Memphis, Tennessee

=== 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.