Memphis, Tennessee

== Arts and culture ==
{{Main|Culture of Memphis, Tennessee}}

=== Cultural events ===
One of the largest celebrations of the city is [[Memphis in May]]. The month-long series of events promotes Memphis's heritage and outreach of its people far beyond the city's borders. The four main events are the [[Beale Street Music Festival]], International Week, The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, and the Great River Run. The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is the largest pork [[barbecue]]-cooking contest in the world.

In April, downtown Memphis celebrates "Africa in April Cultural Awareness Festival", or simply Africa in April. The festival was designed to celebrate the arts, history, culture, and diversity of the [[African diaspora]]. Africa in April is a three-day festival with vendors' markets, fashion showcases, blues showcases, and an international diversity parade.<ref name="africainapril">{{cite web |url=http://www.africainapril.org/ |title=Africa In April |publisher=Africa In April Cultural Awareness Festival, Inc. |access-date=September 10, 2012}}</ref>

During late May-early June, Memphis is home to the [[Memphis Italian Festival]] at Marquette Park. The 2019 festival will be its 30th and has hosted musical acts, local artisans, and Italian cooking competitions. It also presents chef demonstrations, the Coors Light Competitive [[Bocce]] Tournament, the Galtelli Cup Recreational Bocce Tournament, a volleyball tournament, and pizza tossing demonstrations. This festival was started by Holy Rosary School and Parish and began inside the School parking lot in 1989. The Memphis Italian Festival is run almost completely by former and current Holy Rosary School and Church members and begins with a 5K run each year.

[[Carnival Memphis]], formerly known as the Memphis Cotton Carnival, is an annual series of parties and festivities in June that salutes various aspects of Memphis and its industries. An annual King and Queen of Carnival are secretly selected to reign over Carnival activities. From 1935 to 1982, the African-American community staged the Cotton Makers Jubilee; it has merged with Carnival Memphis.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.memphismuseums.org/sub_exhibit-1537/ |title=Cotton Carnival |publisher=Memphismuseums.org |access-date=July 2, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

A market and arts festival, the Cooper-Young Festival,<ref>{{cite web|title=Cooper-Young Festival: How it Redefined Community|url=http://cooperyoung.weebly.com/cyfest-then--now.html|publisher=micromemphis.com  |access-date=June 20, 2013}}</ref> is held annually in September in the [[Cooper-Young, Memphis|Cooper-Young]] district of [[Midtown Memphis]]. The event draws artists from all over North America and includes local music, art sales, contests, and displays.

Memphis sponsors several film festivals: the [[Indie Memphis Film Festival]], Outflix, and the Memphis International Film and Music Festival. The Indie Memphis Film Festival is in its 14th year and was held April 27–28, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://onlocationmemphis.org/2013/14th-annual-on-location-memphis-international-film-announces-category-winners|title=14th Annual On Location: MEMPHIS International Film & Music Fest Wraps Up Its Weekend; Announces Category Winners|publisher=Onlocationmemphis.org|access-date=June 13, 2013|archive-date=July 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723090317/http://onlocationmemphis.org/2013/14th-annual-on-location-memphis-international-film-announces-category-winners|url-status=dead}}</ref> Recognized by ''MovieMaker Magazine'' as one of 25 "Coolest Film Festivals" (2009) and one of 25 "Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" (2011), Indie Memphis offers Memphis year-round independent film programming, including the Global Lens international film series, IM Student Shorts student films, and an outdoor concert film series at the historic [[Levitt Shell]]. The Outflix Film Festival, also in its 15th year, was held September 7–13, 2013. Outflix features a full week of [[LGBT]] cinema, including short films, features, and documentaries. The Memphis International Film and Music Festival is held in April; it is in its 11th year and takes place at Malco's Ridgeway Four.

[[Mid-South Pride]] is Tennessee's second-largest [[LGBT pride]] event.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2019/09/28/thousands-attend-mid-south-pride/|title= Thousands attend Mid-South Pride|date=September 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nowplayingnashville.com/event/nashville-pride-festival/|title= Nashville PRIDE Festival|access-date=May 4, 2021}}</ref>

On the weekend before Thanksgiving, the Memphis International Jazz Festival is held in the South Main Historic Arts District in Downtown Memphis. This festival promotes the important role Memphis has played in shaping Jazz nationally and internationally. Acts such as George Coleman, Herman Green, Kirk Whalum and Marvin Stamm all come out of the rich musical heritage in Memphis.

