Neil Young in Oslo, Norway, 2009. (Photo: Per Ole Hagen)
The 2024 Memphis Music Hall of Fame (MMHOF) Induction Ceremony this Friday, September 27th, was already going to be lit. With the likes of garage boppers The Gentrys, soul men supreme James Carr and Wilson Pickett, and hip-hop producer/rapper Jazze Pha being saluted, the music was guaranteed to be stellar.
But at a ceremony of such historical importance, it’s not just about the performances. Simply having the honorees together in the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts is significant, especially if they are expressing their mutual admiration. And it’s in that spirit that Friday night will suddenly be a lot more stellar, as Neil Young has announced that he’ll be there to induct a legendary player he’s worked with for decades: Dewey “Spooner” Lindon Oldham Jr.
Singer, keyboardist, and songwriter Oldham performed with Young at this weekend’s Farm Aid, but his association with the Canadian folk rock innovator goes back much further than that. He played on Young’s celebrated 1992 album Harvest Moon, appeared in the concert film Neil Young: Heart of Gold, and joined Crosby Stills Nash & Young on their 2006 Freedom of Speech tour. He’s also played in two of Young’s occasional touring bands, The Stray Gators and the Prairie Wind Band.
Oldham’s track record, of course, goes way beyond that. Known for his command of the organ and the Wurlitzer electric piano, he recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, at FAME Studios as part of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section in his early years, playing on such legendary tracks as Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman”, Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally,” and Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You).” Later Oldham followed Dan Penn to Memphis, working at American Sound Studios as well as in Muscle Shoals, and co-writing hits by the Box Tops, James and Bobby Purify, and Percy Sledge with Penn.
In all, The Memphis Music Hall of Fame will be inducting and honoring nine inductees this year, who will thus expand the Hall of Fame roster to over 100 world-changing Memphis music icons. In addition to Oldham, this year’s inductees include Carr, Pickett, Jazze Pha, and The Gentrys, as well as operatic soprano Kallen Esperian, background singers Rhodes/Chalmers/Rhodes, Memphis Tourism CEO Kevin Kane, and Jack Soden, CEO of Graceland for more than 40 years.
The 2024 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held Friday, September 27th, at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com) and the Cannon Center box office.
Booker T. Jones is such an iconic Memphian that he’s still identified with his hometown a half century after moving to California. And, that relocation notwithstanding, he’s an enthusiastic advocate of all things Memphis, including the Memphis of his youth, and the supportive community he continues to find here today.
So, it’s wholly appropriate that Jones will be inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame (MMHOF) on Thursday, September 15th. While Booker T. & the MG’s were inducted as a group in 2012, this year’s honor will serve as a recognition of Jones’ accomplishments as an individual, outside of that seminal band, including the many songs he’s penned, recorded, arranged or produced since leaving Stax Records. As such, it’s as much a recognition of the California Jones as the Memphis Jones.
Jones will be performing at Thursday night’s ceremony. In addition to Jones, the 2022 inductees include the late blues and jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator Fred Ford, Grammy-winning producer and engineer Jim Gaines, American Sound Studios keyboardist, singer, and Grammy winner Ronnie Milsap, former chair of Elvis Presley Enterprises Priscilla Presley, Sun Records artist, songwriter, and producer Billy Lee Riley, Stax artist and Grammy-winning soul giant Mavis Staples, and the iconic drummer for Jerry Lee Lewis and other Sun artists (as well as singer and producer) J.M. Van Eaton. Gaines, Jones, Milsap, Presley, and Van Eaton are all scheduled to attend, while local favorites Reba Russell and John Paul Keith will also perform.
All in all, very good company for Booker T. Jones. Anticipating his imminent homecoming, Jones recently spoke at length with the Memphis Flyer from his home in northern California. Only one day after a mass shooter terrorized the city, our hearts were heavy, yet Jones helped put the day’s events in perspective.
Memphis Flyer:How strange that Memphis is in the headlines for its crime, just when you’ll be coming here to celebrate its positive, musical side.
Booker T. Jones: My condolences to the families. And I hope everybody does something positive in the wake of that. Do something nice for somebody, or for yourself. Try to do something that’s the opposite of that negative energy. Something positive. It’s a huge tragedy.
I was just thinking how appropriate your song, “Representing Memphis,” featuring Sharon Jones and Matt Berninger, is at this moment. It really celebrates the neighborhoods, sights, and sounds of the city.
Well, it’s good to mention Sharon’s name. She was one of the most positive people I’ve known. It was wonderful meeting Sharon. She’s from Brooklyn, I think. She was a very neighborhood-friendly type of person.
