Tag: Memphis
Categories
Government
Note: All area codes are 901
GENERAL INFORMATION
ALL EMERGENCIES: 911
CORRECT TIME AND WEATHER: 526-5261.
GENERAL INFORMATION: 415-2700 (LINC, Memphis/Shelby County Public Library’s information and referral system).
WEATHER: 544-0399, National Weather Service.
srh.noaa.gov/meg.
HOTLINES
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: 454-1414, memphis-aa.org
BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU: 759-1300, midsouth.bbb.org
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT: 543-7120
COCAINE ANONYMOUS: 725-5010. 800-662-4357,
ca.org/phones.html
DEAF INTERPRETING: 577-3783
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: 458-1515,
mscema.org
EMERGENCY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE: 577-9400,
samhsa.gov (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration).
FAMILY LINK / RUNAWAY SHELTER: 725-6911 or
youthvillages.org, 276-SAFE
FRIENDS FOR LIFE / AIDS SWITCHBOARD: 278-2437,
friendsforlifecorp.org
POISON EMERGENCIES: 528-6048, 800-288-9999 (TN only), 800-222-1222. aapcc.org (American Association of Poison Control Centers)
RAPE CRISIS / MEMPHIS SEXUAL ASSAULT RESOURCE CENTER: 272-2020, rainn.org (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).
SUICIDE AND CRISIS INTERVENTION: 274-7477,
mhsanctuary.com/suicide/
TEEN DRUG HOTLINE: 527-3784.
VETERANS COUNSELING CENTER: 544-0173, va.gov/rcs/
YWCA ABUSED WOMEN’S HOTLINE: 725-4277,
memphisywca.org
CLEAN-UP/SANITATION
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: 576-6722. For new garbage service: 576-6851, cityofmemphis.org
COMMUNITY SERVICES
AGING COMMISSION OF THE MID-SOUTH (formerly Delta Area Agency on Aging): 324-6333, agingcommission.org
CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING: 726-6404, mcil.org/mcil
CENTER FOR NEIGHBORHOODS: 636-6592
METROPOLITAN INTER-FAITH ASSOCIATION (MIFA): 527-0208, mifa.org
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT SECURITY: 800-344-8337
tennessee.gov/labor-wfd/esdiv.html
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION: 544-0115, eeoc.gov
CITY GOVERNMENT
CITY GOVERNMENT INFORMATION: 576-6500,
cityofmemphis.org
PUBLIC SERVICES INFORMATION: 576-6564
CITY COUNCIL OFFICE: 576-6786
CITY MAYOR’S OFFICE: 576-6000
CITY TREASURER/TAXES: 576-6306
COMPLAINTS/MAYOR’S CITIZEN SERVICE CENTER: 576-6500
PARK SERVICES (FORMERLY PARK COMMISSION): 576-4200
PUBLIC WORKS: 576-6742
COUNTY GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION: 545-5000, shelbycountytn.gov
COMPLAINTS/COUNTY ASSISTANCE CENTER: 545-4584
COUNTY ASSESSOR OF PROPERTY: 379-7303,
assessor.shelby.tn.us/content.
COUNTY COMMISSION: 545-4301
COUNTY MAYOR’S OFFICE: 545-4500
COUNTY TRUSTEE/TAXES: 521-1829, shelbycountytrustee.com
JUVENILE COURT: 405-8400
PUBLIC SERVICE: 576-6564
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION: 333-3520. fda.gov
HEAD START: 922-0700, tnheadstart.org
HEALTH DEPARTMENT: 544-7600
HUMAN SERVICES: 576-6503, cityofmemphis.org
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: 800-772-1213, ssa.gov
TENNCARE: 800-342-3145, tennessee.gov/tenncare/
HOUSING/REGULATIONS
BUILDING PERMITS: 379-4200
HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: 576-7300
HOUSING AUTHORITY: 544-1100
LANDMARKS COMMISSION: 576-7191
PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT: 576-6619
OTHER AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS
ARTSMEMPHIS: 578-2787,
artsmemphis.org
CENTER CITY COMMISSION: 575-0540,
downtownmemphis.com
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MEMPHIS REGIONAL: 543-3500, memphischamber.com
CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU, MEMPHIS: 543-5300. memphistravel.com
COUNTY ARCHIVES, SHELBY COUNTY: 545-4356,
memphislibrary.org/history/archiv1.htm
CORPS OF ENGINEERS: 785-6055, mvm.usace.army.mil
ELECTION COMMISSION: 545-2600, shelbyvote.com
FBI: 747-4300, memphis.fbi.gov
HEALTH & PEST CONTROL: 324-5547, gmapca.com
IRS: 800-829-3676, irs.gov
JURY COMMISSION, SHELBY COUNTY: 545-4065
LIBRARIES, MEMPHIS & SHELBY COUNTY: 415-2700,
memphislibrary.lib.tn.us
PASSPORT OFFICE: 521-2559
POST OFFICE: 800-275-8777 (customer affairs)
VETERANS AFFAIRS: 523-8990,
www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility
VISITOR INFORMATION: 543-5333
VOTER REGISTRATION: 545-4136, shelbyvote.com/
PETS/ANIMALS
ANIMAL PROTECTION ASSOCIATION: 324-3202,
spaymemphis.com
FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE: 327-7631,
fws.gov/southeast/maps/tn.html
MEMPHIS ANIMAL SHELTER: 362-5310,
petfinder.org/shelters/TN111.html
MEMPHIS HUMANE SOCIETY: 272-1753, memphishumane.org/
TENNESSEE WILDLIFE RESOURCE AGENCY: 800-372-3928, state.tn.us/twra/
WILDLIFE REHABILITATION (Exotic Animal Rescue League): 756-5556.
PUBLIC SAFETY
MEMPHIS FIRE DEPARTMENT FIRE PREVENTION PROGRAMS: 320-5650, uc.memphis.edu/fire_course_info.htm
MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT
INFORMATION: 545-2677, memphispolice.org
CRIME STOPPERS: 528-2274, crimestopmem.org/
JAIL: 545-5660, 201 Poplar
SHELBY COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
INFORMATION: 545-4537, shelby-sheriff.org/
JAIL: 377-4500, Shelby County Correction Center
TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL
DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS: 543-6526,
tennessee.gov/safety/thp/districtfour.htm
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
MEMPHIS CITY SCHOOLS: 416-5300,
memphis-schools.k12.tn.us
SHELBY COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION: 321-2500,
scsk12.org/SCS/pages/brdtoc.html
TRANSPORTATION
AIRPORT AUTHORITY: 922-8000, Memphis International Airport. Call individual airlines for ticket and passenger information.
memphisairport.org
COAST GUARD — LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER: 544-3912,
uscg.mil/
DRIVER’S LICENSE: 543-7920 (various branches in Shelby County), tennessee.gov/safety/driverlicense/dllocation.htm
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: 291-3480, faa.gov/
MEMPHIS AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY (MATA): 722-7100,
matatransit.com/
MATA BUS SCHEDULES: 274-6282, matatransit.com/
MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION: 528-2904
MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION: 576-4244
TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS: 545-5400
UTILITIES
GARBAGE PICK-UP/SANITATION: 576-6508
MEMPHIS LIGHT, GAS & WATER: 820-7878 or 544-6549,
mlgw.com
TELEPHONE SERVICE, BELLSOUTH, RESIDENTIAL:
888-757-6500.
TELEPHONE REPAIR, BELLSOUTH, RESIDENTIAL: 877-737-2478
TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY: 785-8408, tva.gov/
Volunteer Coordinating Organizations
Metropolitan Inter-Faith Organization (MIFA)
MIFA is a community-service organization founded in 1968 that addresses needs in the Memphis community. Its 14 programs tackle homelessness, education, nutrition, and legal and financial concerns for more than 60,000 people each year. MIFA’s programs give individuals a chance to live independently with hope and dignity. MIFA depends on support from the community for volunteer time, leadership, and donations. (527-0208, mifa.org)
Volunteer Memphis
Volunteer Memphis’ goal is to connect people with opportunities to serve. Volunteer Memphis develops, promotes, and supports volunteerism in the Memphis area. Special programs include the corporate volunteer program, summer volunteer programs for teens, and group volunteering for single adults. The organization publishes a monthly calendar of volunteer activities, and its Web site has a searchable database of volunteer opportunities with more than 250 local agencies. (523-2425, volunteermemphis.org)
Animals
Memphis Shelby County Humane Society
Your landlord or spouse doesn’t approve of pets? Just an animal lover at heart? Assist the Humane Society, which rescues injured and abused animals, by helping groom, feed, and exercise dogs and cats. (937-3900, memphishumane.org)
Children
Court Appointed Special Advocates
A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained community volunteer appointed by a court to represent the best interests of abused or neglected children whose placement is being determined by the court. With the support of a program director and staff social workers, volunteers make an in-depth investigation into a child’s case, produce a written report, and make recommendations to the judge or referee on the child’s behalf. (405-8422, memphiscasa.org)
Exchange Club Family Center
The Exchange Club Family Center provides prevention, therapeutic intervention, and educational and support programs for children and families who are dealing with the traumatic effects of child abuse and domestic violence. Volunteers are needed for child care, administrative tasks, and special projects. (276-2200, exchangeclub.net)
Youth Villages
Youth Villages is the Mid-South’s largest provider of treatment and care for troubled children and their families. Volunteers serve as mentors, tutor in academics or job skills, assist with special projects or fund-raising efforts, provide administrative assistance, and teach a talent or skill. (251-4821,
youthvillages.org)
Disability Services
Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired works to foster independence and promote the highest quality of life among those who are blind or visually impaired. Volunteers are needed to help transport clients, perform administrative duties, help with fund-raising events, and perform a wide array of meaningful tasks. (523-9590, clovernook.org)
Memphis Center for Independent Living
The Memphis Center for Independent Living is a disability rights and advocacy organization. Volunteers are needed to make phone calls, prepare a quarterly newsletter, and assist the staff, most of whom have disabilities. (726-6404, mcil.org)
Mid-South Association for Retarded Citizens (Mid-South Arc)
The purpose of Mid-South Association for Retarded Citizens is to empower people with developmental disabilities and mental retardation to achieve their full potential. The Arc has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, including advocacy, case management, job readiness instructors, mentors, and Family Support Service program staff. (327-2473, arcmidsouth.net)
Raymond Skinner Recreation Center
The Raymond Skinner Recreation Center is a community-based facility offering programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an opportunity to participate in public leisure services and recreation. Volunteers can get involved in a variety of special programs, such as the Reach-Out and after-school programs, and are also needed for the summer camp and weekly Friday-night dances. (272-2528)
WYPL Talking Library
WYPL FM 89.3 provides the visually impaired and physically handicapped in Shelby County timely access to the news and other printed information over the radio. Volunteers read magazine and newspaper stories on the air. (415-2752, memphislibrary.org/wypl)
Health Services
Church Health Center / Hope and Healing
The Church Health Center provides health care for
uninsured working people and their families. All types of
health professionals are needed to staff the clinic on a volunteer basis during evenings and Saturdays. (272-7170, churchhealthcenter.org)
Crisis Center of Memphis
Volunteers receive training on how to respond and provide support to runaways and abused persons, as well as how to handle overdoses, loneliness, and other crises. The Crisis Center is a 24-hour crisis hot line, supported by Memphis Family Services, Inc. (274-7477)
Friends for Life — Aloysius Home
Friends for Life provides information about AIDS and support services for those with AIDS and their families. Opportunities for volunteers include cooking, serving, cleaning up after the Feast for Friends, a bimonthly client dinner, and filling client orders from the food pantry. (272-0855, friendsforlifecorp.org)
Hope House
Hope House is the only agency in Tennessee that provides much-needed day care and social services to the growing number of children and their families impacted by HIV/AIDS. Hope House assists with activities, recreation, companionship, and emotional support for affected children and their parents. Volunteers and interns are needed in a variety of tasks, including classroom assistance, mentoring, administrative work, and fund-raising. (272-2702 ext. 216 or ext. 206, hopehousedaycare.org)
National Foundation for Transplants
The National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) assists those needing a transplant to create a future of hope. NFT provides financial assistance, fund-raising expertise, and advocacy to organ and tissue transplant patients nationwide. Volunteer opportunities include general office work and help in planning and carrying out local fund-raising events. (684-1697, transplants.org)
Hunger and Homelessness
Calvary Street Ministry
This ministry works with the homeless to help them discover the tools they need to become positive contributors to society. The ministry provides an alcohol and drug program and a drop-in center for the mentally ill. Volunteers are needed to visit and interact with people at the drop-in center with programs like board games, activities, and arts and crafts. Volunteers are also needed on weekday mornings to interview the homeless.
(543-0372, calvaryjc.org)
The Food Bank
The Food Bank provides food and other grocery items to over 300 charitable feeding programs in 32 counties throughout the Mid-South. The Food Bank runs three Kids Cafe sites and the Prepared and Perishable Food Recovery Program and in addition sponsors the Feed the Need program in local grocery stores. Volunteers are needed to assist with special events, serve at Kids Cafe sites, sort and pack food items, and perform clerical duties. (527-0841, memphisfoodbank.org)
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis
Habitat builds homes for families who could not otherwise afford them. Interns and volunteers help with fund-raising, construction, and clerical work and participate in other activities. (761-4771 ext. 215, memphishabitat.com)
Literacy and Education
Memphis Literacy Council
Volunteers are needed to help with the Council’s adult-learning program. Volunteers can teach classes, work in the computer lab, and pair with students for private tutoring. Tutor-training workshops are held once a month. (327-6000, memphisliteracycouncil.org)
Neighborhood Christian Center
The center focuses on tutor and mentor programs for children K-12 in low-income neighborhoods. Volunteers are needed to assist with tasks such as sorting clothes, data entry, telephone calls, filing, and assistance with special events. (881-6013, ncclife.org)
Shelby County Prison — Division of Corrections
The Shelby County Division of Corrections encourages the rehabilitative process for incarcerated men and women. Through a variety of volunteer programs, inmates are provided with the essential tools to prevent them from being repeatedly incarcerated. (377-4573)
Streets Ministry
Streets Ministry provides services such as tutoring, Bible study, weekend and summer camps, computer training, and religious education to children and adolescents from low-income neighborhoods. (525-7380, streetsministries.org)
Senior Services
Alzheimer’s Adult Day Services, Inc.
This adult day services program for Alzheimer’s patients provides a safe and stimulating social environment for participants in an effort to help maintain a maximum level of functioning. Volunteers assist clients with daily group activities and provide one-on-one interaction as needed. (372-4585, alzheimersdayservices.org)
St. Peter Villa
St. Peter Villa is a nonprofit nursing home and rehabilitation center that is nonsectarian but supported by the Catholic Diocese of Memphis. Friendly faces are needed to visit with or “adopt” residents, many of whom have no family or friends nearby. Volunteers can also help by assisting with daily
activities, donating gifts, and preparing welcome baskets.
(276-2021, stpetervilla.org)
Related Stories…
Categories
The Magic 2008-Ball
Flyer editors and writers were each issued a new-fangled, high-tech research tool this week: a
Magic 8-Ball. Their first assignment? Create a list of fail-safe predictions for the coming year. Here’s what they came up with. You can’t say we didn’t warn you. — Bruce VanWyngarden, editor
Will COGIC’s Holy Convocation come back to Memphis?
Presiding bishop Charles E. Blake, elected in November, has promised that the 100th anniversary Holy Convocation wouldn’t be the last in Memphis, so the saints will return in 2008.
Even if the 6.5-million-member denomination decides to move the convocation to Atlanta or Los Angeles sometime in the future, they’ll be back eventually. Memphis is the birthplace of COGIC, and there are few higher claims than that. Face it. Even after thousands of years, the Olympics returned to Athens. Magic 8-Ball says: Without A Doubt.
Will Broad Avenue become the new South Main?
Okay, so maybe Broad won’t replace South Main as an arts district, but it may soon become just as relevant an art space with possibly hipper cred. The neighborhood just pulled off its second highly successful art walk, with works featured at Material, Metalcast, LRP Gallery, and other galleries. With the addition of the nautically themed Cove, featuring the décor formerly housed at Anderton’s East, the place has the potential to come into its own. Signs Point To Yes.
If strippers are forced to wear pasties, will crime go down?
We agree with outgoing Councilman Tom Marshall: There is no evidence that pasties deter crime. Nor will banning beer sales in topless clubs do anything to alleviate the city’s rampant gang problems. People will get buzzed one way or another. At least beer is legal. Legislating morality seldom works, says the 8-Ball. In other words: Don’t Count On It.
Will Elvis-mania ever die?
With Elvis Presley Enterprises investing in an expansion at Graceland — and a cleanup for the area around it — don’t expect Elvis-mania to wane anytime soon, even if his once-teenybopper fans require bifocals, walkers, and hip replacements. Ask Again Later.
Will the City Council have a productive year?
With a gazillion new members — some new to elected office, some not — the council will take this year to begin to understand what its job is, what its power is, and where its footing is (not to mention its office). And if there are more Main Street Sweeper-type indictments in the works, it will slow things down even more. Very Doubtful.
Will the Zippin Pippin’s future be resolved this year?
If the Zippin Pippin weren’t a roller coaster ride, it would be the perfect metaphor for one. Ever since Libertyland closed, the city has claimed the Grand Carousel but shunned the Pippin.
The cars were sold at auction, but the wooden structure was never removed from the former park. The ride and the cars were then donated to the Save Libertyland group and added to the National Historic Register. Then the city claimed ownership of the ride, because it wasn’t removed from the property by a certain date.
In December, the City Council was presented with three options for the Fairgrounds area, but, well, see above. My Sources Say No.
Will hometown hotties Ginnifer Goodwin and Justin Timberlake ever hook up?
Though Goodwin reportedly broke up with Chris Klein earlier this year, Timberlake seems to be going strong with Jessica Biel. Besides, if the 2008 ball said “As I See It, Yes” or “It Is 
Decidedly So,” Perez Hilton would be posting
it to his blog right now.
Better Not Tell You Now.
Will Memphis and Shelby County consolidate their crime-fighting efforts?
To avoid a power struggle between county sheriff Mark Luttrell and Memphis police director Larry Godwin, maybe the Justice League will step in as the county’s top crime fighters. But things this big move slowly, and the Magic 8-Ball is also slowly turning. Now it says: Very Doubtful.
Will blogger Paul Ryburn move to the suburbs?
The downtown blogger (paulryburn.com) doesn’t just eat and drink downtown. He lives, works, and plays there, too. He helped found a community group against downtown panhandlers and the Residents for a Safer Downtown organization.