Formerly titled the [[W. C. Handy]] Awards, the International Blues Awards are presented by the [[Blues Foundation]] (headquartered in Memphis) for [[blues]] music achievement. Weeklong playing competitions are held, as well as an awards banquet including a night of performance and celebration.

=== Music ===
Memphis is the home of founders and pioneers of various American music genres, including [[Memphis soul]], [[Memphis blues]], [[gospel music|gospel]], [[rock n' roll]], [[rockabilly]], [[Memphis rap]], [[gangsta walking|Buck]], [[crunk]], and "sharecropper" [[country music]] (in contrast to the "[[rhinestone]]" country sound historically associated with [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]).

Many musicians, including [[Aretha Franklin]], [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], [[Johnny Cash]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[Carl Perkins]], [[Roy Orbison]], [[Booker T. & the M.G.'s]], [[Otis Redding]], [[Isaac Hayes]], [[Shawn Lane]], [[Al Green]], [[Bobby Whitlock]], [[Rance Allen]], [[Percy Sledge]], [[Solomon Burke]], [[William Bell (singer)|William Bell]], [[Sam & Dave]] and [[B.B. King]], got their start in Memphis in the 1950s and 1960s.

[[Beale Street]] is a national historical landmark, and shows the impact Memphis has had on American [[blues]], particularly after World War II as electric guitars took precedence over the original acoustic sound from the [[Mississippi Delta]]. [[Sam Phillips]]'s [[Sun Studio]] still stands, and is open for tours. Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison all made their first recordings there, and were "discovered" by Phillips. Many great blues artists recorded there, such as [[W. C. Handy]], the "Father of the Blues."

[[Stax Records]] created a classic 1960s [[soul music]] sound, much grittier and horn-based than the better-known [[Motown]] from [[Detroit]]. Booker T. and the M.G.s were the label's backing band for most of the classic hits that came from Stax, by Sam & Dave, [[Otis Redding]], [[Wilson Pickett]], and many more. The sound was revisited in the 1980s in the [[The Blues Brothers (film)|''Blues Brothers'' movie]], in which many of the musicians starred as themselves.

Memphis is also noted for its influence on the [[power pop]] musical genre in the 1970s. Notable bands and musicians include [[Big Star]], [[Chris Bell (American musician)|Chris Bell]], [[Alex Chilton]], [[Tommy Hoehn]], [[The Scruffs]], and [[Prix]].<ref name="flyer">{{cite news |first=J.D. |last=Reager |title=''Kill! Kill!'' by The Scruffs |url=https://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/kill-kill-by-the-scruffs/Content?oid=3045389 |work=[[Memphis Flyer]] |date=September 1, 2011 |access-date=December 27, 2017 }}</ref><ref name="reporter">{{cite news |first=Roy |last=Trakin |title=Big Star's '#1 Record' and 'Radio City' to Be Re-Mastered and Reissued by Stax Records |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/big-stars-1-record-radio-722079 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=July 29, 2014 |access-date=December 27, 2017 }}</ref>

[[Memphis rap]] has significantly influenced rap culture worldwide. Memphis rap became more mainstream in the 2000s.  Memphis rappers such as [[Three 6 Mafia]], [[Juicy J]], [[Lil Wyte]], [[8Ball & MJG]], [[Gangsta Boo]], [[Project Pat]], [[La Chat]], [[Young Dolph]], [[Yo Gotti]], [[NLE Choppa]], [[Moneybagg Yo]], [[GloRilla]], and [[Pooh Shiesty]] are among the most popular rappers in the nation.<ref>https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/09/14/memphis-hip-hop-history</ref><ref>https://wearememphis.com/news/as-hip-hop-turns-50-where-does-memphis-fit-into-its-future/</ref>

Several notable singers are from the Memphis area, including [[Justin Timberlake]], [[K. Michelle]], [[Kirk Whalum]], [[Ruth Welting]], [[Kid Memphis]], [[Kallen Esperian]], [[Julien Baker]], and [[Andrew VanWyngarden]]. The [[Metropolitan Opera]] of New York had its first tour in Memphis in 1906; in the 1990s it decided to tour only larger cities. Metropolitan Opera performances are now broadcast in HD at local movie theaters across the country.