“Representing Memphis” also featured Matt Berninger on vocals.
Yeah, he’s another good friend of mine. He’s in a band called The National.
Since you moved to California 50 years ago, it seems you’ve done one collaboration after another.
Yeah. Of course, I miss Memphis. I wouldn’t have been able to go to California if Memphis hadn’t been so good to me. I have a lot of friends there. I’m coming there in a few days, and it’s going to be great to see my family. My family’s from Red Banks, Mississippi and Holly Springs, Mississippi, and they’re all coming. So, it’s going to be great.
How does it feel to return to the Stax building?
I tell you what, Alex: That is hallowed ground. It just is. I remember when I went back a few years after they had torn down the building, and I picked up some bricks and brought them back to California. Because when you walk in the area of 926 East McLemore Avenue, it’s just great. That’s an indication of the spirit of Memphis. It’s all over that town.
It seems you’ve become more appreciative of Memphis in recent years, more so than in the ’70s and ’80s.
That’s true. I have embraced it more, emotionally. Intellectually, I’m maturing. I’m 77 years old. Hopefully I’m maturing somewhat. And just realizing and recognizing who I am and where I come from.
You even named your new record label after the street you grew up on… Edith Street.
Yeah, that’s where it started. That’s another place that’s emotional for me to go back to.
Being inducted into MMHOF apart from the MG’s must be very meaningful to you, after your struggle to get more recognition as an individual before you left Stax.
It is, it’s a really big deal to me. I owe so much to so many people in Memphis who gave me so much at such a young age. And I had so many mentors. And there was such a spirit of giving in my community. In the music community at school, at church, in the neighborhood. So I’m a result of that giving. And it’s a lesson to me. I’m just very fortunate.
It’s ironic, maybe that spirit of giving and support also gave you the strength to break away from Stax.
Yeah, it definitely was a positive/negative, yin/yang type of thing, and of course as soon as I got to California, I had other mentors. Namely Quincy Jones, who was right there, introducing me to this kind of music, that kind of music. And I was immediately surrounded by other mentors. Herb Alpert and so many others. But a lot of kids don’t get a chance to do that. They don’t have a recording studio around the corner from their house. They have to go to Nashville or New York or Los Angeles if they want to be in music. So, I was fortunate that I was born right there in Memphis with a studio three blocks away.
Booker T. Jones (Credit: Piper Ferguson)
It’s interesting that you mention Quincy Jones. I saw a documentary where you spoke about one particular moment, hearing Ray Charles’ “One Mint Julep” on the radio, which led you to pursue the Hammond organ.
That was the moment. I was on McLemore Avenue, listening to the radio, and I was thinking ‘Oh, what great horns!’ And then I heard the organ and thought, ‘Wow, that’s such a cool sound!’ It wasn’t a sound you heard very much. And I thought if I could just do that, I’d be happy. And I am happy. And it was Quincy’s band on that record. Quincy wrote the arrangements, and Ray was actually a saxophone and organ player in Quincy’s band. Quincy was the man who put all that together.
It was kind of coming full circle, when you connected with him personally later in life. That must have meant a lot.
Yeah. He was a mentor. And he was one of those guys like Willie Mitchell. Willie would take young guys like me and put them up on stage and just try them out. That’s what he did with Mabon ‘Teenie’ Hodges, who was a good friend of mine. Willie did that with me, on the bass. Willie is a really good example of that Memphis spirit I’m talking about. And of the mentors I had there.
People often think of Stax Recrods and Hi Records as competitors, but there was a whole local scene that transcended the labels.
Oh yeah, directly. Well, Willie let me play baritone sax in his band, and baritone sax is the instrument that got me into Stax. David Porter took me into Stax to play baritone sax on “Cause I Love You.”
One thing you mention in your autobiography was a friend from Egypt, Mina E. Mina, and the female singer whose work he introduced you to.
Uma Kalthoum. My Egyptian friend in Malibu was a disciple of hers, and we would sit and just be moved by her voice.
California was really a world destination, wasn’t it? So many of these cultures were converging and influencing pop music.
Exactly.
Are there recordings of yours that show more of a world music influence?
Definitely so. So many different kinds of influences were right there, close together. Bill Withers came to California, Leon Russell, and the Brothers Johnson. Quincy was crazy about them. He had a special spot in Hollywood — a room at 1416 North La Brea, right at the corner of La Brea and Sunset Boulevard. And that was sort of a nexus. It was A&M studios, where his office was. So, if you were an arranger — and that’s what I was, an arranger/producer; I played a lot of sessions — his place became a go-to place for a lot of people.
