thing he sold was a tv to the secretary of Sun Studio.
The piano in the pics has a burned spot on some of the bass keys. Jerry Lee Lewis made his mark with his cigar.
When Roy Orbison was asked to record "Ooby Dooby", he didn't like the song. Sam Phillips forced him to record it. Roy cried.
If I'm not mistaken the guitar in the pics is the one the Edge played on the Sun Studio recording session in "Rattle And Hum". I meant to scan through the movie to check, but I haven't had a chance.
After that, we went to Beale Street. We listened to a band called the Juke Joint All Stars play a song or two in W.C. Handy Park. Then we crossed the street to Dyer's Burgers. Yum! It opened like 90 years ago and they've never changed the grease. Filtered it, but n ver changed it. When the move from to Beale St. from the original location, an armed guard accompanied the grease. After that we went to a record store. An 83 year old blues singer named Clyde Hopkins was signing his cd, which was being played in the store. I liked it and and bought a copy. Then we found our way to the Rock and Soul Museum, which is part of the Smithsonian. Lots of cool stuff there. Al Green's stage clothes, preaching robe, and bible. John Lennon's signed publishing contract for "Rocky Racoon". A keyboard that Billy Joel played on tour in Russia. A Led Zepplin print signed by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. Two of B.B. King's guitars. An Eric Clapton guitar. A dulcimer that June Carter Cash gave to Elvis. Two of Elvis' jumpuits. The original hand written lyrics to "Suspicious Minds", plus the organ and guitar that it was written on. I'll probably think of more later.
Then we met up with my cousin and her son, and had tasteless Italian food at a restaurant they like.
The next day, I headed back, passing through Tupelo Mississippi. The museum and house that Elvis was born in aren't open that early, but I saw the house and toured the grounds.
Appently Alabamians are at leat as butt obsessed as I am. I crossd the Buttahatchie River three times on the way back, and passed Boar's Butt BBQ on the way up and back!
On Saturday, we got off to the usual 11am start that my aunt usually gets off to. We went to Sun Studio first. If you get the chance, you.must.go. The studio part itself is original, intact. Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Studio, installed the tiles amd plumbing in one of the bathrooms. His secretary painted the place and installed the plumbing in the other bathroom. They were the only two emloyees of Sun Studio. Sam Philips only leased the building, when his lease ran out in the 60s he moved to another building. Except for a barbershop and a scuba shop the buildin remained empty until the 80s. The recording equipment was returned and it was reopened as a studio and tourist attraction. Duran Duran will be recording there soon.
When Elvis made his famous recording for his mother, it was the secretary (I should look up her name
) recorded him. He kept returning to talk to her and she kept reminding Sam about him. Sam eventually listened.
When Johnny Cash came to Memphis, he was an appliance salesman. Supposedly the only thing he sold was a tv to the secretary of Sun Studio.
The piano in the pics has a burned spot on some of the bass keys. Jerry Lee Lewis made his mark with his cigar.
When Roy Orbison was asked to record "Ooby Dooby", he didn't like the song. Sam Phillips forced him to record it. Roy cried.
If I'm not mistaken the guitar in the pics is the one the Edge played on the Sun Studio recording session in "Rattle And Hum". I meant to scan through the movie to check, but I haven't had a chance.
After that, we went to Beale Street. We listened to a band called the Juke Joint All Stars play a song or two in W.C. Handy Park. Then we crossed the street to Dyer's Burgers. Yum! It opened like 90 years ago and they've never changed the grease. Filtered it, but n ver changed it. When the move from to Beale St. from the original location, an armed guard accompanied the grease. After that we went to a record store. An 83 year old blues singer named Clyde Hopkins was signing his cd, which was being played in the store. I liked it and and bought a copy. Then we found our way to the Rock and Soul Museum, which is part of the Smithsonian. Lots of cool stuff there. Al Green's stage clothes, preaching robe, and bible. John Lennon's signed publishing contract for "Rocky Racoon". A keyboard that Billy Joel played on tour in Russia. A Led Zepplin print signed by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. Two of B.B. King's guitars. An Eric Clapton guitar. A dulcimer that June Carter Cash gave to Elvis. Two of Elvis' jumpuits. The original hand written lyrics to "Suspicious Minds", plus the organ and guitar that it was written on. I'll probably think of more later.
Then we met up with my cousin and her son, and had tasteless Italian food at a restaurant they like.
The next day, I headed back, passing through Tupelo Mississippi. The museum and house that Elvis was born in aren't open that early, but I saw the house and toured the grounds.
Appently Alabamians are at leat as butt obsessed as I am. I crossd the Buttahatchie River three times on the way back, and passed Boar's Butt BBQ on the way up and back!
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So whenever you get a crush on someone you think of me, or what?