But if he hooks up with a suburb-loving lady — maybe a Romanian in a tube top — you never know. Still, the 8-Ball says: My Reply Is No.
Will there be a compelling on-field reason to go to Redbirds games this season?
AutoZone Park is a great place to be in the summer — barbecue nachos in the bleachers, kids rolling around on the bluff, the satisfying crack of baseballs ricocheting off wooden bats.
But, if atmosphere is the primary selling point of minor-league baseball, then a chance to see tomorrow’s stars today is the secondary one, and, in that respect, the St. Louis Cardinals’ threadbare minor-league system hasn’t treated Redbirds fans well of late.
That could change next year, when the Redbirds are likely to boast a real top prospect in the form of centerfielder Colby Rasmus. The 21-year-old, who broke Bo Jackson’s prep home-run record in Alabama, was projected as a Top 50 prospect by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus prior to last season and is sure to shoot up that list for 2008 after hitting 28 home runs and stealing 18 bases in only 128 Double-A games last season. Signs Point To Yes.
Will more local politicians and their associates be indicted?
Local FBI agent-in-charge My Harrison and U.S. attorney David Kustoff have expanded the hunt for governmental crooks beyond the scripted theater-in-the-round of Tennessee Waltz videos into actual graft initiated by the felons themselves.
Two recent indictees are former MLGW head Joseph Lee and former county commissioner Bruce Thompson, each of whom is charged with offenses that in previous years would have been shrugged off as one-hand-washing-the-other politics. It Is Certain.
Will the Grizzlies get better?
The Grizzlies’ slow start this season may seem like same-old, same-old to casual fans, but a closer look strongly suggests the team has played better than its record. In the NBA, point-differential (how many points a team has won or lost games by) has proven to be a better indicator of future performance than winning percentage.
Through mid-December, the Grizzlies boasted the point-differential of a near-.500 team, closer to the even mark than any other losing team in the league, something reflective of the bad luck and poor late-game execution that resulted in a league-worst 0-5 record in games decided by 3 or fewer points.
Also factor in that, because of injuries to center Darko Milicic and point guard Michael Conley, the team had yet to play a single game with its eventual projected rotation, and the Grizzlies are poised to be a team that improves over the course of the season. As I See It, Yes.
Will Grizzlies attendance come back?
After finishing last in NBA home attendance last season, the Grizzlies have crept up a little in the standings early this season, but that’s more a result of other teams doing even worse than the Grizzlies doing better.
Barring a major event (like winning the draft lottery, drat!), NBA attendance is generally more a reflection of the previous season than the current one. So, winning back fans will be a slow process. The real test will be if the Grizzlies can improve this season and generate expectations for the 2008-2009 season.
So, we may start to get an answer to this question in 2008, but the answer won’t be complete until the fall. Cannot Predict Now.
Will conditions at the Memphis Animal Shelter improve?
In recent months, grassroots activists, animal rescuers, and animal advocates have formed a group called Change Our Shelter. They claim adoptable animals are being euthanized for minor conditions like allergies or runny noses, and they want to see the shelter change its euthanasia policies to allow rescue groups to adopt sick animals. They’re also fighting for longer adoption hours, a friendlier staff, and a new citizen-run shelter advisory board. Ask Again Later.
Will Nothing But the Truth be another Memphis-made prestige film?
Memphis has generally had pretty good luck with the quality of its recent made-in-Memphis flicks. The Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line garnered an Oscar for Reese Witherspoon. The still-unreleased Blueberry Nights brought one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the world, Wong Kar-Wai, to town. 21 Grams didn’t quite work, but it paired an elite cast (Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro) with a hot director (Alejandro Inarritu, who went on the make Babel). And that doesn’t even factor in Craig Brewer’s films.
Nothing But the Truth, the recently shot political/journalistic potboiler that’s a thinly veiled roman à clef about New York Times reporter Judy Miller’s role in the CIA leak case, doesn’t boast quite the pedigree. Director Rod Lurie is best known for the overheated The Contender. The declarative title of Lurie’s Memphis-made follow-up suggests a similar lack of nuance. Outlook Not So Good.
Will the Rhodes-Jennings Building come back to life this year?
The 19th-century cast-iron gem that is the former Lowenstein’s Department Store and later Rhodes-Jennings Building on North Main downtown is being rehabbed — again. So, is 2008 the year someone actually moves into the place? With the bad luck this century-old building’s had, the 8-Ball’s staying on the safe side: 
Ask Again Later.
Will 2008 be a better year for new Memphis music than 2007?
Amy LaVere broke out big-time and stalwart local artists such as Vending Machine and Harlan T. Bobo released fine records in 2007, but most of the heavyweights on the local music scene took the year off. In 2008, new records from the North Mississippi Allstars and Reigning Sound (based in North Carolina now, but recorded in Memphis) are already on tap, which should get the year off to a good start. Most Likely.
Will a major earthquake strike Memphis in 2008?
Ever since the great earthquake of 1811 shook this area with such force that the Mississippi River flowed backward — well, that’s the story, anyway — Memphians have been nervously expecting “the big one.”
Experts and pseudo-experts have given their opinions, and one year a scientist named Eben Browning even predicted the exact day the quake would strike (December 3, 1990). News flash: It didn’t. We keep hearing that we are sitting directly on the New Madrid fault, so it’s only a matter of time, but the fact is that we are not. The fault line is actually several hundred miles to the west, so even if a quake did run along that fault line, there’s no way to say how much damage it would cause here — if any. Very Doubtful.
Will Target move into the Sears Crosstown building?
Midtowners have been begging for a “big-box” retailer for years, but with the not-in-my-backyard caveat (because of the huge parking lot these places normally demand). The majestic Sears building on North Cleveland has been vacant since 1983 and has changed hands countless times since then. It’s about the only property in Memphis that already has the size, parking, and location necessary for a big-box retailer. But the 8-Ball is waffling: Cannot Predict Now.
Will Pau Gasol be traded?
Chicago newspaper columnists and a not-insignificant segment of the team’s fan base would like to answer this question in the affirmative, but all signs so far from the team’s new brain trust of general manager Chris Wallace and coach Marc Iavaroni point to no.
Gasol’s presence allowed the Grizzlies to work out a deal this summer for Gasol’s Barcelona buddy Juan Carlos Navarro, a crafty, deadeye shooter who already has become a fan favorite and is currently one of the league’s biggest bargains. Navarro will be a restricted free agent this summer, however, so moving Gasol (without moving Navarro along with him) could make resigning Navarro more difficult.
Ultimately, the answer to this question could be dependent on whether Gasol can break out of his early-season slump and whether the current roster can gel. Ask Again Later.
Will John Daly say or do something embarrassing in 2008?
The fast-living hard-drinking sometime Memphian is way overdue for a blow-up. (We’re hoping for a love connection between Daly and Tamara Mitchell-Ford, but that’s probably too much to hope for.) It Is Decidedly So.
Will some perky food or travel channel host come to Memphis?
And, of course, while they’re here they are contractually obligated to repeat the age-old nonsense about how the city is divided to the point of civil war over the wet or dry preparation of barbecue ribs. Most Likely.
Will Harold Ford Jr. come back home
to stay?
Since he lost his Senate race to Bob Corker, Ford has taken so many high-profile jobs outside of Memphis, sometimes it seems like all the former congressman ever wanted was Shelby County in his rearview mirror. 
Outlook Not So Good.
Will Scripps Howard sell The Commercial Appeal?
The CA‘s circulation is tanking hard, labor disputes are ongoing, and recent dunderheaded decisions to move the newspaper’s ad layout department to India and seek paid sponsors for editorial content have resulted in harsh criticism. Scripps recently split the company into print and broadcast divisions, so they’re already halfway there. Signs Point To Yes.
Will the “West Memphis Three” get a
new trial in 2008?
Few crimes have caused as much controversy as the triple murder that took place in Crittenden County in 1993. Three boys tied up, mutilated, and strangled. Three boys arrested. One confession (perhaps). After a lengthy and complicated trial, two boys (now young men) are serving life sentences, one other is on death row.
But hold on. What are we to make of newly revealed DNA evidence that could link one of the victim’s fathers to the crime or reports that the slain boys’ horrific injuries — once thought to be part of a satanic ritual — were inflicted by wildlife after the boys were killed? The West Memphis Three have a hotshot legal team, high-profile public opinion, and, allegedly, DNA evidence to support them.
Even Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines has now joined the chorus of those clamoring for a new trial.
Signs Point To Yes.
Will Gus’s Fried Chicken ever be able to get rid of the smell of David Gest?
Sure, he’s been gone for a while, achieving stardom of a sort in Great Britain, but unwanted Gests have been known to linger where they’re not wanted. Don’t Count On It.
Will the new Music Commission make any difference to the music biz hereabouts?
Our civic leaders never seem to realize that the circumstances responsible for Memphis’ glorious musical past were completely organic. They evolved without a business plan and therefore cannot be re-created with a business plan, especially not one that involves bringing in more business-minded businessmen from more business-minded cities. My Sources Say No.
Will the Tigers win the NCAA basketball championship?
The NCAA tournament may be known for its exciting upsets, but talent usually wins out in the end and that typically means NBA-level talent. The teams with the most (and best) future pros have proven to have a significant advantage over their competition in the drive for the college hoops title.
Tiger fans have taken to lauding the talent on this year’s team, but how does it really match up with other recent title winners, as well as other teams competing for this year’s title?
The University of Memphis currently has three players solidly on the NBA radar: Freshman point guard Derrick Rose is a consensus Top 5 pick. Junior swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts is projected to be anywhere from a mid-first-rounder to a second-rounder. Senior center Joey Dorsey is projected to be a second-rounder, if drafted at all.
Even if you’re optimistic about the pro prospects of Rose, Douglas-Roberts, and Dorsey, the Tigers would be only the second title winner this decade — and third in the past 13 seasons — without at least four players drafted to the NBA.
If the Tigers win the NCAA title, it will mean one of two things: that Dorsey and Douglas-Roberts have enhanced their status as pro prospects or the team itself has bucked a very strong trend. 
Don’t Count On It.
Will The Pyramid ever become a Bass Pro Shop — or anything other than an empty, pointy building?
Is it possible for The Pyramid to ever succeed as a giant tackle shop, an aquarium, a museum, or an amusement park? Doubtful. Assuming it legal to sell beer and spirits inside a sexually oriented business, could The Pyramid succeed as the world’s biggest strip club? You May Rely On It.
Will Craig Brewer leave Memphis?
It’s hard to imagine the existence of Memphis’ growing film community without the success of Craig Brewer, the blues-obsessed writer and director whose films have revolved around strippers, pimps, and drunken nymphomaniacs. If local government continues to crack down on beer sales in sexually oriented businesses, will Brewer be forced to move his base of operations to nearby Holiday, Tennessee, where, in spite of the area’s rural Bible Beltness, the booze still flows and the strippers take it off? Better Not Tell You Now.
Will the Huey Burger be named
“best burger”?
After a jillion years of being voted the best burger in town by some local media outlet, possibly the Flyer, the odds of this happening again are pretty good. 
As I See It Yes.
Will Democrats retake control of the state Senate?
Encouraged by the special election victory of Democrat Andy Berke to capture the vacated seat of disgraced Tennessee-Waltzer Ward Crutchfield in Chattanooga, Tennessee Democrats are suddenly optimistic about their chances to regain control of the state Senate in the 2008 elections.
But, given the fact that a fresh Republican (state representative Dolores Gresham) is challenging octogenarian John Wilder, the deposed former Democratic speaker, in Fayette, the Magic 8-Ball says: Don’t Count On It.
Will Fred Thompson win the Republican presidential nomination?
Way back in the spring and summer, actor/pol/lobbyist Fred Thompson was all the rage in Republican circles as a potential savior in the presidential race. But since then he has shown up on the debate stage and the campaign trail, and even on TV, a medium which should have favored him, as looking wan, uncertain about his message, and less than resolute.
Worse for Thompson has been the rapid rise of another Southerner, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who seems actually to know what he believes, right or wrong, and whom many are now touting as a more than possible GOP nominee. Very Doubtful.
Does Nikki Tinker have a chance to unseat Steve Cohen?
Tinker, the former Democratic primary congressional candidate against eventual winner Steve Cohen in 2006, is running against him again, and evidently with the same philosophy — that actually taking positions on issues (or even speaking of them) is either bad manners or bad politics.
Meanwhile, Tinker has swapped Amen choruses. Instead of Emily’s List, which went after Cohen in 2006 despite his long-term support of women’s issues, she now has LaSimba Gray and other prominent members of the Baptist Ministerial Association, who hate hate-crimes legislation (except as a club to beat white devil Cohen with).
Does corporate lawyer Tinker have a chance against the incumbent? Ask Again Later.
Is there such a thing as a “good” political action committee?
New Path is a PAC, but it isn’t bound by party affiliation nor is it divided along racial lines. New Path’s aim is to see to it that the best candidates the city has to offer become the officeholders Memphians can be proud of — a real fresh idea. The bywords for those candidates: ability and accountability — something new on the local political scene and something maybe to think about nationally this presidential election year. Signs Point To Yes.
Can I get published?
The 20th annual “Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word” is to be celebrated in Memphis in October. If you’re a writer and would like to be considered as a participating author, send two copies of your manuscript or galley by June 1st to Humanities Tennessee, Attn: Program Committee, 306 Gay St., Nashville TN 37201. Include in that submission a press kit and author bio, then wait to hear. What’s the worst you could hear? My Reply Is No.
Will we ever get to drink beer and watch strippers at the same time again?
The outgoing Memphis City Council voted to table the strip club issue until March, when the new council and its nine freshmen will apparently be forced to decide whether or not gentlemen’s clubs can serve alcoholic beverages and permit consenting adult females to dance au naturel from the waist up. Will the new City Council vote to bring beer and boobs back to our sacred beer and boobs bars? Outlook Not So Good.
Will the rift over control of the National Civil Rights Museum be resolved?
April 4, 2008, marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis. The site of that assassination, now the National Civil Rights Museum, stands for King’s legacy to the thousands of visitors who come from around the world each year. Locally, though, the museum is the crux of a continuing struggle between factions wrestling about who should be allowed to influence the way the civil rights story is told and who should be represented on the museum’s board of directors.
In this year of special remembrance of King’s impact on our country and reflection on how far we’ve come in the 40 years since his death, will the parties involved with the museum flap bury their differences to commemorate King? Cannot Predict Now.
Will there be peace between Mayor Willie Herenton and the new City Council?
Herenton broke bread with members of his newly elected City Council at the Rendezvous restaurant in November, and, while there were smiles all around, His Honor warned about a “gray line” beyond which lay “certain areas where either branch [could decide] to get into the other branch’s domain.”
Given the mayor’s alpha-male propensities and the heavy Young Turk concentration on the new council, 8-Ball says: Better Not Tell You Now.
Do It Yourself Quiz
by John Branston
Elsewhere in this issue, Flyer writers and editors have made some predictions with the help of their trusty Magic 8-Balls. Here’s where you, the reader, get to make yours.
1) The current buzz phrase most likely to be forgotten a year from now will be (a) aerotropolis (b) political consultant (c) Blue Crush (d) monetize.
2) The next big deal for Memphis that will show tangible progress in 2008 will be (a) biotech zone on the site of the old Baptist Hospital (b) makeover of Sears Crosstown building (c) Fairgrounds (d) Shelby Farms.
3) The Memphis sports surprise of 2008 will be (a) highly rated Tiger basketball team falls short of Final Four once again (b) a new hunting and fishing alliance (c) University of Memphis football team wins eight games (d) the Grizzlies playoff run.
4) The Memphis attraction that will suffer the biggest attendance drop in 2008 will be (a) Graceland (b) Tiger football (c) Memphis Redbirds (d) Memphis Grizzlies.
5) The 2007 news headliner most likely to be forgotten one year from today will be (a) indicted former commissioner Bruce Thompson (b) “sex-plot” diva Gwendolyn Smith (c) strip club owner Ralph Lunati (d) indicted former MLGW CEO Joseph Lee.
6) Which of the following people is most likely to have another 15 minutes of fame in 2008? (a) Mary Winkler (b) Rickey Peete (c) Roscoe Dixon (d) John Ford.
7) The share price of FedEx, which hit a 52-week low of $94 in December, will be how much a year from now? (a) $85 or less (b) $95 (c) $105 (d) $115 or more.
8) Local governments will make ends meet by (a) raising property taxes (b) implementing a payroll tax on commuters (c) cutting services (d) layoffs.
9) The downtown “big deal” that will go away in 2008 will be (a) Beale Street Landing boat dock (b) Gene Carlisle’s high-rise hotel and condos (c) Bass Pro in The Pyramid (d) the COGIC convention.
10) The thing people will be talking about after Mayor Herenton’s New Year’s Day speech will be (a) a surprise proposal (b) the angry tone (c) the conciliatory tone (d) another local news story that will overshadow it.
11) The government-by-referendum idea that will pass in 2008 will be (a) term limits for city politicians (b) no property-tax increase without a referendum (c) both (d) neither one.
12) The next superintendent for Memphis City Schools will have a background in (a) education and Teach for America (b) the military (c) big business (d) Memphis or Tennessee politics and government.
13) Facing public loss of confidence and financial pressure, Memphis City Schools will close or schedule the closing of how many schools in 2008? (a) none (b) five or less (c) five to 10 (d) more than 10.
14) A final decision will be made in 2008 to put the football stadium for the University of Memphis (a) on the main campus (b) on the South Campus (c) build a new stadium at the Fairgrounds (d) renovate the existing stadium at the Fairgrounds.
15) The big news out of the federal building in 2008 will be (a) major new indictments of public figures related to political corruption (b) no major new indictments of public figures related to political corruption (c) a courtroom defeat for prosecutors (d) reversal of Judge Bernice Donald’s desegregation order for county schools.
16) The news with the biggest negative impact on Memphians in 2008 will be (a) sky-high MLGW bills (b) rising violent-crime rate (c) $4-a-gallon gasoline (d) massive foreclosures and falling housing values.
17) Who is most likely to leave their job in 2008 for whatever reason? (a) Tommy West (b) My Harrison (c) John Calipari (d) Willie Herenton.
Answers: 1) b; 2) a; 3) a; 4) d; 5) b; 6) a; 7) d; 8) d; 9) d; 10) c; 11) d; 12) a; 13) b; 14) d; 15) a and d; 16) c; 17) b
Related Stories…
Categories
Predictions for 2008: a Quiz
A do-it-yourself quiz for Memphis prognosticators and Flyer readers.
1. The current buzz phrase most likely to be forgotten a year from now will be (a) Aerotropolis (b) political consultant (c) Blue Crush (d) monetize.