Are you at work on a new album now?
Yeah. It’s the 60th Anniversary of “Green Onions,” and that was the song — I wouldn’t be talking to you if I hadn’t stumbled onto recording that song. That was 60 years ago, so I’m going to do a tribute to that. It was June, 1962 when we recorded it, and I was supposed to be in church. It was a Sunday, I remember. Memphis changes on Sunday morning. Or, at least it did back then. Everyone was in church by [10 a.m. or 11 a.m.]. If you weren’t there, you were doing something kind of strange. I think we were supposed to play on a session. Steve remembers more about it. It was a session that got called off or finished early, and then we had free studio time.
And “Green Onions” was kind of an afterthought, the B side?
Exactly. And “Behave Yourself” was me trying to imitate Ray Charles. I had a little band at a club on South Parkway, and Errol Thomas was playing bass, and Devon Miller on drums. And I would always start with that, because of Quincy and Ray and that B3 sound; and I was trying to imitate Ray, so I came up with that blues, “Behave Yourself.” Why would they just have an M1 organ sitting there that day? It was my dream. It was amazing! I had actually used it once before, because I played on William Bell’s “You Don’t Miss Your Water,” and also I had played for Prince Conley in that room when I was a young kid. Charlie Musselwhite reminded me of that. He was a friend of mine from Mississippi.
Was it the track, “Going Home”?
That was it! I remember that day because I played on that song, but the room was so big, I never did get to meet Prince Conley the whole time.
You write about Maurice White, founder of Earth, Winde & Fire, in your book. Did you guys ever connect in later years? Did you play together once you were established artists?
Oh yeah! He loved to play tennis and when I moved out to the San Fernando Valley, he would come out there and play tennis with me, and ridicule me [laughs]. We were good friends in high school. I think I met him in 8th grade at Porter [Junior] High. And I was the only student with a key to the band room at Porter. So, he walked in and said, ‘Hi, I’m Maurice White.’ His destination after school was my house. And we would play tunes by the Jazz Messengers, or whatever, because I had a record player.
Maurice didn’t really have a family. His grandmother was all he had. And I never did even see his mother until he graduated from high school. That was a good, tight friendship between me, and David Porter, and Maurice. That’s how it all started. Maurice on drums and Richard Shann, who played piano, and I had a bass.
Did you dabble on saxophone in that trio?
I probably did, because I always tried to play reeds: oboe, clarinet. I played clarinet in the band, and the school had a baritone sax.
It sounds like Richard Shann was a great jazz player.
Oh, yeah. He was the true musician of the three of us, the most dedicated. He lived way out in South Memphis, and he would walk to my house to jam with us.
Whatever became of him?
He passed years ago.
It makes me wonder if you and Maurice had ever played music together after you left Memphis. But it sounds like you mainly played tennis?
You know, he was like a brother to me. My dad brought his drums home from AMRO Music, his first drum set. But Maurice was missing his family so, as soon as he graduated from high school, he moved to Chicago. And then Ramsey Lewis heard him play somewhere, and Maurice was gone, basically. He was unavailable. Of course, you know I wanted him to be a drummer in my band, and that would never happen. He started Earth, Wind & Fire and they were instant stars, and he got such a good position in Chicago, and I don’t remember him ever coming back to Memphis.
A lot of people don’t realize he was from Memphis.
That’s amazing, because he was. LeMoyne Gardens. I doubt if I would have been able to make it to Stax if I hadn’t known Maurice. My dad used to drive me, Maurice, and Shann to the middle of Arkansas, nowhere, til 10:00 at night, to play a little gig, playing for four/five people, then drive us back at 2 in the morning. That’s what we did. The bass, the drums, the whole thing in the car, it was a sight! In my dad’s ’49 Ford.
Your dad sounds like a prince of a man.
Yeah, he was the sponsor. He was the reason it all happened. He drove my friends around. He was the guy. I was lucky there. Maurice didn’t have any of that, no mother or father. So, he came to my house.
He’s already been inducted into the MMHOF, so you guys will be side by side now.
That’s good to hear!
The 2022 Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place Thursday, September 15, 7 p.m., at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are on sale now for only $30, and are available at www.ticketmaster.com or the Cannon Center box office.
