Homecoming Sunday

Velvet Elvis spent yesterday morning at the homeplace.   I took him to Tupelo on our way back home, and he was his usual accommodating self as he posed for pictures.   Thankfully, it was just the two of us, so there were no witnesses to this event, but I'll let you in on the details.   See for yourself.

We stopped on Main St. too, but E took it easy in the truck while I checked out the scene.

Elvis has an historic marker in Tupelo 

as well as a Country Music and Blues Trail marker.

Here he is singing "That's All Right, Mama."

Here's Mississipian songwriter Arthur Crudup performing the same tune.

This Blues Trail marker is on Main St. in Tupelo and alludes to Shake Rag as a musical influence in the local community.   Although Elvis was a young teen when his family moved to Memphis, it's hard to doubt that Shake Rag contributed to the sound that he developed as a performer.

We didn't have time to visit Graceland on our way in, but here's the Graceland cam, if you want to see who's lining up right now.   You can take a virtual tour here.   Or do you need the free Elvis for iPad app?

For a finale, how about Elvis singing "Suspicious Minds" in one of his white jumpsuits?   Thankyouverymuch for reading.   Enjoy.

Velvet Elvis in the Delta

Good morning from the Comfort Inn in Cleveland, MS.   I'm in the reception area while what seems to be a rather sizable Vacation Bible School push has its mission control center.   Most of the men have already left, but the women are chatting over their continental breakfast.   

Welcome to Tennessee!

Elvis hasn't left the building yet though; he's with me.   Thanks to a dear friend, we own an understated velvet Elvis who usually hangs out in our kitchen next to the fridge.   This week he hit the road with us and is currently enjoying seeing the Delta again.   The other teachers encouraged me to bring him to class, so here he is.   I have a pair of Elvis sunglasses that I picked up at Loretta Lynn's Camp Kitchen in case folks want to "dress up" for a photo with Elvis.

On the way here, we stopped in Murfreesboro to spend the night and visit with one of my best girlfriends from high school and college.   We also got to meet her new husband and place Elvis in various locations in their backyard.   Thank goodness for patient friends.

Elvis is in the hammock.

Elvis is in the swing with my long-suffering boyfriend.

Elvis is serenading Lori.

The guest pillowcase and grandma-made quilt in Murfreesboro.

Loretta Lynn dolls available for purchase at the Camp Kitchen.

Our days are packed full here at The Most Southern Place on Earth, but I hope to get caught back up with you soon.   I hope that you are also enjoying your summer and learning a new trick or three.

Rising Tide and Picking Strings

I'm about 70 pages into a book on my required reading list.   Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed America by John M. Barry is about...well...you guessed it.   So far, Old Muddy has been examined, explored, mapped, bridged and talked about.   Seems the whole question of levees, outlets and/or jetties and so on and so forth began with a couple of men with one who thought he was in a (pardon the expression) pissing contest.   

Andrew Atkinson Humphreys.   Not exactly the kind of engineer you want on the job.  Additionally, I just finished a passage detailing his pitiful leadership qualities during the Civil War. I'm not talking sides here.   I'm just talking about a man who didn't have any regard for the lives of the men he was chosen to lead.   He seemed to have a force field around him on each battlefield that protected no one but his highfalutin' self.   I'm not so sure that I would trust him to build me a box, much less engineer the mighty Mississippi.   Well, maybe he'll grow on me.   But I doubt it.

Anyhow, you can see how I needed a break from everything serious, and Atlanta's Jerry Reed has been on my mind today.   I've been hoping that my road trip doesn't involve old Smokey or contraband, but I wouldn't mind a little Jerry Reed on the radio and a furry Fred riding with us.

Jerry and Elvis got together in Nashville's legendary Studio B prior to the '68 Comeback Special (the one with Elvis in black leather) for some "Guitar Man" sessions.   Here's Elvis singing Jerry's song first.   

Here's Jerry's performance of "Guitar Man."

For some reason, I couldn't get the following video from YouTube to post above, but it's a funky 1977 version of "Guitar Man" where Jerry Reed performs live.  Let his pickin' set you on fire.   Over and out.

Tupelo and Muscle Shoals

I spent a great portion of yesterday looking at my itinerary, pinning some websites that I needed to visit later on Pinterest and charting my way home.

I joined AAA for the first time in my adult life and was a little sad to see that the TripTiks are now on line.   Truth be told, I was looking forward to flipping through those maps like my grandfather and father did as we put more road miles behind us.   The convenience of having the program accessible from my computer outweighs nostalgia though.

A road trip to Disney Word. Hiya, Grandpa!

RV trip to Gettysburg. There's Grandma!

Since we could be in the neighborhood with a few minor adjustments, I angled to stay a night in Tupelo on the way home.

Sure, I'm a fan of the King, but mainly I'm interested in his persona and the way that people respond to him and his memory.   Unfortunately, it'll be a Sunday morning when we're there, so his childhood home and the hardware store where he bought his first guitar will be closed.   On the other hand, a quiet drive with some of his gospel music playing in the truck seems like an okay way to get on the road to Muscle Shoals.

Yes.   I want to see the first and second music studios noted for that certain sound.   Current owner and operator Noel Webster describes the Sheffield studio as being, "kinda like a church."   If you can spare five minutes, check out this video.   It will show you the red oak beams that run under the floor, making the space sensitive to all of the delicious vibrations of live music.   It's why Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant never wore shoes, according to Webster.   You will also be able to hear clips from a variety of popular music recorded there.   This includes portions of one of my all-time favorite albums: Sticky Fingers.   You know, the Rolling Stones...those guys.

If you want to get started with an album that was recorded completely at this historic studio, may I recommend Etta James?   "At Last" is a tremendous song, but I prefer the more soulful tunes belted out by a feisty lady sometimes clad in what can only be described as a librarian sweater over a dress.   Ms. Etta knew how to work it out.   Here's a sample from Tell Mama: the Complete Muscle Shoals Sessions.

My favorite record store. American Oldies/ Newport News, VA