2. The next big deal for Memphis that will show tangible progress in 2008 will be (a) Biotech zone on the site of old Baptist Hospital downtown (b) makeover of Sears Crosstown (c) Fairgrounds (d) Shelby Farms.
3. The Memphis sports surprise of 2008 will be (a) highly-rated Tiger basketball team falls short of Final Four once again (b) a new hunting and fishing alliance (c) University of Memphis football team wins eight games (d) the Grizzlies playoff run.
4. The Memphis attraction that will suffer the biggest attendance drop in 2008 will be (a) Graceland (b) Tiger football (c) Memphis Redbirds (d) Grizzlies.
5. The 2007 news headliner most likely to be forgotten one year from today will be (a) indicted former commissioner Bruce Thompson (b) “sex-plot” diva Gwendolyn Smith (c) strip club owner Ralph Lunati (d) indicted former MLGW CEO Joseph Lee.
6. Which of the following people is most likely to have another 15 minutes of fame in 2008? (a) Mary Winkler (b) Rickey Peete (c) Roscoe Dixon (d) John Ford.
7. The share price of FedEx, which hit a 52-week low of $94 in December, will be how much a year from now? (a) $85 or less (b) $95 (c) $105 (d) $115 or more.
8. Local governments will make ends meet by (a) raising property taxes (b) implementing a payroll tax on commuters (c) cutting services (d) layoffs.
9. The downtown big deal that will go away in 2008 will be (a) Beale Street Landing boat dock (b) Gene Carlisle’s high-rise hotel and condos (c) Bass Pro in The Pyramid (d) the COGIC convention.
10. The government-by-referendum idea that will pass in 2008 will be (a) term limits for city politicians (b) no property-tax increase without a referendum (c) both (d) neither one.
11. The next superintendent and top leadership of the Memphis City Schools will have a background in (a) education and Teach For America (b) the military (c) big business (d) Memphis or Tennessee politics and government.
12. Facing public loss of confidence and financial pressure, the Memphis City Schools will close or schedule the closing of how many schools in 2008? (a) none (b) five or less (c) five to ten (d) more than ten.
13. A final decision will be made in 2008 to put the football stadium for the University of Memphis (a) on the main campus (b) on the South Campus (c) build a new stadium at fairgrounds (d) renovate the existing stadium at Fairgrounds.
14. The big news out of the federal building in 2008 will be (a) major new indictments of public figures related to political corruption (b) no major new indictments of public figures related to political corruption (c) a courtroom defeat for prosecutors (d) reversal of Judge Bernice Donald’s desegregation order for county schools.
15. The news with the biggest negative impact on ordinary Memphians in 2008 will be (a) sky-high MLGW bills (b) rising violent-crime rate (c) $4-a-gallon gasoline (d) massive foreclosures and falling housing values.
16. Who is most likely to leave their job in 2008 for whatever reason? (a) Tommy West (b) My Harrison (c) John Calipari (d) Willie Herenton.
My answers: 1, b; 2, a; 3, a; 4, d; 5, b; 6, a; 7, d; 8, d; 9, d; 10, d; 11, a; 12, b; 13, d; 14, a and d; 15, c. 16, b.
Categories
Batteries Not Included
Consolidating Memphis and Shelby County is the government equivalent of changing your phone service, Internet service, credit cards, bank, checking account, brokerage firm, home mortgage, termite contract, doctor, car insurance, utilities, club memberships, billing address, will, and marital status.
And it gets really hard if you have children.
Now that Mayor Willie Herenton has been reelected to another four-year term, consolidation is back in the news.
“We need to consolidate,” Herenton told a Memphis Regional Chamber of Commerce audience last week. “We’ve been singing that song, and we’re going to open that hymnbook again.”
In 1993, two years after he was first elected, Herenton floated the idea of consolidation by surrender of the city charter. The New York Times even did a story about it. The mayor appointed a committee to look into it. The committee included some familiar names. The chairman was Mike Cody, a Memphis attorney, former candidate for mayor, and former Tennessee state attorney general. Members included Herman Morris, who ran against Herenton in the 2007 mayoral election, John Ryder, who managed the Morris campaign, Charles Carpenter, who managed Herenton’s campaign, state senator Steve Cohen, who is now a member of Congress, Shelby County attorney Brian Kuhn, and others.
Their conclusion, in short: no way.
“You can say I’m in favor of it,” Cody said in a telephone call from Boston this week. “We tried to find some ways.”
There were 14 pages of analysis, to be exact.
The Tennessee General Assembly would have to pass an enabling law. If the law was amended to apply to the Memphis city charter, 10 percent of the residents of the city could petition for a referendum. The committee noted, however, that the state constitution apparently only envisions dissolving cities with a city manager and commission form of government.
“No dissolution method is provided by the General Assembly for cities organized as is Memphis,” the committee concluded.
As for legal and practical problems that might arise from charter surrender, the committee suggested a few: Suburban cities such as Bartlett, Collierville, and Germantown might use annexation to cherry-pick prime neighborhoods and pick up residents and/or retail. Or residents of a defined area in the suddenly unincorporated Memphis could hire a smart lawyer, incorporate, and invent a new city.
“Any contracts of the city of Memphis would survive a surrender of the charter and could be enforced,” the report said. Joint boards and commissions “would require some degree of restructuring.” Consolidation “would be further complicated for those authorities with holdings in their own names.” The city board of education would be abolished unless provisions were made to create a special taxing district. Both MATA and MLGW “would cease to exist.”
The committee fell back on the old, safe standby of “functional consolidation” of certain departments, which has been dusted off several times since then.
In 2002, Cohen requested an opinion on charter surrender from the state attorney general. The answer was no way once again.
“The General Assembly may not revoke the charter, the Memphis City Council is not authorized to surrender the city charter, and no statute authorizes the Memphis city charter to be revoked by a referendum election of the voters,” the opinion said.
Case closed? Not quite. Lawmakers can do almost anything if they put their minds to it, witness those lottery tickets on sale at your neighborhood convenience store. But the lottery had popular support, and other states had shown the way.
The city most often mentioned as a model for consolidation is Louisville, which has some similarities to Memphis: river city, big college-basketball town, long-serving mayor, air-cargo hub. The big difference is that Louisville was 65 percent white before consolidation and more than 80 percent white after consolidation, which took effect in 2003 after voter approval in 2000.
You don’t need 750 words to figure out that one.
Categories
Standing at the Crossroads
A longtime Memphis music insider calls the history of the Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission “labyrinthine.” The organization has existed under different names. It has changed agendas. The doors to the presidency and board of directors seem to revolve at a dizzying pace.
Public perception — insofar as Internet message boards and local-interest blogs can gauge — is that the commission has absorbed ample public funds and produced nothing enduring in return. Plenty of confusion remains, though, about what the commission is actually empowered and financed to do.
When asked how much money the music commission has cost, and to what results, Shelby County finance officer Jim Huntsiger reacts this way:
“That’s a good question,” he says.
Huntsiger explains that the county provided an annual grant in the $150,000 range for operating costs beginning in 2000 but that a scheduled, gradual reduction brought the county government funding to zero as of fiscal year 2008. The city continues to fund the jointly governed organization to the tune of $125,000 annually, while the county’s patience seems to have expired.
Last month, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted down a resolution to transfer $50,000 to the music commission for the purpose — in classic music-commission-style vagueness — of “enhancing the music industry.”
With government support waning and a suspicious public looking on, the embattled Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission is at a crossroads.
The music commission and the Memphis Music Foundation, the commission’s fund-raising arm since 2003, split earlier this year. The commission then voted former Motown Records producer Ralph Sutton — who came to the city three years ago to run House of Blues Studio D — its new chairman of the board.
Sutton hopes to adjust the music commission’s focus to the new rules of the music industry, empowering artists with business training and stressing independence — something his experience suits him for. “The most intriguing part of the challenge would be to put what I’ve learned from people like [Motown Records founder] Berry Gordy to work here,” he says.
Standing outside the House of Blues Studio D off Lamar Avenue, Sutton says he is so enamored of his new surroundings that he sometimes records the sounds of the Memphis night. Though Sutton has engineered and produced records by Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and other giants of the Motown sound, the chorus of cicadas that fills the air after dark in Memphis is new music to the Los Angeles native.
Though the county funds for the music commission have dried up, the city’s share is enough to pay a new executive director. Sutton will participate in that search — the executive director is jointly appointed by the city and county mayors, but the commission board will have some input in the decision — and some insiders say that he needs to look no further than the nearest mirror for the best candidate.
Sutton is game. When asked how he’d do things differently from former commission president Rey Flemings — whose self-interested leadership coupled with the organization’s inertia during his tenure symbolize the commission’s failures in the public mind — Sutton says, “I’ve already been validated.”
Sutton says that certain of the commission’s struggles are attributable to unqualified leadership, mistakes the commission should have learned from. “The press and the public have a right to wonder what the commission was doing,” Sutton says. “The [next] executive director would need to be a true music professional. The city has tried to use a marketing person and a fireman. It has to be someone who has industry connections and the understanding of the creativity and human characteristics of a musician, record producer, or songwriter. It’s important that we select someone who has a running knowledge of the industry.”
While Flemings left the commission for greener financial pastures, Sutton says he’s already been there. “I’m human, and I believe that we’re all striving toward more recognition and better opportunity. I could always go work for Lionel [Richie] or Stevie [Wonder]. But I don’t really have an interest in that. I would prefer to participate in the rebirth of something here.”
It’s simple enough for Sutton to claim greater commitment to the city than Flemings showed, but he views the tasks ahead of the commission with a pragmatism missing from Flemings’ plans, which included bringing the MTV Video Music Awards to Memphis.
“We’re not attractive to major companies right now,” Sutton says. “Sony’s not thinking about coming down here. Universal’s not going to open an office here until we can show them that we have some infrastructure. Industry professionals as a whole need to know this information.”
The rebirth Sutton envisions will require planning for sustained growth and ground-up music industry development built around knowledgeable artists. Sutton says that business-savvy artists enjoy a heightened opportunity to succeed in the independent-driven digital music age.
“People can’t expect us to be able to start doing things like an established city like Nashville,” explains Sutton. “The realistic thing is to recognize that we have things to learn. We need to start industry programs for musicians here. What is a publishing-rights organization [PRO]? What’s the difference between a PRO and a publishing company? They need to know those types of things to know how to make a living. We don’t know who’s going to be a star, but we can help people make a living. We’re in a digital world now, and we have to start with the little things and work our way up.”
Justin Fox Burks
Left: Dean Deyo; Right: Ralph Sutton
Rather than aiming for a one-time big splash like the MTV awards, Sutton defines the role of the new music commission as empowering artists through high-level industry connections.
“ASCAP and BMI would be down here in a heartbeat,” he says. “They wouldn’t open offices, but they’d send high-ranking people to do seminars and Q&A’s. A digital music company like iTunes would love to come and help us with the process of getting our songs on there. We need to learn from Concord and gain from the publicity they’re bringing Stax. They’re the biggest independent record label in the world, and they’re masters of repackaging. They’re showing us how we can do this.”
In the meantime, the commission can still help musicians out in a pinch. They’ve used money from the unused executive director’s salary to subsidize local events like Goner Fest and organizations such as the Center for Southern Folklore. They also administer a health-care program for 15 qualifying music professionals, and they could accommodate more.
Finally, Sutton stresses visibility and accountability for the commission in the local music community. Monthly music-commission meetings take place at the Central Library. “If you’ve got a complaint, come on and say it. If I can’t answer it, then it’s something we’ll have to work on. We need to put ourselves in a position where the musicians can come and access the commission,” he says.
When asked how the commission will be financed after losing its fund-raising apparatus, Sutton says, “That’s going to be another thing. We’ve got to get some real sponsors.”
The organizations — the music commission and the Memphis Music Foundation — have begun to coexist, according to their leaders. “We’re at the front end of getting our relationship back,” Sutton says. “There was some confusion on both sides, but with Dean Deyo’s leadership at the music foundation, it’s getting better. They’re into promoting Memphis music, fostering new artists, and preserving the music. So, if they can do those things, we’re always going to get along.”
“We expect to support things they do, and we expect them to support things we do,” Deyo says.
The Memphis Music Foundation, launched in 2003 as the fund-raising arm of the music commission, split from the commission shortly after Deyo assumed leadership on January 1st. The foundation represents the influence of Memphis Tomorrow, a behind-the-scenes coalition of corporate leaders from the city’s largest companies that encourages economic development here. In 2002, following a series of economic development surveys, the organization targeted three industries as crucial to economic growth in Memphis: logistics and distribution, biotechnology, and music. Memphis Tomorrow formed committees within its membership, focusing on each of the target industries. Phil Trenary, CEO of Pinnacle Airlines, for example, chairs the music-industry development committee.
The foundation came out of the need for fund-raising beyond the $300,000 or so initially approved from the city-county arrangement. Memphis Tomorrow initiated a strategic plan for the music commission, which, in light of personnel changes and the commission/foundation divorce, is the only document available to gauge the organizations’ effectiveness over time.
The plan was based in part on an extensive survey of local music-industry professionals called “Get Loud.” The programs outlined in the plan were to have provided tasks for the commission and foundation. It shows the challenges facing the industry at the time — the lack of professional development opportunities here was cited as the chief obstacle to overall industry growth — as well as a series of proposed solutions, including a Memphis music festival that featured Memphis acts from across generations and genres.
A proposed Sam Phillips Independent Music Center hung its fate on a network of music-industry service “providers” who would donate their time to the center and assist Memphis music professionals. No such providers were identified in the plan, and their recruitment doesn’t seem to have been accounted for.
A proposed Memphis Music Venture Fund never grew beyond the idea that it would include $10 million in assets to invest in worthy local music businesses. Neither did a “music business district” or a Memphis counterpart to the pioneering live-music TV program Austin City Limits. A Memphis “Grand Ole Opry”-style venue, featuring perfect acoustics and state-of-the-art technical infrastructure, located at the corner of Beale and Third, obviously failed to materialize. The plan called for “sponsorships from major electronics manufacturers,” not otherwise identified, to fund the venue.
The strategic plan’s priority schedule rated developing the now-defunct music commission Web site a 10, for highest priority. Likewise, a “global concert event,” a Memphis Music Conference, and something called the “digital distribution initiative” were given top-priority ratings without ever materializing.
Flemings, who was hired in 2003, made an annual salary of $129,950, not including benefits, as president of the combined music commission/foundation. His hiring, insiders say, reflected the will of Memphis Tomorrow and alienated music-oriented members of the commission/foundation board to please the business-minded members. The rift foreshadowed this year’s amicable divorce of the music commission and music foundation, which both organizations deem as mutually beneficial.
The Memphis Music Foundation can now operate privately to promote economic development in the Memphis music industry. “We create talent. It’s just that when we create talent, their attorney is in Atlanta, their studio is in Nashville, and their publicist is in L.A. We want those people here in Memphis,” Deyo says.
While the music commission focuses on connecting local artists to outside resources, the foundation will concentrate on bringing music business to Memphis. “We’re not a foundation to hand out money,” Deyo says. “But if there are things we can do to help with our resources, we’d like to do what we can to help.”
The foundation plans to move into new offices at 431 South Main on October 1st. Deyo says his group can function more effectively without having its books open, like the music commission must do as a public entity.
“If you’re a public body, everything you do can be discussed in public,” Deyo says. “You have to give information to anyone anytime they want it. When you’re negotiating a deal and there’s another city competing for that deal, we don’t want them to know what our deal is.”
Deyo has entered negotiations to bring an independent recording studio to Memphis. He bargains for tax breaks for the prospective business and entices them with other incentives. “We started out against six different cities, and now it’s down to us and New Orleans. I don’t want New Orleans to know what I’m offering, and that’s hard to do when you’re a public body,” Deyo explains.
The potential studio relocation is precisely the sort of project the foundation will focus on in its new incarnation. “Our goal is economic development,” explains Deyo. “In 1973, the music industry in Memphis was the third-largest employer. There were all these different pieces of it that we lost. We want to regain that.”
Deyo says that the foundation will open a musician resource center at its South Main facility to provide up and coming musicians with “knowledge, networks, and connections,” he says. “We’re not going to start a record label. We’re not going to do anything but provide them with a place where they develop a marketing brochure for a band, talk about legal needs, or ask any question about the music business. We’ll provide answers. We won’t tell them what to do, but we’re going to give musicians access to the knowledge of how other bands who have made it have done it.”
In order to establish the music business in Memphis, the foundation must first establish the legitimacy of music and the opportunity it represents to the business community at-large.
“Memphis music is well thought of outside Memphis,” Deyo says. “I couldn’t raise 50 bucks in Memphis today to fund a music business. The business community considers it risky and not for any particular reason. It’s just kind of an attitude. My background with Time Warner helped me build relationships with CEOs of companies here. Part of my job is to rebuild the credibility of the music industry in the eyes of the business community.
“There is a lot to do. I don’t know if we will ever get back to where we were in 1973. That’s pretty heady stuff. I see it as something we don’t have to build from scratch or reconfigure our education system for,” Deyo says. “It can be part of the city’s economic engine and provide jobs.”
Blue Ridge Paper Products is moving its headquarters to Memphis from North Carolina. From the the Asheville Citizen-Times:
One of Western North Carolina’s largest employers is moving its home office to Memphis and will lose its top executive and financial officer, according to a company memo to workers.
Richard Lozyniak, Blue Ridge Paper Products chief executive, will step down at the end of the week after declining to follow the company to Tennessee, according to an internal memo Friday.
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John Wadsworth, chief financial officer, is staying on for an undisclosed amount of time to help with the transition but will also leave.
The memo does not mention job changes beyond the management level.
Mark Clasby, director of the Haywood County Economic Development Commission, said the headquarters move won’t hurt the local economy because “there’s not that many people involved in the home office.”
New Zealand-based Rank Group bought Blue Ridge for $338 million in a deal that closed July 31.
The company owns Evergreen Packaging in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and plans to merge the two businesses into a new company called Evergreen Packaging Group, which will be headquartered in Memphis.
Evergreen Packaging has 1,150 workers, according to the Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce. Blue Ridge employs about 1,300 people at its Canton mill and a finishing plant in Waynesville.
Clasby said it’s too early to tell what the merger will mean for local jobs.
“In any merger there is always consolidation,” he said. “We really don’t know at this point.”
Categories
A to Z
Hungry? Sure, you could stay in and make something, but why should you when Memphis and its surrounding areas are filled with great restaurants serving up just the thing to sate your appetite?
This dining guide — organized by neighborhood, from A to Z — should point you in the right direction, whether you’re hankering for hibachi in Hickory Hill, craving pizza in Cooper-Young, or dying for something sweet downtown. Making a decision at this fork in the road has never been easier.