The Memphis Music Hall of Fame Museum (Photo courtesy MMHOF)
Last night during a reception at the Halloran Centre, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame (MMHOF) announced eight new inductees. The 2022 roster includes Memphis-born blues and jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator Fred Ford; Grammy-winning producer and engineer Jim Gaines; producer, arranger, songwriter, author and keyboardist Booker T. Jones; onetime American Sound Studios keyboardist and Grammy-winning singer Ronnie Milsap; former chair of Elvis Presley Enterprises Priscilla Presley; Sun Records musician, singer, songwriter, and producer Billy Lee Riley; Grammy-winning singer and Stax Records star Mavis Staples; and Jerry Lee Lewis’ drummer and Sun Records producer J.M. Van Eaton.
“This year’s list is as diverse as Memphis music itself,” John Doyle, Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum and MMHOF executive director, noted in a statement. “Rock, soul, blues, rockabilly, even country permeate the 2022 roster, with many of these icons still doing what they do … creating music.”
The announcement reception also featured the world premiere of a one-hour television program celebrating the 10th anniversary of the MMHOF, scheduled to air nationally Thursday, March 31st, on the Circle Network.
Bringing the MMHOF’s list of total honorees to 90, the 2022 inductees will be celebrated in a concert and induction ceremony this fall. The Memphis Music Hall of Fame was started in 2012, and is administered by the Smithsonian-developed Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum. In 2015, the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum also developed the Memphis Music Hall of Fame Museum, which opened that year in the former Lansky Bros. Clothing Store building. Each year, a local and national Nominating Committee studies the Hall’s current roster, artists considered and recommended over previous years, and a comprehensive catalog of Memphis musicians to discuss and determine each year’s inductees.
“It is difficult,” writes Doyle, “because there are literally hundreds of deserving Memphis musicians yet to be honored, each of whom deserves it, and with new musical candidates emerging annually. Some have more name recognition, Grammys, or records sold, but we maintain, in regards to Memphis’ world-changing musical status, the last inductee honored will be as important as the first inductee honored 10 years ago.”
Julien Salley, Lafayette's Music Room general manager, and Michael Donahue at The Tommy Awards
Tommy Peters probably would have vetoed the idea of having an awards show named after him.
The late businessman’s daughter Bethany Peters Stooksberry told me after he died, “He has a brass note on Beale he never wanted to accept. He never wanted to be in the media. He wasn’t very ostentatious.”
But I think Peters would have loved The Tommy Awards, a show honoring local performers, that was held March 20th at Lafayette’s Music Room.
Between 400 and 500 attended the event — a benefit for the Memphis Music Hall of Fame — that featured 15 acts and 22 awards, says Julien Salley, general manager of Lafayette’s, which Peters owned.
The awards show “was Paul Moreau’s idea,” Salley says. “I’m a marketing professional for FedEx now and I’ve been a musician since high school, so, I’ve always been doing both. I’m in three bands: Thumpdaddy, Led Zep’n, and Rock the Boat. I love marketing and I love music. So, the past several years I’ve started merging both passions.”
Shara Layne Matlock and Paul Moreau at The Tommy Awards (Credit: Shara Layne Matlock)
Moreau began doing Merry KISSMAS fundraising concerts two years ago. “We had 12, 15 bands paying nothing but KISS songs.”
He got the idea for the recent awards show after a reading a Facebook post. “A member from one band just made a post on his page out of the blue where he was giving kudos to a guy in another band.”
The post went along the lines of, “I always thought you were good. But you’ve really gone from good to great. And I just want to say that publicly.”
“I read that and it got me to thinking, ‘Hey, there really ought to be a forum, a way for us to celebrate all these hard-working bands in the Mid-South area. They bring so much happiness to others. They have so much talent and work so hard to do it.’”
I thought, “‘Why don’t we celebrate each other together?’ So, I noodled it around a little while. What would really be cool is if we did a Grammy-style awards show.”
He took his idea to Lafayette’s.
“When he came to us, we said, ‘Yes. We’d love to host this awards ceremony,” Salley says. “Paul was showing up at our weekly manager meetings. We were blowing up his phone, email, text. It was constant communication. We partnered with him. Our team and Paul were in non-stop contact for the last three months putting this together.”
“I wasn’t sure what we could call it,” Moreau says. And, he added, “I initially suggested, ‘What if we call it ‘The Julien?’ Like the Oscar.
“I made this silly little image of an Oscar body with Julien’s head on it. But then he kicked it around and he said, ‘You know what would really be cool? If we call the awards ‘The Tommy’ in honor of Tommy Peters, who basically brought Lafayette’s back to life.”
Moreau liked the idea. He’d heard stories of the old Lafayette’s, which opened in 1972 in Overton Square. “I’ve seen pictures from the heyday of Billy Joel and KISS. It must have been a magical place.”
