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New Exhibit Stax Museum

October 14, 2013 | Other

Elvis fans visiting the Stax Museum have been previously dissappointed with the lack of any real tribute to Elvis' 1973 sessions at Stax. However Elvis is at last being honored, among many other Memphis artists, in a new exhibit at the Stax Museum in Memphis. In conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Stax Recording Academy, the 40th anniversary of the Grammy Hall Of Fame and the 10th anniversary of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the museum will host a special exhibit beginning October 26, 2013 through October 31, 2014 called “And The Grammy Goes To Memphis.” This year-long tribute to Memphis music will include various Grammy Awards for music attributed to this region, including those given to Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, B.B. King, Charlie Rich, and Kirk Whalum, among others.

Source:Elvis Information Network
Deano1 wrote on October 14, 2013
My fiancé and I visited Stax Studios back in May and we were not disappointed by the lack of Elvis in the museum. Elvis only rented out the studio for two sessions and he wasn't a "Stax" artist. The museum and recreation of the recording studio are first rate and we enjoyed our time there. Elvis was mentioned at least two times in the museum including an enclosed glass area that honored American Recording Studios. Not everything has to be Elvis-centric in Memphis. They have long proud legacy of music.
roytcbintheuk wrote on October 15, 2013
Elvis recorded 3 Albums at Stax in 1973 which Incidently produced 4 top twenty hits so rightfully should be acknowledged for recording there, its also could PR for the museum as it will attract Elvis fans boosting revunue, a good marketing ploy and good for Elvis if you ask Me TCB !!!
Deano1 wrote on October 16, 2013
Elvis IS acknowledged there and Stax is not doing this exhibit to attract Elvis fans. This exhibit is to honor Grammy Award winners that are from the Memphis area and Elvis happens to be one of those artists. Stax exists to honor R&B, blues, gospel and soul music and the "Stax" artists (those under contract to the studio). It also shows the harmony between white and black artists and the tension created when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Elvis had 3 top 20 pop hits ("If You Talk In your Sleep" #17, "Promised Land" #14, and "My Boy" #20) from these sessions. I love all three of them, but they are hardly smash hits. The albums peaked at #50, #90 and #47 and spent less than 40 weeks total on the charts (Of Elvis' studio, soundtrack, gospel, live and gold record series, these represent three of his seven lowest chart positions of his career and includes his lowest). The sessions did produce 3 top 10 country hits, 3 top 10 Easy Listening hits (one #1) and one #1 country LP, but Stax is not known for those genres. Elvis fans who are also fans of music and history should be able to appreciate the museum for what it is and it doesn't need to bow to Elvis to be successful. The original recording studio went out of business in 1974 and for what the museum stands for and represents, Elvis is just a footnote in that history. That didn't stop me from singing "I've Got A Thing About You, Baby" when I entered the reproduction (the old buildings were torn down) of the recording studio and feeling honored to be where the King recorded and many other great artists did as well.
Troubleman wrote on October 16, 2013
I did visit the museum in 2006 and I agree with Deano1; Stax studio was the home of many artists who had great hits. Elvis had 2 sessions only, and he had better success at American Studio and Studio B in Nashville. It’s a great place to visit for the history of the music, of which Elvis was only a small part of it. TCB
Jerome wrote on November 07, 2013
Sir Cliff Richard should be exhibited there as well- at least some of his memorablia- while influenced a lot of artists from that scene. Especially with that song 'Power to all our Friends'..