BARTLETT
ABUELO’S MEXICAN FOOD EMBASSY—Serves quesadillas, carne asada, and chili rellenos, along with beef tenderloin, jumbo shrimp, and several seafood entrées. 8274 U.S. 64. 672-0769. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
GRIDLEY’S—Offers barbecued ribs, pork plate, chicken, and smoked turkey; also lunch specials. Closed Tuesday. 6842 Stage Rd. 377-8055. L, D, #, $-$$, MRA
LA PLAYITA MEXICANA—Specializes in seafood, including red snapper and oysters; also offers steaks and a variety of Hispanic entrées. 6194 Macon. 377-0181. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
SAITO STEAKHOUSE—Japanese cuisine cooked at your table; sushi bar has 100 offerings. Closed for lunch Saturday. 6600 Stage, Ste. 101. 373-1957. L, D, FB, #, $$
SIDE PORCH STEAK HOUSE—In addition to steak, the menu includes chicken, pork chops, and fish entrées; homemade rolls are a specialty. Closed Sunday and Monday. 5689 Stage. 377-2484. D, FB, #, $-$$
WILLIE MOFFATT’S—Large menu includes everything from bacon-wrapped filet mignon and a rum-marinated chargrilled chicken sandwich to shrimp baskets and a Tequila lime salad. 2779 Old Whitten. 386-2710. L, D, FB, $
CHICKASAW GARDENS/UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
NEW TO CHICKASAW GARDENS/UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
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EL PUERTO — Six months after the opening of El Puerto, customers’ reactions are positive. “They love the food. They love the way our waiters treat them and serve them with a smile,” says manager Alex Rojas. “Our customers say, ‘Oh, we’re going to tell our friends about this place and the food here.'” The Mexican restaurant offers lots of choices. “Our fajitas are the most popular item,” Rojas says. “We also have steak, shrimp, and fish tacos. We have a big menu to choose from, and we have great margaritas.” An additional bonus: live Spanish music from 8 to 11:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
775 S. Highland. 452-8019. L, D, $
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A-TAN—Mandarin entrées are a chicken-pork-beef-shrimp combo and a seafood-vegetable stir-fry; also features a sushi bar. 3445 Poplar, Ste. 17, University Center. 452-4477. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
ANNE’S BAKERY & CAFE—Serves sandwiches, soups, salads, pastries, and desserts. Memphis Pink Palace Museum, 3050 Central. 320-6407. B, L, #, $, MRA
BROTHER JUNIPER’S—Offers salads, soups, sandwiches, and homemade breads, pastries, and desserts; also, breakfast on weekends. Closed Monday. 3519 Walker. 324-0144, B, L, #, $, MRA
CRUMPETS—British pub fare includes vegetable tarts, Cornish pasties, rosemary chicken salad, burgers, and Chef’s Sampler. Tea served 2-3:30 p.m. Closed Sunday-Monday. 262 S. Highland. 324-2221. L, Wi, #, $
EL CHICO—This mainstay in University Center dishes out fajitas, chimichangas, fried ice cream, and other Tex-Mex fare. Enchilada specials on Wednesdays. 3491 Poplar. 323-9609. L, D, FB, #, $
ELFO’S—Changing luncheon menu features such specialties as pink-peppercorn salmon with orange sauce and eggplant Napoleon, along with soups, sandwiches, salads, and homemade desserts. Closed Sunday. 3092 Poplar. 888-0402. L, FB, #, $, MRA
LA BAGUETTE—Offering soups, quiche, sandwiches (including paninis), and pastries in a French-style setting. 3088 Poplar. 458-0900. B (bakery), L, #, $, MRA
MEDALLION— Offers steaks, seafood, chicken, and pasta entrées; buffets at both lunch and dinner. 3700 Central, Holiday Inn (Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality). 678-8200. B, L, D (except Sunday), FB, #, $-$$, MRA
PETE & SAM’S—Serving Memphis for more than 50 years; offers steaks, seafood, and traditional Italian dishes. 3886 Park. 458-0694. D, Br, # (except bathrooms), $-$$
RONNIE GRISANTI AND SONS—Specializes in handmade Tuscan cuisine; menu items include ravioli and baked manicotti, along with seafood and steaks. Closed Sunday. 2855 Poplar. 323-0007. D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
WOMAN’S EXCHANGE TEA ROOM—Chicken-salad plate, beef tenderloin, soups-and-sandwiches, and vegetable plates are specialties; adjacent shop features handmade items. Closed Saturday and Sunday. 88 Racine. 327-5681. L, #, $
CITYWIDE
ASIAN PALACE—Chinese fare is the specialty, including shrimp with walnuts and oysters, Peking-style pork and duck; also crab, lobster, and vegetarian items. 2920 Covington Pike. 388-3883; 4978 Park Ave. (mainly takeout). 761-7888. L, D, Br, Wi, $
BANGKOK ALLEY—Thai cuisine includes noodle and curry dishes, as well as duck, catfish, and seafood entrées. Closed for lunch Saturday and all day Sunday, Cordova location. 830 N. Germantown Parkway (Cordova). 753-7250. 2150 W. Poplar at Houston Levee (Collierville). 854-8748. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$, MRA
BLUE COAST BURRITO—Build-your-own burritos with an array of steak, fish, chicken, and fresh veggies. Menu also includes fish tacos and made-to-order salads. 3546 Walker. 323-3730; The Avenue at Carriage Crossing (Collierville). 850-TACO. L, D, $
BOL A PASTA—Serves shrimp scampi, baked pastas, steaks, and fresh seafood. 2200 N. Germantown Parkway. 384-7988; 3160 Village Shops Dr. 757-5609. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
BONEFISH GRILL—Two specialties are pistachio-parmesan-crusted rainbow trout and tenderloin portobello piccata; steak and pork also served. 1250 N. Germantown Parkway (Cordova). 753-2220; The Avenue at Carriage Crossing (Collierville). 854-5822. L (Saturday-Sunday, Collierville), D, FB, #, $-$$
BUCKLEY’S FINE FILET GRILL—Specializes in steaks such as eight-ounce center-cut filets but also offers grilled chicken, seafood, and pasta. 5355 Poplar. 683-4538; 714 N. Germantown Parkway (Cordova). 756-1639. Buckley’s Lunch Box, 919 S. Yates (lunch Monday-Friday and takeout only). 682-0570. L (Yates only), D (not Yates), FB (beer and wine only at Yates), #, $-$$, MRA
THE BUTCHER SHOP—Serves steaks ranging from 8-oz. filets to a 30-oz. porterhouse; also chicken, pork chops, fresh seafood. 101 S. Front. 521-0856; 107 S. Germantown Rd. 757-4244. L (Friday only, S. Germantown Rd.), D, FB, #, $-$$$, MRA
CARRABBA’S ITALIAN GRILL—Serves chicken marsala, calamari, various pastas, and other “old-world” Italian entrées. 5110 Poplar. 685-9900; The Avenue at Carriage Crossing. 854-0200. L (Saturday-Sunday, Collierville; Sunday, Poplar), D, FB, #, $-$$
CENTRAL B B Q—Dishing up ribs, sandwiches, hot wings, and more; also family packages. 2249 Central. 276-7573; 4375 Summer. 7676-4672. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$, MRA
CHINA INN—Serves Chinese, American, and down-home-style cuisine; daily buffet featured. 4430 Elvis Presley Blvd. 396-0287; 2829 Covington Pike. 383-8211. L, D, Br, #, $
COLETTA’S—Longtime eatery serves lasagna, ravioli, and pizza with barbecue or traditional topping. Closed for lunch Sunday, South Parkway location. 2850 Appling Rd. 383-1122; 1063 S. Parkway E. 948-7652. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
CORKY’S—Popular barbecue emporium offers both wet and dry ribs, plus a full menu of other barbecue entrées. 5259 Poplar. 685-9744; 1740 Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 737-1911; 743 W. Poplar (Collierville). 405-4999. L, D, Br,#, $-$$, MRA
CREPE MAKER—Specializes in hand-held crepes, including Philly steak, pesto, chicken, and vegetarian; also desserts. 175 Peabody Place. 522-1290; The Avenue at Carriage Crossing, Collierville. 861-1981. Closed for dinner Sunday, Collierville. B, L, D, Br, Wi (coolers), #, $
CRESCENT CITY—Entrées include red beans and rice, muffalettas, po’ boys, crawfish, and catfish; also beignets. The Avenue at Carriage Crossing (Collierville). 850-8580; 1315 Ridgeway Rd. 763-7008; 6585 Towne Center Crossing (Southaven, MS). 662-536-4013; 2362 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 213-9077. B (some locations), L, D, FB, #, $, MRA
EL MEZCAL—Serves burritos, chimichangas, fajitas, and other Mexican cuisine, as well as shrimp dinners and steak. 4688 Knight Arnold. 360-1838; 402 Perkins Extd. 761-7710; 694 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 755-1447; 1492 Union. 274-4264. L, D, FB, #, $
EL PORTON—Fajitas and steak ranchero are just a few of the menu items. 2095 Merchants Row (Germantown). 754-4268; 65 S. Highland, Poplar Plaza. 452-7330; 1805 N. Germantown Parkway (Cordova). 624-9358; 1016 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-5770; 8361 U.S. Highway 64. 380-7877. L, D, FB, #, $
FIREBIRDS—Specialties are hand-cut steaks, prime rib, rotisserie chicken, and fresh seafood, 8470 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 379-1300; The Avenue at Carriage Crossing (Collierville). 850-1603. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
GUS’S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN—Serves chicken with signature spicy batter, along with homemade beans, slaw, and pies. 310 S. Front. 527-4877; 215 South St. (Collierville). 853-6005. (Original location: 505 Highway 70 W., Mason, TN. 901-294-2028). L, D, Br, #, $-$$, MRA
HALF SHELL—Specializes in seafood, such as King crab legs; also serves steaks, chicken, pastas, salads, and sandwiches; oyster bar at Winchester location. 688 S. Mendenhall. 682-3966; 7825 Winchester. 737-6755. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
HARRY’S DETOUR—Eclectic American menu includes pecan-smoked meats and daily seafood specials. Closed Sunday and Monday, Cooper location; closed Sunday and Monday and dinner Tuesday, G.E. Patterson location. 532 S. Cooper. 276-7623; 106 G.E. Patterson. 523-9070. L, D, Br, #, $-$$
HUNAN PALACE—Menu items include Peking duck, orange beef, and “flower basket” of fish, chicken and vegetables in a Mandarin sauce. 1140 N. Germantown Parkway, Ste. 101 (Cordova). 751-8863; 7140 Highway 64. 388-7848. L, D, Br, #, $
INTERSTATE BAR-B-Q—Specialties include chopped pork-shoulder sandwiches, ribs, hot wings, spaghetti, chicken, and turkey. Closed Sunday, Southaven location. 2265 S. Third. 775-2304; 150 W. Stateline Rd. (Southaven). 662-393-5699. L, D, Br (S. Third), #, $, MRA
JIM’S PLACE—Features American, Greek, and Continental cuisine with such entrées as souflima (pork tenderloin) and Grecian lamb; also steaks and seafood. Closed for lunch Saturday and all day Sunday. 5560 Shelby Oaks. 388-7200; 3660 Houston Levee (Collierville). 861-5000. L, D, FB, #, $$, MRA
LA HACIENDA—Among the specialties are carnitas, shrimp adobe, and Mexican lasagne. 746 W. Poplar (Collierville). 850-7698; 1760 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 624-2920; 175-B Goodman Rd. W. 662-349-4484; 7034 Highway 64 (Oakland). 465-1505. L, D, FB, #, $
MCALISTER’S DELI—Sandwiches galore, including the Orange Cranberry Club with turkey, ham, and bacon topped with orange cranberry sauce and the California Classic with provolone and mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Plus, there’s a wide selection of salads, stuffed baked potatoes, wraps, and McAlister’s Famous Sweet Tea. 3482 Plaza Avenue. 452-6009; 2857 Kirby Pkwy., Ste. 119. 756-2943; 580 S. Mendenhall. 763-2711; 3855 Hacks Cross. 881-6068; 1 Commerce Square, Ste. 150; 522-9123; 8385 Stage, Ste. 115. 388-7053; 6600 Stage, Ste. 120 (Bartlett). 213-3311; 7990 Trinity, Ste. 129 (Cordova). 737-7282; 7710 Poplar (Germantown). 753-1507; 336 Market Blvd. (Collierville). 853-1492; 8390 Hwy. 51N, Ste. 110 (Millington). 872-1983; 975 East Goodman, Ste. 21 (Southaven). 662-349-3354; 8120 Camp Creek, Ste. 110 (Olive Branch). 662-893-4120. L, D, $
DAN MCGUINNESS PUB—Serves fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, and other Irish fare; also such entrées as herb-crusted salmon. 150 Peabody Place. 527-8500; 4698 Spottswood. 761-3711. B (Sat.-Sunday), L, D, FB, #, $-$$
MEMPHIS PIZZA CAFE—Homemade pizzas are specialties; also serves sandwiches, calzones, and salads. 2089 Madison. 726-5343; 5061 Park Ave. 684-1306; 7604 W. Farmington (Germantown). 753-2218; 5627 Getwell (Southaven, MS). 662-536-1364; 797 W. Poplar (Collierville). 861-7800. L, D, Br, Wi (Madison only), #, $, MRA
MESQUITE CHOP HOUSE—The focus here is on steaks, including a prime filet, a 24-oz. porterhouse, and a bone-in tenderloin; also, some seafood options. 5960 Getwell (Southaven). 662-890-2467; 88 Union. 527-5337. D, FB, #, $$-$$$
NEELY’S BAR-B-QUE—Serves pork ribs, sandwiches, spaghetti, hot wings, nachos, and smoked turkey 670 Jefferson. 521-9798; 5700 Mt. Moriah. 795-4177. L, D, Br, #, $, MRA
ON THE BORDER—Dishes out such Tex-Mex specialties as fajitas and steak- and-shrimp combination. 8101 Giacosa Pl. (Cordova). 372-8883; 4552 Poplar. 763-0569; 7935 Winchester. 755-6404; 6572 Airways Blvd. 662-536-0901. L, D, FB, #, $
PANCHO’S—Serves up a variety of Mexican standards, including tacos, enchiladas, and mix-and-match platters. 3600 Broadway (West Memphis). 870-735-6466; 717 N. White Station. 685-5404. L, D, FB, % (West Memphis), #, $, MRA
PEI WEI ASIAN DINER—Serves Pan Asian cuisine (Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, and Japanese) including General Tsao’s chicken. 1680 Union Ave., #109. 722-3780; 2257 N. Germantown Pkwy. 382-1822. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $
PETRA DELI & CAFE—Serves Greek, Italian and Middle Eastern sandwiches and entrées. Closed Sunday. 2140 W. Poplar Ave. (Collierville). 853-3521; 6641 Poplar. 754-4440. L, D, Br, #, $
PIG-N-WHISTLE—Offers pork shoulder sandwiches, wet and dry ribs, catfish, spaghetti, and stuffed barbecue potatoes; also homemade pies. 2740 Bartlett Rd. 386-3300; 6084 Kerr-Rosemark Rd. 872-2455. L, D, Br, FB (Kerr-Rosemark), #, $-$$
RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS—Menu includes a large selection of gourmet burgers from the 5 Alarm with jalepeno peppers and salsa to the Monster Burger with two beef patties, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. 1231 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 754-5501; The Avenue at Carriage Crossing (Collierville). 854-7645. L, D, FB, $
ROMANO’S MACARONI GRILL—Offers Northern Italian cuisine, including pasta Milano and penne rustica; also steaks, seafood, and salads. 6705 Poplar. 753-6588; 2859 N. Germantown Parkway. 266-4565. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
SEKISUI OF JAPAN/SEKISUI PACIFIC RIM & SUSHI BISTRO—Authentic Japanese cuisine, fresh sushi bar, grilled meats and seafood, California rolls, and vegetarian entrées. Pacific Rim cuisine at Poplar location. Closed for lunch Saturday-Sunday, at Belvedere, Union, Poplar, Collierville, and Goodman locations. Closed for lunch Saturday, and for dinner Sunday., Horn Lake. Humphreys Center, 50 Humphreys Blvd. Ste. 14. 747-0001; 25 Belvedere. 725-0005; Union at Second, Holiday Inn Select. 523-0001; 4724 Poplar (between Perkins & Colonial). 767-7770; 1884 N. Germantown Parkway (Cordova). 309-8800; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville), Ste. 107. 854-0622; 1255 Goodman Rd. W. (Horn Lake, MS). 662-536-4404. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
TOPS BAR-B-Q—Specializing in pork barbecue sandwiches and sandwich plates with beans and slaw; also serves burgers and fries. 4183 Summer. 324-4325; 5391 Winchester. 794-7936; 6130 Macon. 371-0580. (See phone book/go online for more locations.) L, D, # (most locations), $, MRA
COLLIERVILLE
NEW TO COLLIERVILLE
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ASHIYANA EXOTIC INDO PAK CUISINE — “Collierville is a very pretty town,” says Eric Manjiyani, manager of Ashiyana Exotic Indo Pak Cuisine, which opened just over a month ago. “We thought that it would be a good place to begin an Indian restaurant.” Ashiyana means “the house,” Manjiyani says, and was chosen to signify the restaurant’s dedication to an authentic Indian experience, from the menu’s Indo Pak flavoring to the sense of home it gives customers. Diners, both Indian and otherwise, have responded, Manjiyani says. “We’re having a lot of repeat customers. We’re short of seats right now. We wish we had a bigger place.” 835 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-5411. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $
CAFE GRILL—Asian/American entrées are chicken chow mein soup along with meatloaf, beef brisket, and certified Angus steaks; also a luncheon buffet. Closed Sunday. 120 W. Mulberry. 853-7511. L, D, #, $
CAFE PIAZZA BY PAT LUCCHESI—Specializes in gourmet pizzas, panini sandwiches, and pasta. Closed Sunday. 139 S. Rowlett St. 861-1999. L, D, Br, Wi, # (except bathrooms), $-$$
CAFFE ITALIA—Lasagne, cannelloni, and carpaccio are among dinner entrées; for lunch: panini sandwiches, salads. Closed Sunday-Monday. 102 Mulberry St. 850-8363. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
CHEEBURGER CHEEBURGER—A true-blue burger joint, including the Serious (10-ounces), the Delirious (14 ounces), and the Famous One-Pounder (20 ounces, to be more exact). All burgers and chicken sandwiches are made-to-order. Menu also includes a wide selection of shakes and malts. The Avenue at Carriage Crossing. 861-6776. L, D, $
FINO VILLA—Entrées include prime filet mignon, sea bass and lobster ravioli, and pollo Fino Villa. 875 W. Poplar. 861-2626. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
FUJI CAFE—Offers traditional Japanese cuisine and sushi bar; specialties are teriyaki and tempura dishes. 875 W. Poplar. 854-7758. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $$
JA JA’S THAI RESTAURANT—The menu offers some 40 traditional Thai entrées, including sweet and spicy pork; popular for its egg rolls. Closed Sunday and Monday. 192 Washington. 850-5222. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $
LEE KAN’S ASIAN GRILL—Offers Pan-Asian cuisine; pepper-orange steak and Hong Kong-style noodles are entrées; also sushi. 255 New Byhalia Rd, Ste. 111. 853-6686. L, D, FB, #, $$
MULAN—Hunan chicken, spicy tofu, and orange beef served here; sushi too. 2059 Houston Levee. 850-5288. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$
PASTA ITALIA—Northern Italian cuisine featuring handmade pastas; specialties include ravioli, canneloni, and seafood dishes. Closed for lunch Saturday and all day Sunday-Monday. 101 N. Center St. 861-0255. L, D, Wi, #, $$-$$$
SHANTI STEAK HOUSE—Serves steak, chicken, pork chops, and seafood, including shrimp. Closed Sunday. 336 New Byhalia. 861-7177. D, Br, #, $-$$
STIX—Hibachi steakhouse with Asian cuisine features steak, chicken, and a filet-and-lobster combination; also sushi. Closed for lunch Sunday. The Avenue at Carriage Crossing. 854-3399. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
THE TENNESSEAN—Set in an old train car on Collierville’s town square. Changing seasonal menu of contemporary Southern cuisine includes steaks, fish, poultry, and pasta. Closed Sunday and Monday. 123 N. Rowlett. 853-9447. L, D, FB, #, $-$$$
COOPER-YOUNG
NEW TO COOPER-YOUNG
Justin Fox Burks
LOU’S PIZZA PIE — Has there ever been a business more perfectly named than “Pie in the Sky”? The local parlors have dished out perfect pizza in various locations from South Main to the heart of Midtown. And one by one, every location has closed, leaving fans unable to gorge themselves on the garden-fresh “Sun Pie” or stuff themselves silly on the olive- and artichoke-laden “Moon.” Fortunately for those who can’t get enough of “Bluto’s Revenge” (spinach, feta, roasted garlic, and roma tomatoes), Lou’s Pizza Pie in Cooper-Young is now serving all the classics. 2158 Young. 722-4031. L, D, $
BEAUTY SHOP—American/Southwestern/Asian cuisine served in a former beauty shop. Closed for dinner Sunday. 966 S. Cooper. 272-7111. L, D, FB, #, $$, MRA
THE BLUE FISH—Seafood specialties include pecan-crusted grouper with crawfish-crab relish. Also organic meats, free-range chicken, and oyster bar. Closed Sunday. 2149 Young. 725-0230. D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
CAFE OLE—Chimichangas, shrimp diablo, fish tacos, vegetarian dishes, and daily specials are featured. 959 S. Cooper. 274-1504. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
CASABLANCA CAFE—Rack of lamb, grilled salmon with mango sauce, moussaka, and vegetarian entrées are served at this Moroccan/Greek/Middle Eastern restaurant. 2156 Young. 725-8557. L, D, #, $-$$
CELTIC CROSSING—Irish fare — including shepherd’s pie, fish & chips, and lamb stew — is featured here. 903 S. Cooper. 274-5151. L, D, FB, #, $, MRA
DISH—Specialties here range from deviled crab cakes to tempura prawns with spicy red pepper aioli; also tapas, i.e., “small plates”; choose from 45 items. 948 S. Cooper. 276-0002. D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
DO—This small Tokyo-style sushi bar features teriyaki, sushi rolls, grilled items, bento-box meals, salads, and more. Closed Sunday and Monday. 964 S. Cooper. 272-0830. D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
JASMINE THAI RESTAURANT—Entrées include panang green curry, masaman, and pad thai (noodles, shrimp, and peanuts); also seafood, vegetarian dishes. Closed Monday. 916 S. Cooper. 725-0223. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$
TSUNAMI—Features Pacific Rim cuisine (Asia, Australia, South Pacific, etc.); also a changing “small plate” menu. Closed Sunday. 928 S. Cooper. 274-2556. D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
CORDOVA
NEW TO CORDOVA
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WASABI SUSHI AND SAKE BAR — Both food and restaurant are eye-pleasing at Cordova’s Wasabi Sushi and Sake Bar, which opened August 8th. “We have unique décor, and everything is sectioned out,” says owner Johnny Lum. “We have very comfortable sofas, bar seating, booths, and contemporary artwork. It’s mix and match — casual but intimate and relaxing.” As for the food, Wasabi focuses on “presentation, good flavors, and quality seafood fresh from our vendors,” Lum says.