Peters, who died September 5th, 2021, was founder, president, and CEO of Beale Street Blues Company, which includes Lafayette’s Music Room, B. B. King’s Blues Club, and Itta Bena and Moondance restaurants. In Orlando, he owned The Wharf and Lizzie’s BBQ. In Montgomery, Alabama, he owned B. B. King’s Blues Club, Lucille, and Itta Bena in Wind Creek Casino. He also owned B. B. Kings Blues Clubs in the Holland American Cruise Lines.
“Tommy Peters wasn’t your typical leader,” Salley says. “He was a high-energy visionary that led from the front. Every day with him was exciting because we were always after something new. ‘How can we improve our live music program?’ ‘What new opportunities exist in the market?’ ‘What can we do to shake things up in Memphis?’ These were questions he was constantly asking.”
They used a few of the “guitar drop elements” from the Beale Street New Year’s Eve events at The Tommy Awards. These included the Sky Tracker, which flashed lights across the sky. Arriving guests were photographed on the black carpet runway. “Black is a little more rock and roll than a red carpet,” Salley says.
During one point, Loeb Properties president Bob Loeb introduced Peters’s daughters Bethany Peters Stooksberry and Sara Fay Egan, and Peters’s granddaughter, Grace Egan.
Sara Fay Egan and Bethany Peters Stooksberry at The Tommy Awards (Credit: Michael Donahue)
“We’re going to continue to carry on my dad’s commitment to Memphis,” Stooksberry said, “and his mission to support these musicians that are in this room tonight and this unique sound that can only be found right here.”
Six Feet Thunder did a tribute to Junior Grant, who recently died. They played Queensryche’s “Silent Lucidity.” That showed “just how united the band community in the Memphis area is,” Moreau says. “It was a beautiful moment.
Shawn Few and Shara Layne Matlock hosted the event.
Salley wore a glittering gold lame jacket, which also has a tie-in to Peters. Years ago, Salley had a Lansky Bros. jacket, which he was wearing the night when he had to break up a fight between two guys at Lafayette’s. One of the men left, but the other tried to fight Salley and also threatened to kill him. “I reached down to ball him up a little bit to drag him out,” Salley says.
That’s when the guy tore Salley’s jacket. “I felt it tear from top to bottom on my back. I was livid.”
The story ended when an undercover policeman arrested the guy and took him away. “Tommy felt sorry for me losing the jacket. The following Monday he shows up with this gold jacket.”
Originally Salley says he thought it was a lot of gold, a bit much. “Elvis, Prince, or the Bar-Kays could get away with wearing it, but not me. We wouldn’t be able to bring the lights down low enough for me to walk around in that thing.”
The Tommy Awards was only the second time he’s worn the jacket. Salley says he wore it to honor Peters.
“I feel like at this point I’ve seen every shape, size, and temperament a boss can have. And Tommy Peters is the best of all of them. It stings that I’ll never be able to repay him for everything he did for me. Every single shift I miss him. The entire team misses him.”
Al Kapone performed at The Tommy Awards (Credit: Michael Donahue)Richard and Debba Ross and Pat Kerr Tigrett were at The Tommy Awards (Credit: Michael Donahue)Bob Loeb, right, introduced Tommy Peters’s daughters at The Tommy Awards. With him are Jennifer and Jason D. Williams. (Credit: Michael Donahue)Chris Pietrangelo was at The Tommy Awards (Credit: Michael Donahue)Geri and Hal Lansky were at The Tommy Awards (Credit: Michael Donahue)Cheryl Thomas and Helen Stewart were at The Tommy Awards (Credit: Michael Donahue)Nicole Johnson and Marc Meredith were at The Tommy Awards (Credit: Michael Donahue)Courtney Griesenauer and Justin Hodges were at The Tommy Awards (Credit: Michael Donahue)b We Saw You
Singer/songwriters are particularly well-suited to live-streaming, and certainly many of our most reliable online performers have been solo artists of that genre who take advantage of the intimacy afforded by streaming devices. This week sees a proliferation of singer/songwriters, with an assortment of such artists at B-Side Memphis on Sunday, and a two nights of appearances by Arlo McKinley, the last artist that John Prine signed to his Oh Boy Records before his death. Of course, there are local standby entertainers as well, from Will Sexton to Richard Wilson, all hoping to transport you with the simplest of ingredients.