=== Cuisine ===
Memphis is home to [[Memphis-style barbecue]], which is one of four predominant regional styles of barbecue in the United States. Memphis-style barbecue has become well known due to the [[Memphis in May#The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest|World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest]] held each May, which has been listed in ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' as the largest pork barbecue contest in the world. Notable Memphis restaurants include:

* Alcenia's, a soul food restaurant that has been featured on Food Network and the Travel Channel<ref>{{Cite web |title=ACCLAIM |url=https://www.alcenias.com/acclaim |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=Alcenia's Restaurant |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous, founded in 1948, this barbecue restaurant located in an alley has been visited by countless celebrities<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our History and Traditions Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous |url=https://hogsfly.com/history-traditions/ |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=The Rendezvous |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Chef Tam's Underground Cafe, operated by Chef Tamra Patterson, winner of [[Guy's Grocery Games]] in 2018 and [[Chopped (TV series)|Chopped]] in 2022<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chef Tam's Story |url=https://www.thecheftam.com/chef |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=TheChefTam |language=en}}</ref>
* Dyer's Burgers, which has used the same grease to deep-fry their burgers for over 100 years<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dyer's Burgers :: World Famous Burgers and Food on World Famous Beale Street in Memphis, TN :: Official Website |url=http://www.dyersonbeale.com/ |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=www.dyersonbeale.com}}</ref>
* Earnestine and Hazel's, a historic dive bar visited previously by the likes of [[B.B. King]], [[Aretha Franklin]], and [[Tina Turner]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.earnestineandhazel.com/history |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=Earnestine & Hazel's |language=en-US}}</ref>
* In addition to barbecue, the cuisine of Memphis is also defined by:
** [[Fried chicken]], such as that from Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, a restaurant founded in nearby [[Mason, Tennessee]] in 1953 and has since expanded to over 35 locations
** [[Chicken wings as food|Chicken wings]], served with Honey Gold, a sweet and spicy sauce made with honey, mustard, and cayenne

=== Visual art ===
In addition to the [[Memphis Brooks Museum of Art|Brooks Museum]] and [[Dixon Gallery and Gardens]], Memphis plays host to two burgeoning visual art areas, one city-sanctioned, and the other organically formed.

The South Main Arts District is an arts neighborhood in south downtown. Over the past 20 years, the area has morphed from a derelict brothel and [[juke joint]] neighborhood to a [[gentrification|gentrified]], well-lit area sponsoring "Trolley Night", when arts patrons stroll down the street to see fire spinners, DJs playing in front of clubs, specialty shops and galleries.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jacobson |first=Kelsey |url=http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/33410509/boutique-hotel-restaurant-slated-for-south-main |title=Boutique hotel, restaurant slated for South Main – WMC Action News 5 – Memphis, Tennessee |date=October 18, 2016 |publisher=WMC Action News 5 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arts.gov/exploring-our-town/south-main-artspace-lofts |title=South Main Artspace Lofts &#124; Exploring Our Town |website=Arts.gov |date=December 13, 2011 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> Not far from South Main Arts district is [[Medicine Factory]], an artist-run organization.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rozzell |first=Jessalyn |title=The Medicine Factory - Downtown Memphis art studios, event space & gallery |url=https://www.medicinefactory.org/ |access-date=November 6, 2022 |website=Medicine Factory |language=en-US}}</ref>