1134 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 754-0567. L, D, $
BAHAMA BREEZE—West Indies ribs, Jamaican-grilled chicken, and coconut shrimp are among the entrées at this Caribbean-themed restaurant. 2830 N. Germantown Parkway, Wolfchase Galleria. 385-8744. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
BOMBAY HOUSE—Indian fare includes lamb korma and chicken tikka; also, a daily luncheon buffet. 1727 N. Germantown Parkway. 755-4114. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$
HUNAN GOURMET—Serves authentic Asian cuisine and features a sushi bar, Hong Kong-style noodle bar, and Mongolian barbecue. 2965 N. Germantown Rd., Ste. 102. 371-9329. L, D, Br, #, $
JOE’S CRAB SHACK—Serves a variety of seafood, along with chicken, steak, and pasta. Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday. 7990 Horizon Blvd. 384-7478. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
THE MELTING POT—Steak, seafood, and poultry entrées prepared fondue-style at your table; also package meals. 2828 Wolfcreek Parkway. 380-9500. D, FB, #, $$-$$$$, MRA
SHOGUN JAPANESE RESTAURANT—Entrées include tempura, teriyaki, and sushi, as well as grilled fish and chicken entrées. Closed for lunch Saturday. 2324 N. Germantown Parkway. 384-4122. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
DOWNTOWN
NEW TO DOWNTOWN
[IMAGE-7}
ITTA BENA — “I love to hear live music, and I love to eat good food, but I don’t want to do them at the same time,” says Wil Thompson, general manager of the new, casual, elegant, bistro-style restaurant Itta Bena. The reason he mentions it is Itta Bena’s unique location: on the third floor of B.B. King’s Blues Club on the corner of Second and Beale, an intersection much more famous for hot guitar licks than pan-seared Alaskan halibut. When constructing the floor of his oasis of “serenity” above the club, Thompson says he “put down a layer of plywood, a layer of soundboard, another layer of plywood, a layer of rubber, and a layer of oak.” There’s also an entrance directly to the club, just in case the call of the wild gets to you. 143 Beale. 578-3031. D, Br, Wi, FB, %, $$-$$$, MRA
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MY GREEK CAFE — 345 Madison has been many things in recent years: a stripped-down punk club, an overstuffed comedy club, and various bars. It was recently converted by John Gegumis into My Greek Cafe, a sprawling, dark, and comfortable cafe offering authentic Mediterranean delights. Gegumis previously managed O Kypos, a wonderful but tiny diner located in the downtown Comfort Inn. My Greek Cafe is a reasonably priced, full-service reincarnation of O Kypos, with a full bar and an occasional spot of live music. Gegumis spent eight years cooking in his family’s restaurant on Kalamaki Beach in Zakynthos, Greece, and his simple takes on such Greek staples as souvlaki and spanakopita are steeped in family tradition. Gegumis has also brought back the succulent lamb ribs that made his little diner the talk of downtown foodies. Closed Sundays. 345 Madison. 507-2720. L, D, FB, $[IMAGE-9]
THE ARCADE—Offers American home-cooking, plus gourmet pizzas, sandwiches, and daily lunch specials. 540 S. Main. 526-5757. B, L, Br, #, $, MRA
AUTOMATIC SLIM’S TONGA CLUB—Specializes in American Southwestern/Asian/Jamaican cuisine, including coconut mango shrimp and whole red snapper. Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday. 83 S. Second. 525-7948. L, D, FB, #, $$, MRA
BIG FOOT LODGE—Hefty portions of prime rib, lobster, deep-fried Cornish game hens, catfish, and burgers (including 4-lb. Sasquatch) are specialties. 97 S. Second. 578-9800. L, D, FB, #, $-$$$, MRA
BLUEFIN RESTAURANT & SUSHI LOUNGE—Serves fusion or “edge” cuisine featuring seafood and steaks; also, a sushi bar. 135 S. Main. 528-1010. L (Tues.-Thurs.), D, FB, #, $$, MRA
BLUES CITY PASTRY SHOP & COFFEE BAR—Pastry shop and coffee bar on South Main downtown, featuring coffee and espresso and sweet treats, including chocolate pyramids and Mississippi Mud Cake. 153 S. Main. 576-0010. B, $
BLUFF CITY BAYOU—Cajun specialties are gumbo, crawfish étouffée, and jambalaya, as well as po’boy sandwiches and muffalettas. Closed Saturday and Sunday. 694 Madison. 527-0860. L, #, $
CAFE 61—American eclectic/Asian/Cajun entrées include blackened grouper and crispy duck waffles; also Sunday brunch. 85 S. Second. 523-9351. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
CAPRICCIO GRILL ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE—Steaks, seafood, pasta, and several northern Italian specialties are entrées. 149 Union Ave., The Peabody. 529-4199. B, L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
CAYENNE MOON—Serves New Orleans-Southern cuisine, specializing in lump crabcakes and seafood gumbo. Closed Sunday-Monday. 94 S. Front. 522-1475. D, #, $-$$, MRA
CENTER FOR SOUTHERN FOLKLORE AND CAFE—Vegetarian greens, hot-water cornbread, and peach cobbler are menu items. Closed Sunday. Main at Peabody Place Trolley Stop. 525-3655. L, Br, #, $, MRA
CHEZ PHILIPPE—Three-to-five-course meals offered with emphasis on French food with Asian flair. Afternoon tea also served from 2 to 3 p.m. (reservations required). Closed Sunday and Monday. The Peabody, 149 Union. 529-4188. D, FB, #, $$$$, MRA
CIRCA—Regional French cuisine with such specialties as sorghum-cured rack of lamb; menu includes steaks, chops, seafood. Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday. 119 S. Main, Pembroke Square. 522-1488. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
CONTE’S—Lasagna, baked ziti, chicken parmesan, and mussels in white wine sauce are menu items. Closed for lunch Saturday and all day Sunday and Monday. 149 Madison. 526-6837. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$
DAILY GRILL—Services classic American cuisine; dinner entrées include filet medallions, short ribs, steaks, and seafood, along with meatloaf and chicken pot pie. Westin Hotel, 170
Lt. George W. Lee. 334-5950. B, L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
ENCORE—Chef Jose Gutierrez offers French and Mediterranean entrées at this European-style bistro. Closed Monday. 150 Peabody Place, #111. 528-1415. D, FB, #,$$, MRA
E P DELTA KITCHEN & BAR—Serving a fusion of Cajun, Creole, and Southern cuisine in the former Elvis Presley’s Memphis eatery. Specialties include lobster étouffée and smoked duck gumbo; also a late-night menu. 126 Beale at Second. 527-1444. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
FELICIA SUZANNE’S—Crispy oysters in New Orleans barbecue sauce and filet of beef tenderloin with applewood-smoked-bacon potato cakes are American-Southern specialties. Closed Sunday and Monday. Brinkley Plaza, 80 Monroe, Ste. L1. 523-0877. L (Fri. only), D, FB, #, $$$, MRA
THE FLYING FISH—Serves up fried and grilled versions of shrimp, crab legs, oysters, catfish, and more. 105 S. Second. 522-8228. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$, MRA
GRILL 83—European-style steakhouse serves prime steaks and fresh seafood, including a signature New Orleans-style seafood gumbo. 83 Madison Ave., Madison Hotel. 333-1224. B, L, D, FB, %, # (except bathrooms), $$-$$$, MRA
HAPPY MEXICAN—Fajitas, steak ranchero, and a shrimp cocktail are specialties. Closed Sunday. 385 S. Second St. 529-9991. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
HARD ROCK CAFÉ—Menu includes “Tupelo” chicken tenders, New York strip steak, grilled salmon, and more. 315 Beale. 529-0007. L, D, FB, $-$$
INN AT HUNT-PHELAN—Cuisine is American with a Southern emphasis; also French entrées; Sunday brunch. 533 Beale St. 525-8225. Closed for dinner Sunday and all day Monday and Tuesday. D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
LOLO’S TABLE—Specialties are pan-seared scallops and sauteed lump crab cakes. Closed for lunch Saturday and all day Sunday. 128 Monroe. 522-9449. L, D, FB, #, $$, MRA
MCEWEN’S ON MONROE—Southern-American entrées include pepper-seared beef tenderloin with a Dijon cognac cream sauce;
and sweet-potato-crusted catfish with mac-and-cheese. Closed for lunch Saturday, all day Sunday. 122 Monroe. 527-7085. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
THE MAJESTIC—Offers American food, including pizza, shrimp, and pork tenderloin. 145 S. Main. 522-8555. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
MARMALADE—Southern homestyle entrées include catfish, fried chicken, pork chops, barbecued ribs, and chili. Closed Sunday and Monday. 153 G.E. Patterson. 522-8800. D, FB, #, $
MOLLY FONTAINE LOUNGE—This new eatery specializes in tapas (small plates) featuring global cuisine. 679 Adams. 524-1886. Closed Sunday-Tuesday. D, FB, #, $
MOVIE & PIZZA COMPANY—Offers a wide selection of pizzas as well as a wide selection of movies for rent. The menu includes meat and veggie pizzas as well as sandwiches. 110 Harbor Town Sq. 527-2233. L, D, Br, $
PEARL’S OYSTER HOUSE—Specializing in seafood, including oysters, crawfish, and stuffed butterfly shrimp. Closed Sunday. 299 S. Main. 522-9070. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
PEOPLE’S ON BEALE—Sports bar with plenty of pool tables to keep you occupied for hours, with a menu featuring traditional pub grub from hamburgers to chicken fingers. 323 Beale. 523-7627. L, D, FB, $
THE PIER—Specializes in steaks, prime rib, and seafood — including King crab and lobster tails; has excellent river views. 100 Wagner Place. 526-7381. D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
RENDEZVOUS—Menu items include barbecued ribs, chicken, beef brisket, nachos; also cheese plates, skillet shrimp, Greek salads. Closed Sunday and Monday. 52 S. Second. 523-2746. L (Fri.-Sat. only), D, Br, Wi, #, $, MRA
RIO LOCO—Entrées include fajitas, burritos, and seafood selections. 117 Union Ave. 523-2142. L, D, FB, #, $
SAUCES—Specializes primarily in seafood — including grouper, mahi, and halibut — accompanied by diners’ choice of complementary sauces, such as rosemary tomato basil and lobster cream. Closed Monday. 95 S. Main, Ste. 106. 473-9573. L, D, FB, #, $, MRA
SAWADDII—Among the Thai entrées are grilled sea bass with curry sauce and mahi-mahi with spicy chili sauce. 121 Union Ave. 529-1818. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
SPINDINI—Judd Grisanti offers regional Mediterranean fare, featuring steaks, seafood, and chicken dishes, cooked in a wood-burning oven. 383 S. Main. 578-2767. D, FB, #, $-$$$, MRA
STELLA—”Southern/global” fine-dining cuisine features steaks, fresh seafood, lamb, and more. Closed Sunday. 39 S. Main (at Monroe). 526-4950. D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
TEXAS DE BRAZIL—Serves beef, pork, lamb, and chicken dishes and Brazilian sausage; 60-item gourmet salad area; weekend brunch. 150 Peabody Place, Ste. 103. 526-7600. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
ZANZIBAR—Specializes in “new world” cuisine; entrées include Thai-glazed chicken wings, peanut soup, and various sandwiches and salads. Closed Sunday (except for brunch), Monday and Tuesday. 412 S. Main. 543-9646. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
EAST MEMPHIS
BRONTE—Full-service restaurant in a bookstore setting serves seafood, steaks, pastas, quiches, sandwiches, and salads. Davis-Kidd Booksellers, 387 Perkins Extd. 374-0881. B, L, D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$, MRA
CAFE TOSCANA—Serves contemporary Italian specialties, including parmesan talapia, along with other pasta and seafood. Closed Sunday. 5007 Black Rd., Ste. 150. 761-9522. D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
CAL’S STEAKHOUSE—University of Memphis basketball coach John Calipari lends his name and sports memorabilia to this restaurant serving steaks, pasta, and seafood. Double Tree Hotel, 5069 Sanderlin. 322-6666. B, L, D, FB, #, $-$$$, MRA
CASPIAN PERSIAN CUISINE—Fesenjon — i.e., pomegranate sauce with walnuts poured over chicken breasts — is a specialty; also grilled fillets, chicken, and Cornish hens. 715 W. Brookhaven Cl. 767-3134. L, D, FB, #, $-$$$
ERLING JENSEN, THE RESTAURANT—Presents “globally inspired” cuisine; specialties are rack of lamb, fresh fish, and wild game. 1044 S. Yates. 763-3700. D, FB, #, $$$, MRA
FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE—Serves steaks, prime beef, and chops, as well as chicken and fresh fish,. 6245 Poplar. 761-6200. D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
FOLK’S FOLLY ORIGINAL PRIME STEAK HOUSE—Specializes in prime steaks, as well as lobster, grilled Scottish salmon, Alaskan king crab legs, rack of lamb, and weekly specials. 551 S. Mendenhall. 762-8200. D, FB, #, $$$-$$$$, MRA
FRATELLI’S—Serves hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and soups, Closed Sunday and Monday. Memphis Botanic Garden, 750 Cherry Rd. 576-4118. L, #, $
THE GROVE GRILL—Offers steaks, chops, seafood, and other American cuisine with a Southern flair; entrées include shrimp and grits and sweet potato and turnip green hash; also Sunday brunch. 4550 Poplar. 818-9951. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
HIGH POINT PIZZA—Serves salads, sandwiches, and pizzas, including Margherita, barbecue pork, veggie, four-meat, and more. Pizza-by-the slice is available during lunch. 477 High Point Terrace. 452-3339. Closed Monday. L, D, $
INTERIM—Offers American-seasonal cuisine. A specialty is Memphis barbecued pork chop with goat-cheese grits, bacon-wilted greens, and smoked tomato sauce; also a Gulf seafood of the day. Closed for lunch Saturday and all day Sunday. 5040 Sanderlin, Ste. 105. 818-0821. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
JARRETT’S—Changing menu of American bistro cuisine includes horseradish-encrusted grouper and smoked trout ravioli with Arkansas caviar. Closed Sunday. 5689 Quince. 763-2264. D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
LULU GRILLE—Offers fresh seafood, steaks, chops, wild game, pasta, several sandwiches and homemade desserts. Closed Sunday except for brunch. 565 Erin, Erinway Shopping Center. 763-3677. L, D, FB, #, $-$$$, MRA
MANTIA’S—A Mediterranean cafe, deli, and market serving soups, sandwiches, salads, steaks, pasta, and seafood. Closed Sunday. 4856 Poplar. 762-8560. L, D, Wi, #, $-$$, MRA
MAYURI INDIAN CUISINE—Serves tandoori chicken, tikka masala, as well as lamb and shrimp entrées; also a lunch buffet, weekend dinner buffet. 6524 Quince Rd. 753-8755. L, D, Br, #, $
MORTIMER’S—Trout almondine, hand-cut steaks, and seafood pasta are among the offerings. Closed for lunch Saturday. 590 N. Perkins. 761-9321. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
NAPA CAFE—American eclectic specialties are prime dry-aged beef with red wine shallot demi-glace, rack of lamb, and potato-encrusted halibut. Closed for lunch Saturday and all day Sunday. 5101 Sanderlin, Ste. 122. 683-0441. L, D, FB, #, $$, MRA
NEW HUNAN—Chinese eatery with more than 80 entrées; also lunch/dinner buffets and a sushi bar. 5052 Park. 766-1622. L, D, #, $
OLD VENICE—Lasagna, pizzas, paninis, and various pastas are among the specialties here, including the “Pasta Maria” and the “John Wayne Pizza.” 368 S. Perkins Ext. 767-6872. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
THE TOWER ROOM AMERICAN GRILL—Offers steaks, seafood, pasta, lamb, and chicken dishes; also, vegetarian upon request. Clark Tower, 5100 Poplar, Ste. 3300. 767-8776. L (Monday-Fri.), D (Wed.-Sat.), FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
WANG’S CHINA BISTRO—Among the specialties here are crisp duck, shrimp, and scallops in garlic sauce, and grilled chicken with cucumber. 4002 Park. 327-4089. L, D, FB, $, MRA
WILD OATS—Offers “all-natural foods” and vegetarian menu, with pizza, hot-food bar, sushi bar, salad bar, deli, bakery, and more. 5022 Poplar. 685-2293. L, D, #, $
GERMANTOWN