ALL TIMES CDT
Thursday, November 4 8 p.m. Arlo McKinley & full band — at Hernando’s Hide-a-way Website
Wednesday through Sunday, as of last week, visitors can once again stroll through history at the Memphis Music Hall of Fame (MMHOF). It’s not a trivial matter: Aside from the tourist dollars, the musical inspiration and awareness brought by such museums is inherently valuable to every visitor reached. As Memphians, the heritage embodied here is part of the air we breathe, and deserves to be celebrated.
Perhaps that why MMHOF is throwing in a little extra incentive for locals to visit. Through June, all Shelby County residents can enjoy half-price admission.
Naturally, new guidelines are in place at all of the above. Maximum capacity is severely limited (MMHOF, for example, will only allow six people in the lobby, and a total of 20 in the exhibits, at any given time), temperatures are checked at the door, and masks are either encouraged or required (with Sun Studio offering disposable masks for a dollar each).
Having said that, the musical and historical epiphanies awaiting can still be enjoyed in a relatively controlled environment, in stark contrast to music clubs or sporting events. If the heat is tough to beat, and a little air conditioned culture suits you, don your favorite mask and head over, with caution, to some of the best-curated (not to mention funkiest) exhibits available anywhere.
The Memphis Music Hall of Fame just announced this year’s inductees, who officially enter the ranks of honorees at the induction ceremony this November. The Hall of Fame, a nonprofit set up in 2012 and administered by the Memphis Rock N’ Soul Museum, now celebrates the works of over seventy artists or groups, and shows no signs of lacking local talent for future recognition.
This year’s inductees are, as usual, giants in their respective genres. We pay tribute to them here with clips of them working their magic onstage. Towering over them all is the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, who died just last month. She will be paid a special tribute in November’s ceremony, as the Hall of Fame honors a legend who called Memphis her birthplace.
Memphis Music Hall of Fame Announces 2018 Inductees (2)
Another soul giant, Eddie Floyd, will also be inducted this year. The writer and hit performer behind “Knock on Wood” and many other Stax hits, Floyd’s songs were interpreted by nearly every Stax artist. Naturally, not a year has gone by without at least one artist from the label being inducted.
Memphis Music Hall of Fame Announces 2018 Inductees (3)
O’Landa Draper, the Grammy Award-winning gospel singer and director of the Associates Choir, was considered one of the top gospel artists of the 1990s. He too will join the ranks of honorees this year. Though not born in Memphis, Draper moved to Memphis at the age of 13 and attended Overton High School and the University of Memphis.
Memphis Music Hall of Fame Announces 2018 Inductees (4)
At today’s announcement event, there was some light-hearted discussion of whether Draper could be honored in the same program as fellow 2018 inductees, 8 Ball & MJG. They will be, we were assured, but the musical numbers won’t be juxtaposed. The rap duo are on a roll lately, ramping up their live appearances and continuing to drop new albums. (See our recent profile of them below).
Memphis Music Hall of Fame Announces 2018 Inductees (6)
In keeping with the Hall of Fame’s tradition of inducting groups as well as solo artists, the Box Tops were also added this year. With Big Star having been inducted in 2014, this makes for two groups associated with Alex Chilton getting the nod. Could he be recognized as a solo artist in his own right one day? In any case, the announcement also named checked original members Danny Smythe, Bill Cunningham, and Gary Talley, as well as 1968 additions Rick Allen and Thomas Boggs. The fabulous guitar in this video clip was not mentioned by name.
Memphis Music Hall of Fame Announces 2018 Inductees
Another group, arguably far more groundbreaking than the Box Tops, was also recognized: The Rock and Roll Trio, responsible for the groundbreaking “Train Kept A-Rollin'” and other rockabilly masterpieces. Driven by the savvy guitar attack of Paul Burlison, brothers and Memphis natives Dorsey and Johnny Burnette took the world by storm, once upon a time. Here they are from 1956.
Memphis Music Hall of Fame Announces 2018 Inductees (7)
And finally, another legend from the first days of Elvis, who most certainly has not left the building, is George Klein, the pioneering DJ and rock ‘n’ roll television host who was critical to giving regional bands exposure via his programming. He was also an early friend to the King, and had the honor of inducting Elvis into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He’ll be honored with the other performers above (for he, in his own way, was an artist as well) at the induction ceremony, scheduled for November 1st at the Cannon Center. Here’s George sharing a strange moment with the great Sam Phillips.
Memphis Music Hall of Fame Announces 2018 Inductees (5)
Snoop Dogg and William Bell cutting up at the Cannon Center.