Another developing arts district in Memphis is Broad Avenue. This east–west avenue is undergoing neighborhood revitalization from the influx of craft and visual artists taking up residence and studios in the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.broadavearts.com/ |title=Broad Avenue Arts District |website=Broadavearts.com |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Kontji Anthony |url=http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/the-901/2016/10/11/the-901-the-memphis-renaissance-the-new-generation-your901-our901/91884778/ |title=The 9:01: The Memphis renaissance, the new generation |website=Commercialappeal.com |date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref> An art professor from [[Rhodes College]] holds small openings on the first floor of his home for local students and professional artists. Odessa, another art space on Broad Avenue, hosts student art shows and local electronic music. Other gallery spaces spring up for semi-annual artwalks.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bailey |first=Thomas |url=http://archive.commercialappeal.com/business/development/338508032.html?bppw=absolutely&suppressAds=youbet |title=80 spaces relieve parking pressure in Broad district |website=Archive.commercialappeal.com |date=October 29, 2015 |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://choose901.com/broad-avenue-spring-art-walk-2016/ |title=Broad Avenue Spring Art Walk 4/22 |website=Choose901.com |access-date=July 13, 2017 |archive-date=September 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921023712/https://choose901.com/broad-avenue-spring-art-walk-2016/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Memphis also has non-commercial visual arts organizations and spaces, including local painter Pinkney Herbert's Marshall Arts gallery, on Marshall Avenue near [[Sun Studios]], another arts neighborhood characterized by affordable rent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highgroundnews.com/features/edgearts.100114.aspx|title=The space to create brings art to the Edge|website=Highgroundnews.com|access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref>

=== Literature ===
Well-known writers from Memphis include [[Shelby Foote]], the noted [[American Civil War|Civil War]] historian. Novelist [[John Grisham]] grew up in nearby [[DeSoto County, Mississippi]], and sets many of his books in Memphis.

Many works of fiction and literature are set in Memphis. These include ''[[The Reivers]]'' by [[William Faulkner]] (1962), ''September, September'' by Shelby Foote (1977); [[Peter Matthew Hillsman Taylor|Peter Taylor]]'s ''The Old Forest and Other Stories'' (1985), and his [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning ''[[A Summons to Memphis]]'' (1986); ''[[The Firm (novel)|The Firm]]'' (1991) and ''[[The Client (novel)|The Client]]'' (1993), both by [[John Grisham]]; ''Memphis Afternoons: a Memoir'' by James Conaway (1993), ''Plague of Dreamers'' by Steve Stern (1997); ''[[Cassina Gambrel Was Missing]]'' by William Watkins (1999); ''The Guardian'' by Beecher Smith (1999), "We are Billion-Year-Old Carbon" by Corey Mesler (2005), ''[[The Silence of the Lambs (novel)|The Silence of the Lambs]]'' by [[Thomas Harris]], and ''The Architect'' by James Williamson (2007).

=== Tourism ===
{{Main|Tourism in Memphis, Tennessee}}

==== Points of interest ====
[[File:Peabody Hotel Memphis.jpg|thumb|[[Peabody Hotel]]]]

* [[Beale Street]] – a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of the [[blues]]. Street performers play live music, and bars and clubs feature live entertainment.
* [[Graceland]] – the private residence of [[Elvis Presley]]
* [[Memphis Zoo]] – features exhibits of mammals, birds, fish, and amphibians
* [[Peabody Hotel]] – known for the "Peabody Ducks" on the hotel rooftop
* [[Sun Studio]] – a recording studio opened in 1950; it now also contains a museum
* [[Orpheum Theatre (Memphis, Tennessee)|Orpheum Theatre]] – features Broadway shows, [[Ballet Memphis]] and [[Opera Memphis]]
* [[The New Daisy Theatre]] – concert venue located on [[Beale Street]]
* Mud Island Amphitheatre – concert venue<ref>{{cite book|author=Susanna Henighan Potter|title=Moon Tennessee|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BCFU8lcEEIIC|access-date=November 26, 2011|date=April 1, 2009|publisher=Avalon Travel|isbn=978-1-59880-114-9|page=36}}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* [[Memphis Pyramid]] – location of the largest [[Bass Pro Shops]] in the world, an observation deck, restaurants, bowling alley, aquarium, and hotel<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPageC?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&appID=94&storeID=61|title=Memphis Pyramid, TN Sporting Goods & Outdoor Stores – Bass Pro Shops|work=basspro.com|access-date=December 2, 2015}}</ref>

Other Memphis attractions include the [[Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium]], [[FedExForum]], and Mississippi riverboat day cruises.