ASIAN GRILL—Specializes in Pan-Asian cuisine (Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Malaysian) as well as fusion entrées. 2072 West St. (Germantown). 737-3988. L, D, Br, #, $
BITTERSWEET RESTAURANT—Lobster pie and filet Oscar are specialties at this steak/seafood place with a New England flair. Closed Monday and for lunch Tuesday. 7685 Farmington Blvd. (Germantown). 624-9499. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$
EQUESTRIA—Serves American-global fusion cuisine with Southwestern accents. Closed Sunday and Monday. 3165 Forest Hill-Irene Rd. 869-2663. D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
GERMANTOWN COMMISSARY—Barbecue sandwiches, ribs, nachos, and shrimp in a rustic atmosphere. 2290 S. Germantown. 754-5540. L, D, Br, # (except bathrooms), $, MRA
NEW ASIA—Specializing in authentic Chinese food. 2075 Exeter (Germantown). 758-8388. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$
ROYAL PANDA—Hunan fish, Peking duck, Szechuan chicken, and a seafood combo are among the specialties. 3120 Village Shops Dr. (Germantown). 756-9697. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$
SAKURA—Sushi, tempura, and teriyaki are Japanese specialties. Closed Sunday. 2060 West St. 758-8181. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
THREE OAKS GRILL—Rack of lamb, filet Paulette, prime New York strip T-bones, and crab-stuffed halibut are among the entrées. Closed for lunch Saturday. 2285 S. Germantown Rd. 757-8225. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
YIA YIA’S EUROCAFE—Wood-roasted salmon, and pork chops with smoked mushroom sauce are among the entrées; also steaks, pastas, pizzas, sandwiches, and salads; also, Sunday brunch. 7615 West Farmington at Poplar, Shops of Saddle Creek. 756-4004. L, D, FB, #, $$
MIDTOWN
ABYSSINIA RESTAURANT—Ethiopian cuisine is featured, with beef, chicken, lamb, fish entrées and vegetarian dishes; also, a daily buffet. Closed Sunday. 2600 Poplar. 321-0082. L, D, Br, #, $
THE BAR-B-Q SHOP—Dishes up barbecued ribs, bologna, chicken, pork shoulder sandwiches, and spaghetti, along with beef brisket, sandwiches, and salads. Closed Sunday. 1782 Madison. 272-1277. L, D, Br, #, $, MRA
BARI—Authentic Southeastern Italian cuisine emphasizes lighter entrées and fresh seafood, such as roasted striped bass, spaghetti carbonara, and fresh grilled sardines. 22 S. Cooper. 722-2244. D, FB, #, $$, MRA
BAYOU BAR & GRILL—Cajun fare includes jambalaya, gumbo, catfish acadian, Cajun shrimp, red beans and rice, and muffalettas. 2105 Overton Square Lane. 278-8626. L, D, FB, #, $, MRA
BHAN THAI—Serves curries, pad Thai noodles, and vegetarian dishes, as well as seafood, pork, and duck entrées. Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday and all day Monday. 1324 Peabody. 272-1538. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
BOSCOS SQUARED—Serves pasta, seafood, steaks, sandwiches, and pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven; also a variety of freshly brewed beers; also Sunday brunch. 2120 Madison. 432-2222. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
THE BRUSHMARK—Serves sandwiches, salads, and crepes; a signature item is African peanut soup. Closed Monday. Brooks Museum, Overton Park, 1934 Poplar. 544-6225. L, D, FB, #, $, MRA
Justin Fox Burks
CAFE 1912—Serves French/American/Creole cuisine, with Italian influences; seafood entrées include steamed mussels; also crepes and salads; offers Sunday brunch. 243 S. Cooper. 722-2700. D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$, MRA
CAFE SOCIETY—With Belgian and classic French influences, serves Angus beef, veal, chicken, and seafood dishes, along with weekly specials. Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday.
212 N. Evergreen. 722-2177. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
DRAGON CHINA—Specializes in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Szechuan cuisine, all-day buffet, and a 140-item menu. 1680 Madison. 278-8838. L, D, #, $
GOLDEN INDIA—Northern Indian specialties include tandoori chicken as well as lamb, beef, shrimp, and vegetarian dishes; also, a luncheon buffet. 2097 Madison. 728-5111. L, D, Br, Wi, $
INDIA PALACE—Tandoori chicken, lamb boti kabobs, and chicken tikka masala are among the entrées; also, vegetarian options and a daily lunch buffet. 1720 Poplar. 278-1199. L, D, Br, #, $
LE CHARDONNAY—Seafood, steak, and chicken entrées include Stilton-stuffed tenderloin and citrus-glazed grouper; also wood-fired pizzas. Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday. 2100-5 Overton Square Lane. 725-1375. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
LOBSTER KING—Specializes in Cantonese cuisine with an emphasis on fresh seafood, including crab, clams, and lobster. 32 N. Cleveland. 725-5990. L, D, #, $-$$, MRA
LOS COMPADRES—Entrées are enchiladas, burritos, tamales, tacos, and vegetarian dishes. 2617 Poplar. 458-5731. L, D, FB, #, $
MOLLY’S LA CASITA—Fajitas, chiles rellenos, a vegetarian combo, and bacon-wrapped shrimp are a few of the specialties. 2006 Madison. 726-1873. L, D, FB, #, $-$$ MRA
PAULETTE’S—Presents fine dining with a Continental flavor, including such entrées as crepes Florentine; also grilled steaks, chicken, salads, and rich desserts; offers weekend brunch. 2110 Madison. 726-5128. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
PETRA RESTAURANT—Offers primarily Greek cuisine, with some Middle Eastern and Korean dishes. Closed Sunday and Monday. 1761 Madison. 726-6700. L, D, Br, #, $$
PHO VIETNAM—Offers traditional Vietnamese cuisine, including stir-fry, spring rolls, and egg rolls. 1411 Poplar. 728-4711. L, D, Br, #, $
SAIGON LE—Vietnamese/Chinese specialties include pork chops with mushrooms and shrimp in black-bean sauce; vegetarian options too. Closed Sunday. 51 N. Cleveland. 276-5326. L, D, Br, # (except bathrooms), $
SHANG HAI—Offers Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai cuisine; one specialty is shrimp wrapped in bacon and noodles. Closed Sunday. 1400 Poplar. 722-8692. L, D, Br, # (except bathrooms), $
SIDE STREET GRILL—This martini and cigar bar also offers steaks, pasta dishes, and more. 35 S. Florence. 274-8955. D, FB, $-$$
TUSCANY—Formerly La Tourelle, serves Italian cuisine in a casual setting. Specialties include grilled sea bass and crawfish/tomato/lemon basil pasta; also Sunday brunch. 2146 Monroe. 726-5771. D, FB, #, $$
UMAI—Japanese-French fusion specialties include spinach gyozas stuffed with wild mushroom duxelles, and 48-hour-marinated duck breast; also, Sunday brunch. Closed Monday-Tuesday. 2015 Madison. 405-4241. D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$, MRA
NORTH MISSISSIPPI
BOILING POINT SEAFOOD & OYSTER BAR—Louisiana-style seafood includes crawfish, shrimp & grits, catfish, pasta dishes, seafood platters, and more. 4975 Pepperchase Dr. Southaven. 662-280-7555. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
BONNE TERRE CAFE—Offers American/French/Continental cuisine, including roast rack of lamb, chicken Florentine. Closed Sunday and Monday. 4715 Church Rd. W., Nesbit, MS. 662-781-5100. D, FB, #, $$$, MRA
CITY GROCERY—Southern eclectic menu of steaks and seafood changes seasonally; shrimp and grits is a specialty. Closed Sunday. 152 Courthouse Square, Oxford, Mississippi. 662-232-8080. L, D, FB, # (downstairs), $$-$$$
THE HOLLYWOOD CAFE—Serves steaks and seafood in a casual setting; also fried green tomatoes, dill pickles, and frog legs. Closed Sunday. 1130 Old Commerce Rd. Robinsonville, MS. 662-363-1126. L (Monday-Fri.), D (Fri.-Sat.), FB, #, $$
LEELAVADEE THAI CUISINE—Green curry with shrimp (or beef, pork, chicken, tofu, or vegetables) is a specialty here; also tom-yum soup. Closed Monday. 775 Goodman Rd., Ste. 11, Southaven. 662-536-4699. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
MADIDI—Owned in part by actor Morgan Freeman, Madidi serves French cuisine with a Southern flair. Closed Sunday and Monday. 164 Delta Ave., Clarksdale, MS. 662-627-7770/7724. D, FB, # (downstairs), $$-$$$
OLIVE BRANCH CATFISH COMPANY—Serves its catfish fried or grilled and blackened. Other menu items include steak, marinated chicken, and fried shrimp. 9659 Old Highway 78, Olive Branch, Mississippi. 662-895-9494. L, D, Br, #, $, MRA
TIMBEAUX’S—Creole/French specialties include fish stew in a tomato saffron broth, steak bordelaise, crawfish pizza, and jumbo shrimp and grits. Closed for lunch Saturday and all day Sunday. 333 Losher St. Hernando, MS. 662-429-0500. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$
POPLAR/I-240
AMERIGO—Specializes in pasta and wood-fired pizzas; also serves steaks and cedarwood-roasted fish. 1239 Ridgeway, Park Place Mall. 761-4000. L, D, FB, #, $-$$$, MRA
Justin Fox Burks
BENIHANA OF TOKYO—Japanese steakhouse with sushi bar offers beef, chicken, and seafood items grilled at your table. 912 Ridge Lake Boulevard. 683-7390. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$
BROOKLYN BRIDGE ITALIAN RESTAURANT—Specializing in such homemade entrées as pasta in a vodka-tomato-cream sauce. Closed Sunday. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 755-7413. D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
CHAO PRAYA—Thai dishes are panang seafood, gang koa duck, and green papaya salad. Closed for dinner Monday. 3588 Ridgeway. 366-7827. L, D, Br, Wi, #, $-$$, MRA
COZYMEL’S—Serves coastal Mexican entrées — from the Yucatan Especial to Chicken Flameado to sizzling fajitas; seafood entrées as well. 6450 Poplar. 763-1202. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
FRANK GRISANTI’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT—Northern Italian favorites include pasta with jumbo shrimp and mushrooms; also seafood, filet mignon, and daily lunch specials. Closed for lunch Sunday. Embassy Suites Hotel, 1022 Shady Grove. 761-9462. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
MIKASA JAPAN—Seafood and traditional Japanese dishes include sukiyaki, shrimp tempura, and chicken teriyaki; sushi buffet also featured. Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday. 6150 Poplar. 683-0000. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
MISTER B’s—Features New Orleans-style seafood and steaks. Closed for lunch Saturday and all day Sunday. 6655 Poplar,
Ste. 107. 751-5262. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
MOSA ASIAN BISTRO—Specialties include sesame chicken, pad Thai, and other Pan Asian entrées. Closed Sunday. 1825 Kirby Parkway. 755-6755. L, D, Br, #, $
OWEN BRENNAN’S—New Orleans-style menu of beef, chicken, pasta, and seafood; jambalaya and crawfish étouffée are specialties; also Sunday brunch. Closed for dinner Sunday. The Regalia, 6150 Poplar. 761-0990. L, D, FB, #, $-$$$, MRA
PARADISE CAFE—Offers soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta, and several vegetarian dishes. Closed Sunday. 6150 Poplar, Ste. 120. 821-9600. L, #, $
P.F. CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO—Specialties are Mongolian beef and chicken in lettuce wraps; also vegetarian dishes, including spicy eggplant. Park at Ridgeway, Park Place Centre. 818-3889. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
RIVER OAKS—Crabcakes are among the specialties at this restaurant serving French-American classics; also free-range/organic meats. Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday. 5871 Poplar. 683-9305. L, D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
ROOKS CORNER—American bistro serving steaks, seafood, pasta, sandwiches, and salads. Memphis Hilton, 939 Ridgelake Blvd., 762-7477. B, L, D, FB, #, $-$$$, MRA
RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE—Offers prime steaks cut and aged in-house, as well as lamb, chicken, and fresh seafood, including lobster. 6120 Poplar. 761-0055. D, FB, #, $$-$$$, MRA
SALSA—Specialties include carnitas, chiles rellenos, and fajitas; also Southwestern seafood dishes such as tilapia with fresh pico de gallo. Closed Sunday. Regalia Shopping Center, 6150 Poplar. 683-6325. L, D, FB, #, $-$$, MRA
WANG’S MANDARIN HOUSE—Offers Mandarin, Canton
ese, Szechuan, and spicy Hunan entrées, as well as vegetarian and weight-watcher specials. Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday. 6065 Park Ave., Park Place Mall. 763-0676; 113 S. Main. 523-2065. L, D, FB, #, $, MRA
SOUTH MEMPHIS
HONG KONG—Cantonese and Mandarin standards are sweet-and-sour chicken and pepper beef. 3966 Elvis Presley. 396-0801. L, D, Br, #, $
Justin Fox Burks
SUMMER/BERCLAIR
EDO—Known for its seafood dishes and sushi. Entrées include shrimp tempura and chicken teriyaki. Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday, and all day Monday. 4792 Summer. 767-7096. L, D, Br, #, $-$$
LOTUS—Serves Vietnamese-Asian fare, including whole boneless duck, lemon-grass chicken and shrimp, egg rolls, and spicy Vietnamese vermicelli. 4970 Summer. 682-1151. D, Br, #, $
NAGASAKI INN—Grilled chicken, steak, and lobster are among the main courses; meal is cooked at your table. 3951 Summer. 454-0320. D, FB, # (except bathrooms), $-$$
PANDA GARDEN—Sesame chicken and broccoli beef are among the Mandarin, Szechuan, and Hunan entrées at this popular eatery. 3735 Summer. 323-4819. L, D, BR, $-$$
WINCHESTER/HICKORY HILL
FORMOSA—Offers Mandarin, Szechuan, and Hunan cuisine, including sesame chicken, Mongolian and broccoli beef, and hot-and-sour soup. Closed Monday. 6685 Quince. 753-9898. L, D, FB, #, $-$$
HELLO RESTAURANT—Lemon-grass chicken, vegetarian dishes, noodle soup, and stir-fry combos are among the Chinese/Vietnamese/American entrées. Closed Sunday. 5910 Mt. Moriah (just west of Ridgeway), Ste. 103. 362-8875. L, D, Br, #, $-$$
HIBACHI JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE AND SUSHI BAR—In addition to Japanese-style grilled steaks and seafood, Hibachi serves salads, soups, and hand rolls. Closed for lunch Saturday and Sunday. 2809 Kirby Parkway, Ste. 109. 737-2124. L, D, FB, #, $$
TYCOON—Among the Chinese,Vietnamese, and Thai entrées are spicy garlic shrimp and coconut-curry chicken. 3307 Kirby Parkway. 362-8788. L, D, Br, #, $
Categories
Elvis Presley: 1935-2007
Elvis Presley, the man who jump-started the rock-and-roll revolution from a tiny Memphis recording studio in 1954 and went on to become the world’s most recognizable entertainer, died Monday, August 6th, of cardiac arrest, at his Horn Lake, Mississippi, home. He was 72 years old.
It had been six years since an earlier heart attack sent the man many called “The King” into a mini-retirement and 30 years since a drug overdose threatened his life, then in chaos, and forever altered his career: cleaning up, breaking from his iron-fisted manager, “Colonel” Tom Parker, and withdrawing from the music world for several years.
Upon his return to public life in the 1980s, Presley mixed sporadic but high-profile concert and record appearances with a series of non-music business ventures, including an ownership stake in the NFL Memphis Hound Dogs. In the 1990s, Presley returned to regular performances with a residency at the Hilton Hotel & Casino Tunica, setting the stage for a dramatic return as a musician and film star in the final decade of his life.
“Right Next Door to Dead”
On August 16th, 1977, Presley was found at his Graceland home around noon — unconscious and unresponsive — by fiancée Ginger Alden. According to never-confirmed rumors, Alden discovered Presley lying on the floor of his bathroom; all he would say later was that it was “a shameful scene.” Rushed to Baptist Memorial Hospital by paramedics, Presley, apparently a victim of a prescription drug overdose, slipped into a coma, and fears were high that he might not survive. In a statement on the steps of the hospital, Presley’s father, Vernon, announced to the world, “My boy may not make it.” Presley himself later said he was “right next door to dead.”