Last night six inductees entered the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Local Photographer Cole Wheeler was at the Cannon Center for Performing Arts to capture some of the action as Marguerite Piazza, John Lee Hooker, William Bell, Charles Lloyd, the Hi Rhythm Section, and Sam “The Sham” Samudio were all inducted.
Overall the ceremony had a much different feel that last year’s event which included guest appearances by Keith Richards and Jimmy Fallon. While this year boasted big names like Snoop Dogg and Cat Power, the local talent of The Sheiks, the North Mississippi Allstars, and the Hi Rhythm Section stole the show.
Perhaps the most captivating performance of the whole night should go to Chelsea Miller of Opera Memphis, who nearly brought the house down when she paid tribute to Marguerite Piazza. Check out some balcony shots from Cole Wheeler below. We’re anxiously anticipating next years nominess, perhaps the Oblivians will make the cut? Cole Wheeler
All inductees were honored with a short film montage before their songs were covered by a mix of A-list musicians and some of the best local talent Memphis has to offer.
Cole Wheeler
Sam ‘The Sham’ Samudio accepting his induction into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
Cole Wheeler
Jack Oblivian and the Sheiks covering the Sam the Sham classic ‘Wooly Bully.’
Cole Wheeler
The Sheiks covering Sam The Sham’s ‘Little Red Riding Hood.’
Cole Wheeler
John Lee Hooker, Jr. paying homage to the blues classic ‘boom boom boom boom.’
Cole Wheeler
John Lee Hooker, Jr. and the North Mississippi Allstars.
Cole Wheeler
William Bell with surprise guest Snoop Dogg performing ‘I Forgot to be your Lover.’
Cole Wheeler
Snoop Dogg with some impressive dance moves while performing with William Bell.
This Thursday night, six groundbreaking artists and groups will join the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Marguerite Piazza, John Lee Hooker, William Bell, Charles Lloyd, the Hi Rhythm Section, and Sam “The Sham” Samudio will all be inducted, bringing the total number of Memphis Music Hall of Fame members to 60. Before the induction ceremony takes place at the Cannon Center, I caught up with Memphis Music Hall of Fame Executive Director John Doyle to find out more about the selection process and what’s in store this Thursday night. — Chris Shaw
The Memphis Flyer: How do you decide who enters the Hall of Fame? What are the requirements that you look for?
John Doyle: We look at an artist’s presence in Memphis and how they influenced the Memphis sound — all of those different things come into play with the nominating committee. The committee is mostly out-of-towners, but there are a few locals, and the committee changes every couple of years. They normally have a few meetings in which they dwindle down the nominees. The committee will consider names that were discussed in previous years, but sometimes they will go in a completely different direction. People have asked if [a musician] has to be born in Memphis, and the answer is certainly not.
How soon after an induction ceremony are you working on next year’s nominees?
This year we started in February, but I’ll probably start reaching out to people in December. People have contacted us and asked for consideration of an artist, and anyone can contact me or the hall of fame. I make sure any suggestions are placed before the nominating committee. I’ll ask for a justification as to why they think an artist should be considered, and I pass that info on to the committee.
I also make sure that both male and female performers and all genres are considered, just so the committee is kept aware as to where the discussions are going. The main reason we keep the number of locals down to a minimum on the committee isn’t because I’m afraid of local influence. It’s mostly so the local music industry isn’t accused of bias.
How does this year’s class showcase the diversity in the history of Memphis music?
This is the first time that opera has been recognized with the inclusion of Marguerite Piazza. You’ve got jazz with Charles Lloyd. You’ve got rock-and-roll and a Latino influence with Sam, and blues with John Lee Hooker. We also go into gospel, rap and hip-hop, and even contemporary Christian rock. We got some heat the first year when Three Six Mafia went in on year one, but, like I said from day one, it’s not a popularity contest. It’s an expression of Memphis music and the city’s appreciation and reverence for these people. We’ve been doing this for 10 years, and in another 10 years we will be inducting Grammy award-winning artists, just because the list of Memphis musicians is so impressive. If we didn’t live in such a music city, we could go through like five or 10 years and be finished, but we’re really just getting started.
Last year’s induction ceremony included an appearance by Keith Richards. How did that work out?
It’s kind of one those organic things that can only happen in Memphis. Every year I reach out to about 50 different artists that have ties to who we’re inducting that year. Obviously, we have to pick a date for the ceremony, and it might not work with scheduling around an artist’s tours or recording schedule. It’s not a thing where an artist isn’t interested in coming to Memphis. It’s always a scheduling thing. Last year with Keith Richards and Jimmy Fallon, Richards was a huge Scotty Moore fan, and Fallon was obviously there because of Timberlake. My first response back about Keith, I was told no, and then later I was told that he wanted to come. The show was that Saturday, and we announced Jimmy Fallon and Keith Richards that Wednesday. It’s admirable that Memphis is a destination that these artists have a love affair with, and Memphians should be proud of that.