==== Museums and art collections ====
[[File:The Lorraine Motel, site of the Martin Luther King assassination and the National Civil Rights Museum..jpg|thumb|[[National Civil Rights Museum]] at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis]]
[[File:Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.jpg|thumb|[[Memphis Brooks Museum of Art]]]]
[[File:Mud island river park.jpg|thumb|[[Mud Island, Memphis|Mud Island]] Mississippi River Park]]
[[File:Stax Museum & Satellite Record Shop.jpg|thumb|[[Stax Museum of American Soul Music|Stax Museum]] and Satellite Record Shop]]

* [[National Civil Rights Museum]] – located in the [[Lorraine Motel]] and related buildings, where [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] was assassinated. It includes a historical overview of the American civil rights movement and interpretation of historic and current issues.
* [[Memphis Brooks Museum of Art]] – the oldest and largest fine art museum in Tennessee;<ref name="brooksmuseum1">{{cite web|url=http://www.brooksmuseum.org |title=Memphis Brooks Museum of Art |publisher=Brooksmuseum.org |access-date=November 19, 2011}}</ref> the collection includes [[Renaissance]], [[Baroque]], [[Impressionism|Impressionist]], and 20th century artists.
* [[Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art]] – contains a large collection of Asian [[jade]] art, Asian art, and Judaic art.
* [[Dixon Gallery and Gardens]] – focuses on French and American impressionism, and contains the Stout Collection of 18th-century German [[porcelain]], as well as a {{convert|17|acre|ha|abbr=on|adj=on}} public garden.
* [[Children's Museum of Memphis]] – exhibits interactive and educational activities for children.
* [[Graceland]] – the home of [[Elvis Presley]], it attracts over 600,000 visitors annually, and features two of Presley's airplanes, his automobile and motorcycle collection, and other memorabilia. Graceland is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
* [[Pink Palace Museum and Planetarium]] – a science and historical museum; it includes the third largest [[planetarium]] in the United States and an [[IMAX]] theater.
* [[Beale Street]] – a public exhibit honoring Memphis musicians, singers, writers and composers.
* [[Mud Island, Memphis|Mud Island]] – a park with a walking trail featuring a scale model of the Mississippi River.
* [[Mississippi River Museum]] – a [[maritime museum]] on Mud Island that focuses on the history of the Mississippi River.
* [[Victorian Village, Memphis|Victorian Village]] – a historic district featuring [[Victorian architecture|Victorian-era]] mansions, some of which are open to the public as museums.
* [[The Cotton Museum]] – located on the old trading floor of the [[Memphis Cotton Exchange]].
* [[Metal Museum]] – features exhibitions of metalwork and public programs featuring metalsmiths.
* [[Stax Museum]] – the former location of [[Stax Records]].
* [[Chucalissa Indian Village]] – a [[Walls phase]] mound and plaza complex operated by the University of Memphis. The village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a [[National Historic Landmark]]. The Southeast Indian Heritage Festival is held there annually.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/calendar-2008/Content?oid=1141868|title=Calendar 2008|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|website=Memphis Flyer|language=en|access-date=November 29, 2018}}</ref>
* [[Burkle Estate]] – a historic home now used as a museum of slavery and the anti-slavery movement.<ref>{{cite news | last = Wright | first = Jerome | date = October 23, 2016 | title = Slave Haven Marks 160th Year of Burkle Estate House | url = https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/opinion/columnists/jerome-wright/2016/10/23/slave-haven-marks-160th-year-burkle-estate-house/92470664/ | work = Commercial Appeal}}</ref>

==== Cemeteries ====
[[File:Memphis national cemetery.jpg|thumb|[[Memphis National Cemetery]]]]

The [[Memphis National Cemetery]] is a [[United States National Cemetery]] located in northeastern Memphis.

[[Elmwood Cemetery (Memphis, Tennessee)|Historic Elmwood Cemetery]] is one of the oldest rural garden cemeteries in the South, and contains the [[Carlisle S. Page Arboretum]]. [[Memorial Park Cemetery (Memphis, Tennessee)|Memorial Park Cemetery]] is noted for its sculptures by [[Mexican people|Mexican]] artist [[Dionicio Rodriguez]].

Elvis Presley was originally buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, the resting place of his backing band's bassist, [[Bill Black]]. After an attempted grave robbing, Elvis's body was moved and reinterred at the grounds of Graceland.