But the next day, Presley awoke and was discharged from the hospital three days later. He checked into Hazelden Clinic in Minnesota, a leading drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation center, where he would stay for a month.
Those closest to Presley were shocked by how close he had come to dying, and blame quickly spread. Vernon reportedly got into a scuffle with Presley’s personal physician, Dr. George Nichopoulos. Presley, however, didn’t blame anyone but himself. (Though he did part company with “Dr. Nick” and told his associates to clean up or get out.)
Back at Graceland by October, Presley began picking up the pieces of his life. His manager, “Colonel” Parker, wanted Presley back on the road or in the recording studio. (A tour had been scheduled to begin August 17th, but Presley’s hospitalization led to its cancellation.) Desiring nothing more than to be left alone and fearing a return to his previous lifestyle, Presley refused. A bitter argument erupted, resulting in the severing of ties between the two — though Parker always maintained that he quit rather than being fired as Presley’s manager.
One relationship that was strengthened following the overdose scare was that of Presley and Alden. On February 16th, 1978, the couple married in a low-key ceremony at Graceland.
But, with a constant stream of fans, visitors, and well-wishers ouside the gates, Presley felt increasingly trapped in his home on what, in 1972, had been officially changed to Elvis Presley Boulevard. Presley wanted somewhere he could go and be outdoors and not have to worry about the prying eyes of the world. The clincher came with the announcement that Ginger was pregnant. Remembering fondly his time spent at the ranch he once owned in the mid-to-late ’60s, the Circle G, near Horn Lake, Mississippi, Presley arranged to re-acquire the 160-acre property. In 1979, Presley, a seven-months pregnant Ginger, and Vernon moved to the ranch. His daughter, Lisa Marie, continued to divide time between Mississippi and Los Angeles, where Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla, lived.
On June 19th, 1979, Jesse Vernon Presley — named for Elvis’ father and his stillborn twin brother, Jesse Garon — was born. Ecstatic at being a father again, Presley and his family settled into a comfortable life on the ranch. Presley continued to explore spiritual and religious matters, and he began to physically reverse the toll drug abuse and unhealthy living had taken on his body. He ate healthier and began to exercise, practicing martial arts and taking morning jogs on his property. It is said that this was the happiest time of Presley’s life.
Back in the Spotlight
By the early 1980s, a dwindling cash reserve — due to a stagnant back catalog and no new music-related income — prompted Presley to re-engage with the outside world. He began with a non-music business venture: a chain of Southern-themed fast-food restaurants called Gladys’ Kitchen. Named for Presley’s late mother, the first Gladys’ Kitchen opened its doors at 1447 Union Avenue in Memphis in 1980.
Amy Mathews
In preparation for Friday’s memorial service, Elvis Presley’s son, Jesse Vernon, cleans up at the south gate of the family estate, the Circle G Ranch. Presley died of cardiac arrest at his home on Monday.
The signature item on the menu was a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. Hamburgers topped with peanut butter or pimento cheese were also featured. After success in Memphis, Gladys’ Kitchen expanded across the Southeast, boasting 18 locations by early 1982. But the venture saw its gains turned back shortly thereafter. The blow came from New York Times food critic and fellow Mississippi native Craig Claiborne, who famously gave Gladys’ Kitchen a zero-star, one-word write up: “Godawful.” Folding almost as quickly as it had appeared, even the original (and last remaining) Gladys’ Kitchen shuttered by 1984. It’s now a Taco Bell.
Two other business opportunities proved more fruitful. The first was the brainchild of Presley’s high school friend, George Klein. Listening to Elvis ruminating on what to do with Graceland, Klein made a wild suggestion: Turn Graceland into a Cadillac dealership. And so, in October 1983, George Klein’s King Cadillac opened its gates on the renovated grounds of Graceland, selling new and classic models of the automobile. The co-venture was a moderate success at first — those weren’t great years for the American auto industry — but in time, Klein’s King Cadillac gained a cult following, especially for its trademark custom-pink models. A status symbol of sorts for celebrities and fans, car buyers at King Cadillac included, over the years, Nicolas Cage, Johnny Depp, Axl Rose, and Quentin Tarantino.
The second business venture secured Presley’s finances far into the future. Long a loyal consumer of Mountain Valley Spring Water, Presley took a financial plunge in the company in 1987. Headquartered in Hot Springs, Arkansas, until investors moved it to New Jersey in 1966, Mountain Valley Spring Co. was acquired by Elvis Presley Enterprises and returned to its original home. Presley’s investment proved vastly profitable, riding the wave of the bottled-water boom that continues to this day.
In the aftermath of the Gladys’ Kitchen debacle, Presley made a difficult decision: His father was replaced as his business manager. Then 66 years old, Vernon was well-intentioned but in declining health. His replacement: Jerry Schilling, a longtime Presley friend and the youngest member of the “Memphis Mafia” entourage before it was effectively disbanded. An experienced manager of the Sweet Inspirations, the Beach Boys, and Billy Joel, Schilling came to Presley with a proposition: It was time to get back in the recording studio. Presley resisted initially — he hadn’t sung into a microphone in nearly six years. But Schilling convinced him to enter the friendly confines of Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis with producer Chips Moman for a one-day session on December 21, 1982.
Though the session didn’t yield any finished recordings, it was seen in the music industry as a watershed moment for the King, creating ripples of excitement among insiders. A few months later, performer/producer Barry Gibb contacted Schilling with an overture to make an album of new songs with Presley. Intrigued, Presley agreed to travel to Nashville to record one song: “Islands in the Stream” — written by Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb — as a duet with Dolly Parton. The song would go on to be the first single from her album Burlap & Satin. Of the recording session, Presley quipped to a reporter, “It’s like riding a bike — and I ain’t rode nothin’ but a horse for a long time.”
Presley and Tina Turner perform ‘Proud Mary’ at ‘Live Aid,’ on July 13, 1985. This was Presley’s first public concert appearance since June 26, 1977, at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.
“Islands in the Stream” was released in August 1983, the first new Presley recording since 1977, and was a smash success. The record hit #1 on October 29th and stayed there three weeks before being supplanted by Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long.”
“Islands in the Stream” was Presley’s first Top 40 hit in the U.S. since “Way Down” in 1977 and his first #1 since “Suspicious Minds” in 1969. Named Song of the Year by Billboard, “Islands in the Stream” also won a Grammy for Pop Vocal Group Performance and an American Music Award (AMA) for Favorite Country Song.
But with a return to musical success came sadness. Vernon Presley, then 67 years old, died of heart failure March 15, 1984, at the Circle G Ranch. He was buried at the ranch next to Elvis’ mother, Gladys, who had been moved there from Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis years before. His father’s death deeply affected Presley. He spent more time with Ginger, Jesse, and Lisa Marie, and he sought solace in his friendships with longtime friends, especially Schilling and Klein. He also reconciled with Red West, Sonny West, and Dave Hebler, with whom he’d been estranged since they published their tell-all in 1977, titled Elvis: What Happened?.
The World Stage
Presley’s next foray into music would take place on a much bigger stage. With a famine ravaging Ethiopia, musician/activists Bob Geldof and Midge Ure organized “Live Aid,” a global concert to benefit the hunger-torn nation. Musicians of every background responded to the call; Presley was no exception.
The ground of Graceland became George Klein’s King Cadillac in 1983.
In his first public appearance since 1977, Presley headlined the Philadelphia concert at JFK Stadium, on July 13, 1985. He gave the show finale in front of 90,000 attendees and an estimated 1.9 billion viewers in 100 countries, performing “In the Ghetto,” “Burning Love,” and, in a duet with Tina Turner, “Proud Mary.” For most viewers, it was the first time they’d laid eyes on the new, slim, healthy Elvis. Memorably, many of the show’s other performers, including Mick Jagger, Madonna, and Run-D.M.C., sat on the stage to listen to his set. Presley even gave the audience a bit of his infamous wiggling hips. Asked about it later, he said, “Rhythm is something you either have or you don’t have, but when you have it, you have it all over.”
In September, Presley was back in the studio, this time turning back the clock with some old friends. The Class of ’55: Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming album matched Presley with his onetime Sun Studio compatriots, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins, the reunited “Million Dollar Quartet” who last played together by happenstance one day almost 30 years earlier. Recorded at Sun and produced by Moman, Class of ’55 was a critical and commercial success upon its 1986 release (going on to be nominated for a Grammy for best album but losing to Paul Simon’s Homeless).
On January 23, 1986, Presley got what he called “the honor of a lifetime”: induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was enshrined in the first class of inductees along with, among others, Sam Cooke, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Sam Phillips. Phillips caused controversy introducing Carl Perkins at the awards banquet, saying, “It’s a late date to be saying it, and I mean no disrespect to the people of Cleveland, who I’m sure are a fine people and spirachul people — but Cleveland ain’t ever gonna be Memphis.” His remarks were in response to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation choosing Cleveland over Memphis for the future site of its museum. Though the foundation was won over by a $65 million pledge from the city of Cleveland, a commitment Memphis and Shelby County governments were not willing to make, Presley drew local criticism from frustrated fans and business leaders who felt he could have exerted more influence over the selection process.
In 1987, after a personal plea from actor Patrick Swayze, Presley recorded a duet single with Jennifer Warnes for the film Dirty Dancing. “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” earned Presley his second #1 hit of the decade — in as many tries. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song (but losing to “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from Mannequin), Presley and Warnes performed their number at the Oscar ceremony. At the close of the show, host Chevy Chase signed off, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen: Elvis has left the building — with Bernardo Bertolucci’s Oscar. After him!”
Also in 1987, U2 came calling on Presley. On a tour to support The Joshua Tree album and to film their documentary Rattle & Hum, the Irish group enlisted the talents of Presley, B.B. King, and Bob Dylan, among others, as musical tour guides for their paean to American rock-and-roll. Presley had met Bono during the “Live Aid” campaign, and Elvis, now accustomed to the return to the spotlight, was happy to be on film showing U2 around Memphis.
Presley introduced the band to Sun Studios, but he turned down the opportunity to record with them there. Nevertheless, impressed by U2, he agreed in principle to work with them in the future. He didn’t have to wait long. The next year, Bono returned with a song he’d written for Presley: “All I Want Is You.” Presley recorded his part of a duet with Bono at Sun, and the song closed the soundtrack album Rattle & Hum later that year. The third single from the album, “All I Want Is You” also gave Presley a stake in another #1 hit.
Elvis wasn’t the only Presley claiming high-profile success. Ginger landed a semi-regular role on Knots Landing in 1985. But relocating part of the year to Los Angeles began to take a toll on their marriage. In 1987, Ginger accepted a role on L.A. Law, requiring her to spend more time in California than Mississippi. Presley refused to move to L.A. full-time, and Ginger refused to scale back the workload of her burgeoning career. Their relationship strained by a 2,000-mile forced separation, Ginger filed for divorce in April 1989. The couple shared custody of Jesse, who at 9 years old began to split time between his parents’ homes, as his half-sister Lisa Marie had done years before.
Still stinging from his second failed marriage, Presley would receive good news later that year: Lisa Marie wanted to move back to the Mid-South. Though Presley had not remained on good terms with Priscilla following her conversion to Scientology, he and his daughter remained close. With her homecoming, Lisa Marie would spark a joy and a desire for collaboration in her father that would bear fruit in years to come when Lisa Marie decided to follow in her father’s footsteps.
“Life in Four-Quarters Time”
Mountain Valley Spring Water and George Klein’s King Cadillac weren’t the only non-musical business ventures Presley embarked on in the mid-’80s. He also began a decades-long foray into the world of professional football.
Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton’s 1983 #1 hit single, ‘Islands in the Stream.’
A black belt in karate, Presley became identified with martial arts during that sport’s boom in the 1970s, but his first sporting love was always football. Presley was a season-ticket holder for the Memphis Grizzlies of the short-lived
World Football League, attending every home game during the 1975 season. He took a more active involvement in the sport in 1984, when he and Memphis cotton merchant William Dunavant purchased a franchise in the upstart United States Football League (USFL). The Memphis Showboats debuted at Liberty Bowl Stadium that June, but the era ended two years later with the dissolution of the USFL after the struggling league got an unfavorable ruling in a key court case against the dominant NFL. But Presley had gotten a taste for the sports business and wanted more.
In 1991, Presley joined Dunavant, Memphis-bred venture capitalist Paul Tudor Jones II, and Federal Express founder Fred Smith in a pursuit team for a proposed NFL expansion franchise, the Memphis Hound Dogs. Still stinging from public criticism for his lack of hands-on involvement in Memphis’ unsuccessful bid to land the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Presley took public lead of the NFL pursuit. In 1993, the NFL announced Memphis, Charlotte, Jacksonville, and Baltimore as finalists, eventually awarding teams to Charlotte and Memphis.
On September 9, 1995, the Memphis Hound Dogs debuted before a sold-out crowd in a refurbished Liberty Bowl, renamed Vernon Presley Memorial Stadium, losing to the Cleveland Browns 21-10. Presley performed his “American Trilogy” at halftime of the nationally televised game.
More than his musical triumphs or his return to movies, Presley cited the Hound Dogs as his proudest professional accomplishment during the latter decades of his life. “Football is the gift of the gods,” Presley said of the sport. “It’s like life in four-quarters time.”
Before kickoff of the first Memphis Hound Dogs home game at Vernon Presley Memorial Stadium, team mascot Fetch celebrates at nearby Libertyland.
A colorful and hands-on owner, Presley personally coaxed Jimmy Johnson, a Super Bowl-winning coach for the Dallas Cowboys, out of the TV studio to lead his beloved Hound Dogs. During home games, Presley was known to occasionally sketch plays from his old touch-football days and have them sent from his owner’s box to the sidelines, where Johnson would playfully crumble them up and discard them. “This one will score, if it goes,” Presley would typically scribble at the bottom of each play.
A massive success, the Hound Dogs continue to dominate the regional sports scene as the only major professional sports franchise in Tennessee, despite failing to match the success of their 1999 season, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lazers in Super Bowl XXXIV.
Even more than Presley’s concurrent residency at the Hilton Hotel & Casino Tunica, the Hound Dogs are credited with spurring Tunica’s rise as the country’s second-largest gaming and resort destination. The presence of the Hound Dogs also spurred a massive redevelopment of the Memphis Fairgrounds complex, first with the refurbished Vernon Presley Memorial Stadium, then with Elvis Presley Enterprises taking over the troubled Libertyland amusement park from the city of Memphis, converting it into Graceland Fairgrounds. Presley kicked off the grand reopening of the park in 1996 with a trip on his favorite ride, the Zippin Pippin roller coaster. Graceland Fairgrounds continues to flourish today.
The Nineties:
Viva Las Tunica
On several occasions following recovery from his 1977 overdose, Presley received overtures from Hilton Hotels to resume his residency at the company’s Las Vegas location. Wary of returning to a lifestyle that nearly cost him his life, Presley turned down Hilton repeatedly. But, in June 1990, the state legislature of Mississippi passed the Mississippi Gaming Control Act, allowing casinos to open along the Mississippi River. Hilton saw this as an opportunity to renew their relationship with Presley, opening Hilton Hotel & Casino Tunica, located less than 25 miles from Presley’s Circle G Ranch, and reaching an agreement with Presley for a residency at the casino’s 500-seat ballroom.
On most Friday and Saturday nights over the next several years, Presley held court at the Hilton, playing with a band culled from Memphis-area session and club musicians. His daughter, Lisa Marie, became a regular part of his show, opening with solo sets of her own material and then joining Presley as a back-up singer and duet partner, typically closing sets by taking the Dolly Parton verses on “Islands in the Stream.”
The tenor of Presley’s Tunica shows was far different from his Vegas residencies. Gone were the bejeweled jumpsuits, colorful scarves, and big-band set-up. Instead, Presley’s shows were a more modest run-through of his hits with occasional forays into the gospel music he always cherished, performed largely for audiences whose backgrounds were more similar to Presley’s own than his Vegas audiences had been.
Less than a year later, the troubled municipal amusement park was taken over by Elvis Presley Enterprises and renamed Graceland Fairgrounds. Presley, seated front, rides the Zippin Pippin to celebrate the reopening.
Growing comfortable with his Tunica gigs, which allowed him to continue his music career while remaining close to his Mississippi home and, later, the Hound Dogs, Presley declined other offers to record or perform outside the area for most of the decade. One exception was Presley’s participation on Frank Sinatra’s 1993 Duets album, in which the King and the Chairman traded verses on “My Way.” It was the first time the two vocal icons had worked together since the 1960 ABC television special Sinatra hosted to welcome Presley home from the Army.
In addition to his role with the Memphis Hound Dogs and his run of shows at the Hilton Tunica, the ’90s were notable for Presley because of a key, if unlikely, friendship he formed.
Presley first met Arkansas governor Bill Clinton after his purchase of Mountain Valley Spring Water in 1987. A big fan of Presley’s music, Clinton was anxious to meet the King, and the pair struck up an immediate friendship. When Clinton ran for president a few years later, Presley contributed money to the effort and made a few appearances at campaign rallies. After Clinton’s election in 1992, Presley performed at the first inaugural ball, playing “Heartbreak Hotel” as the newly elected president joined him on stage to play saxophone.
Over the years, Presley spent several nights at the White House, in the Lincoln Bedroom, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Clinton in 1995.
The Final Years
By the late ’90s, Presley, on the wrong side of 60 and feeling the effects of his hard living decades earlier, seemed to be winding down his music career. His Tunica residency had become more sporadic, Lisa Marie had broken away from the show to pursue her own recording ambitions, and Presley seemed more interested in making appearances at Hound Dogs games than on the concert stage.
But in early 1998, renegade country star Dwight Yoakam sat in with Presley while in Tunica for one of his own concerts and tried to coax the King back into the studio. Though Presley had recorded occasionally over the past couple of decades, he hadn’t recorded a full album of new material since his 1977 drug overdose. Yoakam convinced Presley that a new album was a chance to reinvent himself musically in a way that he hadn’t since his fabled “’68 Comeback,” when Presley performed a stripped-down televised concert in full-body black leather then returned to Memphis for soulful sessions that yielded his classic “Suspicious Minds.”
Yoakam brought Presley to Nashville to record with his touring band. The album that emerged was a collection of bluesy roots-rock akin to Presley’s 1969 Memphis sessions. Titled, cheekily, ’98 Comeback, the album featured Presley covers of left-of-center country songs such as Lucinda Williams’ “I Just Wanted To See You So Bad” and Yoakam’s own “Guitars, Cadillacs.” The album proved too country for pop and rock radio and too rock for country radio, but it garnered appreciative reviews and sold well. It also convinced Presley — who still refused to tour — to keep experimenting, launching a fertile period in which he released three wildly different but equally successful albums in four years.