Who all will be performing this year? Any inductees?
The Sheiks and Jack Oblivian. Cat Power might be coming. You’ve got the Hi Rhythm Section playing, and so will William Bell. Honoring Marguerite Piazza will be Chelsea Miller and 16-year-old platinum recording artist Jackie Evancho. The list is looking good. It’s going to be a full show full of diverse music.
UPDATE: Tonight’s celebrity guests/performers at the Memphis Music Hall of Fame include Cat Power, Snoop Dogg, and the North Mississippi Allstars. It was previously announced that Jackie Evancho will also be performing.
“Hold On, I’m Coming,” “Cry Me a River,” “Behind Closed Doors,” “Have Guitar, Will Travel,” “Grinder Man Blues,” “Green Onions,” “Two Cigarettes in the Dark.” What do all these iconic songs have in common? They were all written/recorded by Memphis folk, amazing artists who rode the charts, started trends in popular music, or just flat-out rocked like no other. These song titles belong to the likes of Sam & Dave, Justin Timberlake, Charlie Rich, Scotty Moore, Memphis Slim, Al Jackson, Jr., and Alberta Hunter, all pioneers of their respective genres, all distinctly Memphis-made musicians who left their mark (or are still leaving it) on the music world.
Yes, it’s safe to say that Memphis is home to some of the greatest to ever take the stage, and now, thanks to a new location for the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, these groundbreaking artists will be remembered forever. Saturday’s festivities at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts will center around top-notch musical performances and tributes, with honorees Justin Timberlake, Sam Moore and Scotty Moore all scheduled to appear. This year’s honorees join the 47 previous inductees including B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Big Star, Carl Perkins, Sam Phillips, Otis Redding, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Howlin’ Wolf, and other world-changing musicians, bringing the total number of Memphis Music Hall of Fame inductees to 54. The induction ceremony will be produced by Royal Studios’ Boo Mitchell, and Mitchell will bring back the Hi Rhythm Section to serve as house band for the evening.
Justin Timberlake
Let’s start with the obvious. In the world of local heroes, Justin Timberlake is unrivaled. The boy-band-member-turned-pop-icon is one of the most successful musicians to ever come out of Memphis, and his collection of nine Grammy Awards and four Emmy Awards make him the “headliner” of Saturday’s ceremony. Timberlake has kept Memphis music on the popular music map like no other current musician, and quite frankly his induction is long overdue.
Charlie Rich started out as a Sun Records session player, recording songs with Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis before embarking on his own successful career in country music. Rich reached No. 1 on the country charts with hits like “Behind Closed Doors,” and “The Most Beautiful Girl,” but the singer also borrowed a little something from many genres, and his songs included elements of jazz, rockabilly, soul, and blues. Rich passed away in 1995, but thanks to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, his music will be once again celebrated, 20 years after his death.
Samuel Moore and Dave Prater (known simply as Sam & Dave) are widely regarded as the greatest soul duo of all time, mostly thanks to their domination of the music charts during their time working together. The duo produced 10 consecutive Top 20 singles and three consecutive Top 10 LPs, and the pair was instrumental in bringing soul music to white audiences. Prater passed away in 1988, but Moore is scheduled to appear on Saturday night.
Memphis Slim has been covered by everyone from Ray Charles to Jimi Hendrix, and his music from the ’40s and ’50s went on to become blues standards. Slim passed away in 1988, but his legacy lives on at the Stax-affiliated Memphis Slim House, a place for Memphis musicians of all kinds to learn, collaborate, and hone their craft.
Getting his start as Elvis Presley’s session guitarist, Scotty Moore helped define the era of rock-and-roll that put Memphis on the map. Imitated by many but duplicated by none, Moore is also a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Moore also cracked the Top 30 of Rolling Stone‘s 100 Greatest Guitarists and provided an intimate look at Elvis Presley with his book That’s Alright, Elvis: The Untold Story of Elvis’s First Guitarist and Manager.
Alberta Hunter and Al Jackson, Jr. round out Saturday’s list of honorees. Hunter is already a member of the Blues Hall of Fame, and her classic song “Downhearted Blues” was included in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry in 2002. Jackson, Jr. is best-known as the timekeeper in Booker T. and the MG’s, but he also performed as a session drummer for Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, and Al Green, among others.
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