’98 Comeback was followed by 1999’s Magnolia, an atmospheric, portentous set produced in Oxford, Mississippi, by rock veteran Daniel Lanois (who had co-produced U2’s The Joshua Tree). On Magnolia, Presley interpreted familiar songs such as U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game,” and, most surprisingly, British alt-rockers Radiohead’s “Creep.” The latter became a minor hit on modern-rock radio, though Presley later admitted to not really “getting” the song. Magnolia was nominated for an Album of the Year Grammy but lost to another comeback record from a veteran artist, Santana’s less risky Supernatural. The two-way race between retirement-age artists prompted Grammy critics to refer to the broadcast as the “Grannies.”
Next, Presley returned to Memphis, recording locally at Ardent Studios for Blue, a soul album in which he was backed by legendary Stax Records house band Booker T. & the MGs, with guitarist Steve Cropper and organist Booker T. Jones producing. The album’s lead single and signature song was a cover of Bill Withers’ 1971 soul hit “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
In the midst of this late-career resurgence, Presley’s other passion hit a peak as well, as his Memphis Hound Dogs reached Super Bowl XXXIV on January 30, 2000, at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. In a game that signaled an era of changes for the NFL, the Hound Dogs squared off against another new-look franchise, the Los Angeles Lazers, the former Houston Oilers, who had relocated to California in 1997. The Hounds Dogs lost the game 24-23 as Lazers wide receiver Kevin Dyson lunged just across the end zone as time expired, pulling the Lazers to within 23-22. With no time remaining on the clock, the Lazers went for the two-point conversion and the win, quarterback Steve McNair running a bootleg play across the goal line for the 24-23 win in perhaps the most exciting Super Bowl ever. It was a bittersweet day for Presley, who sang the national anthem to open the game.
This period of activity was punctured in the spring of 2001 when, a month before the release of Blue, Presley suffered a massive heart attack. Though he recovered from this second brush with death, Presley shut down all plans to help promote his new record and retired again to the Circle G. He was 66.
In 1995, Presley received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from longtime fan and personal friend President Bill Clinton.
When Presley finally re-emerged a year-and-a-half later, it wasn’t music that brought him back, but the movies. Presley hadn’t acted in more than 30 years, last appearing opposite Mary Tyler Moore in 1969’s Change of Habit. Presley blamed the culture of the movie world for much of his substance abuse problems earlier in his career and had often derided the left-coast entertainment industry as “Hollyweird.” But director Quentin Tarantino, whom Presley knew as an occasional customer at King Cadillac, talked Presley back onto a movie set with a part written expressly for him: Bill, a mysterious leader of a group of assassins who is targeted for revenge by an employee/lover whom he attempted to have killed. A charming, aging martial-arts expert, the character Bill tapped into both Presley’s karate background and his status as an icon of cool. Though the movie, an action epic, was called Kill Bill, the character Bill was close to a cameo, with meager but crucial screen time that wouldn’t put too much strain on a sexagenarian still recovering from major heart surgery.
While Elvis was enjoying his return to the big screen, another Presley was staking out an acting career. After growing up around the Hollywood entertainment industry during his mother’s stints on Knots Landing and L.A. Law, Jesse got his big break in 2003, landing the role of Ryan Atwood, a good-hearted kid from the wrong side of the tracks, on Fox network’s teen drama The O.C.
For the next couple of years, Presley’s public appearances were few. He delivered a eulogy at a memorial service for his Sun Records mentor Sam Phillips at Memphis’ Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in July 2003. The next summer, he deemed himself unable to perform at a 50th Anniversary of Rock and Roll concert at Vernon Presley Memorial Stadium. The concert, held largely in honor of Presley’s own enormous contribution to American pop music, was broadcast live on HBO, and, though Presley didn’t perform a set on his own, he was coaxed to the stage during the finale, joining longtime admirer Bruce Springsteen, old acquaintance Bono, and emerging hometown star Justin Timberlake for a medley of the King’s hits.
After the concert, Timberlake and Bono pitched Presley on the idea of doing his own duets album, akin to the Frank Sinatra Duets album Presley had participated in a decade prior. Presley agreed. The album, The King’s Court, was recorded during a series of sessions at Memphis’ Ardent Studios, with Timberlake and Bono performing and producing. Among the participants were Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Sheryl Crow, and Rob Thomas.
Forget Me Never
One of Presley’s greatest legacies was his work with charities. He established the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, setting up music programs and scholarships for inner-city youth and working with Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association in Memphis to create and manage Presley Place, a development of transitional housing for the homeless. Following Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, Presley directed massive shipments of Mountain Valley Spring Water to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast to help with recovery efforts. In October 2005, Presley organized a benefit show at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi, with other first-generation rock stars, including Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino, himself a Katrina victim. Presley also became involved in Music Rising, a Katrina-affected-musicians charity.
In a part written specifically for him, Presley returned to the big screen as the title character in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. ‘Bill’ was the first of Presley’s roles to reference his martial-arts background. Presley hadn’t starred in a film since 1969’s Change of Habit.
In recent years, Elvis had renewed frustrations with the influence of Hollywood on his family. His son Jesse got kicked off The O.C. after two seasons due to drug problems and stayed on tabloid covers when he co-starred in the fifth season of the VH1 celebrity reality series The Surreal Life.
Nevertheless, at the time of his death, Presley had two film projects in the works. He had signed on to return to the silver screen with a cameo as Daddy Lynn, the estranged father of the title character in Memphis director Craig Brewer’s upcoming country-music-themed film Maggie Lynn. Presley was also involved in the long-gestating film biopic of his life, tentatively titled Burning Love and scheduled to begin filming in Memphis in 2008.
Elvis Presley is survived by daughter Lisa Marie and son Jesse Vernon. He will be laid to rest next to his parents in Horn Lake, Mississippi, on Friday, August 10th.
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Four More Years?
We have seen the field. That is the hard, inescapable fact of last week’s filing deadline. The next mayor of Memphis will almost certainly be one of three contenders — two of whom are familiar properties: the proud (some say reckless, some say haughty) incumbent Willie Herenton, and the determinedly independent (some say foolishly stubborn) City Council member Carol Chumney. A third candidate, former NAACP official and MLGW head Herman Morris, has yet to make his profile clear, and that is perhaps his major problem.
Oh, there is yet a fourth candidate, former Shelby County Commissioner John Willingham, who is well enough known. Respected, even beloved, by some for his densely detailed plans to fix virtually everything and regarded as an eccentric by a perhaps greater number, Willingham constitutes a relatively distant second tier all by himself.
And after him, among the 12 other candidates who qualified by the July 19th filing deadline, there is naught but anonymity, lacking as of now even Robert “Prince Mongo” Hodges, the barefoot denizen of the Planet Zambodia and the numbing punchline to an old joke which, for some time now, has been told only by himself to himself.
A perennial, Mongo filed his papers correctly but was disqualified for one more run because of unpaid fines relating to state election requirements. The now officially irrelevant Mongo did have one moment of historical importance, shaking loose a few hundred frivolous protest votes that likely would otherwise have gone to then-incumbent mayor Dick Hackett in 1991 and thereby making possible the victory, by a margin of 142 votes, of former Memphis City Schools schools superintendent Herenton as the city’s first elected black mayor.
If not for that, Mongo would have been no more consequential than a candidate who remains on the ballot — Bill (formerly Willie) Jacox, the perennial’s perennial, who disappeared from Shelby County ballots for a decade, as did his crude self-advertising handbills that used to litter telephone poles throughout the city, but who is back this year. Two other candidates — bus driver Carlos Boyland and businessman Randy Cagle — were so obscure that, when they tried to launch early candidacies at the Election Commission’s downtown office in 1996, they were erroneously given petitions to run for county mayor that year.
Cagle made something of a fuss at a recent neighborhood forum in southeast Memphis when he accused the media of downplaying his prospects and keeping him, and others like him, out of the charmed ranks of acknowledged contenders.
It doesn’t work like that, of course. Though here and there over the years an effort has been made to logroll somebody into or out of prominence, the media don’t make or break anybody. They — we — are still merely chroniclers of moods and momentums that stir of themselves, or, as in the case of Shelby County mayor A C Wharton, the reluctant warrior who last week finally and firmly squelched insistent draft efforts by a multitude of well-known and unknown courtiers desperate for a change at the city’s helm, are put into motion by specific forces in the community itself.
Now, as always before and (one hopes) forever, ours is a representative system. That, for better and for worse, is the root fact.
Who, then, do the major players represent? Here is a capsule of sorts:
Mayor Willie Herenton: By his own testimony, the incumbent mayor is still the man who, as he told an almost hysterically happy, cheering crowd of mainly African-American citizens at The Peabody on an October night in 1991, was “willed” by them into power and prominence as the culmination of historical justice and inevitability, whose accession to power was attended, at the last rally and at the first post-victory celebration, by no less a figure than Jesse Jackson, the civil rights avatar who had been on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in 1968 with the slain martyr Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
One of the ironies of this mayor’s career is that he could not have represented outcasts from power and passions so long denied had he not, just prior to his ascension, been suddenly cast into disrepute with a civic establishment that had once embraced him and appointed him to its major power boards. Forced from his perch as head of the Memphis schools system by a sexual scandal (the late 1980s were post-Gary Hart and pre-Clinton times) and by alleged administrative irregularities, Herenton became a martyr for that moment of change.
Justin Fox Burks
The mayor, an able and commanding figure and (as he never tired of reminding people) a once-undefeated Golden Gloves champion, won three subsequent elections on the strength of his personal dominance and visible successes — mainly in civic (read: downtown) reconstruction and a record of (apparent) fiscal solvency. But his fourth term, which began with a thunderous denunciation of his City Council and a heady claim of divine sponsorship, proceeded into financial difficulties, an era of resurgent crime, and all-too-mortal wrangles with disbelievers, who included both council members and those members of a disaffected population who were challenged by Herenton to “leave” if they didn’t like how he did things in his dominion.
As it happens, the number so aggrieved has risen to the point, among blacks as well as among whites, that the mayor actually ran second (to Chumney) in the first set of polls conducted in this electoral season. Hence his reaching again for the martyr’s mantle and African-American solidarity, as in the now famous press conference of mid-June when he accused various disloyal “snakes,” in concert with a vengeful power establishment, of scheming to overthrow him with — shades of those late 1980s — a sexual-blackmail plot.
But as the Rev. Bill Adkins, a major ally in Herenton’s campaign of 1991 and co-founder of the ill-fated “Draft A C” movement, observed last week, “He really hasn’t done what he promised to do for black people. The truth is, on matters like minority contracting, he’s not even been as good as Dick Hackett was!”
Outlook: Though favored at the moment by prognosticators looking down track, Herenton fared no better than even with Chumney in the last major Wharton-less poll, taken the week before last for The Commercial Appeal by Ethridge and Associates. The mayor still has much to prove, even to his presumed hard-core base in the black community.
Carol Chumney: A maverick’s maverick, first-termer Chumney is, hands down, the most unpopular City Council member among her colleagues in city government, both on and off the council. More than once, she has put on the table a motion for an action or cause with more than plausible rationale, only to look in vain for a second. The most recent and telling case of this came back in April, when Chumney proposed a resolution asking Mayor Herenton to reverse course and accept the proferred resignation — initially rejected by the mayor — of the then beleaguered MLGW president Joseph Lee.
As so often before, Chumney’s motion failed for lack of a second. Accused by colleague Joe Brown of trying to advance her political chances and by member Brent Taylor of procedural irregularity, Chumney responded indignantly, “If I’m out of order, so be it!” A subsequent resolution by councilman Jack Sammons asking Lee to resign encountered racial-bloc voting and failed of approval by a single vote – Chumney’s. She had declined to vote for it on the technically correct ground that Lee had already tried to resign — or at least gone through the motions of doing so.
When Lee’s dormant resignation finally was accepted, on the heels of his misguided (and apparently misinformed) blackmail threat against an MLGW board member, the suddenly ubiquitous Nick Clark, Chumney claimed vindication. But the consensus among many neutral observers was that she had lost face — not just by virtue of her colleagues’ rejection but because she had appeared too unyielding and unwilling to consider compromise, that mother’s milk of consensus politics.
It is, of course, her very intransigence that has accounted for Chumney’s surprisingly high standing in the polls and for the fact that the former Democratic state representative from Midtown draws cheers when she appears before government-bashing conservative groups anywhere in the city.
If Herenton has cast himself as the symbol of a long-suffering race, Chumney has succeeded in becoming the Joan of Arc of the disaffected. Moreover, she has genuine reformer’s credentials, having played a leading role in exposing and correcting child-care abuses while a member of the state House and, as a council member, taking damn-the-torpedoes positions against questionable, if long-accepted, practices in city government. A case in point was the now-vanished arrangement whereby only 12 years of city service entitled one to a comfortable lifetime pension.
Chumney can also take credit for go-it-alone probes that in the last year or two turned up evidence of the city’s fluctuating credit rating and its tenuous budgetary predicament.
Jackson Baker
Mayoral candidate Carol Chumney: Joan of Arc of the disaffected?
Outlook: Though boosted by a grass-roots network of sorts and by recent trends that arguably favor female candidates, all other factors being equal, Chumney seems doomed to run a cash-poor campaign, and though her unquestioned ability to garner free media will help her in that regard, her long-range prospects among black voters remain a mystery, while at the same time she has real competition for the city’s white vote.
Herman Morris: Once a star scholar and athlete and, in his adult years, a man of considerable professional attainment, this up-from-humble-origins success story has found himself cast all too often as a contemporary member of what used to be called “the black bourgeoisie.” This is despite a long early history of legal and political activism on behalf of civil rights causes and candidates.
Morris’ reputation in the public mind is largely fixed from his seven years’ service as president of MLGW, an important (and, these days, crucial) administrative venue that depends disproportionately on behind-the-scenes activity, even more so than other appointed positions of less obvious public urgency. Even in moments of crisis — like the “Hurricane Elvis” windstorm of 2003 — it is elected officials, notably the mayor, who bear the brunt of public attention.
Until this year, when he followed through on a long-nursed ambition to run for mayor — at least partly, many think, to atone for what he regarded as ill treatment by Herenton — Morris was mainly known for the falling-out with Herenton that led to his ouster from MLGW in late 2003 or for the supposed “golden parachute” that, perhaps unfairly, he was considered to have left with or perhaps even for his championing of utility investments, including the now-controversial Memphis Networx, a public/private fiber-optic venture that is popularly believed to have been a financial bust and is on the verge of being abandoned, at a fire-sale price, to a private financial concern.
Morris is the kind of public figure who requires careful scrutiny to properly “get” him, and the same is apparently true of Networx, which, in February of this year, long before the taxpayer-funded investment became an issue, newly announced mayoral candidate Morris made a point of publicly touting. Indeed, in an age in which Memphis is encumbered by a “connectedness” gap (see Editorial, p. 16), Networx might, as the Flyer‘s Chris Davis has suggested in a series of articles, have been the foundation of a viable public utility in its own right.
If Morris is to succeed in the politics of this year, however, he has to stake out some basis for popular appeal. He is funded well. This month’s disclosures showed him well into the six figures — though still considerably below the half-million dollars and up that Herenton has in cash on hand. Morris’ voter support, too, has so far depended largely on affluent sectors of the community and on Republican sources as much as on Democratic ones.
With that need in mind, we may be treated to further quirky moves like Morris’ recent demand that other candidates join him in having drug tests — a patent play to so far wholly unsubstantiated rumors concerning the incumbent mayor.
Outlook: With his mixture of black and white support, based disproportionately in the middle class, Morris may well turn out to be the default anti-Herenton candidate, but his long-term prospects depend on further progress in what has been a slow evolution from his naturally reserved private persona into the kind of glad-handing bonhomie type that a mayoral race requires.
John Willingham: What can we say that we have not said many times already about this gallant and largely misunderstood public figure, to whose gadfly-like prodding of the governmental structure the public owes much — not only in the realm of exposing abuse (à la the now-notorious FedExForum deal, private garage and all) but in the determined venting of alternate public courses, like Willingham’s various proposals for serious tax overhaul?
Willingham has a reputation in too many quarters as a crank, though he overcame it big-time with his upset victory in 2002 over an establishment pillar, the late Morris Fair, to become a member of the Shelby County Commission. That triumph was owing to Willingham’s becoming a channel for massive discontent over the way public funds were used, sans public consent, to bait the Grizzlies into relocating to Memphis.
Forced into an ill-advised race against Shelby County mayor Wharton in 2006 by his correct perception that too many forces, financial and otherwise, were committed to defeating his bid for reelection to the commission, Willingham is once more a private citizen, and, unfortunately for his electoral prospects, even many of his veteran well-wishers have written off his chances, casting their lot with other candidates. His devoted but long-suffering wife Marge has made no secret of her wish that her husband would cease and desist from his flirtations with public office, especially now that his chances seem so slim.
But he is still there, for one more Revere-like ride, it would seem, passing out pamphlets showing he still has an ambitious eye for redesigning the public sphere (most recently to convert the much-pondered-over Fairgrounds into an Olympic Village).
Outlook: The ex-Nixon administration aide, multi-patented inventor and engineer, and well-known barbecue maven is the longest of long shots, eminently more qualified than, say, the unlamented Mongo, but in most quarters given no greater potential for success than the Zambodian would have had. Indeed, some longtime friends wonder if Willingham isn’t taking votes away from the other potentially viable challengers.
Whoever is destined to be mayor of Memphis after October 4th is guaranteed to be dealing with a City Council with a majority of newly elected members. That outcome was foreshadowed by accelerated attrition and by the wave of indictments for public corruption that swept aside two veterans, and it was made certain when council mainstays Tom Marshall and Jack Sammons, both of whom apparently considered mayoral runs themselves, opted out of reelection races just before filing deadline.
That means that such front-burner issues as what to do with the Fairgrounds (a legislatively vetted proposal from developer Henry Turley awaits possible implementation), whether or not to seek functional merger of the city police with the Sheriff’s Department, and how finally to dispose of the ghost facility known as the Pyramid (tomb of a previous governmental generation’s civic imagining) will all come under the purview of fresh eyes and — we are entitled to hope — fresh perspectives.
This new council and the newly elected (or reelected) mayor will also have the advantage and the challenge of dealing with recommendations for change by the Charter Commission that was elected last year and has dutifully and quietly gone about what could turn out to be momentous labors.
In any case, a new team will be taking the field, and the game of Memphis city government will almost surely take new and unexpected turns, no matter who the manager of record turns out to be.