The Music of Memphis

[HostDave]

February 28, 2012
By Tim Rubacky, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Product Development

I just spent the weekend surrounded by musical styles, music history and music lovers. It gave me the chance to realize what an important part music plays in our lives. Firstly, it gets us moving. There’s simply something in the human condition that means when we hear jazz, blues or rock and roll that our toes start tapping and our natural inclination is to dance. I suppose it’s a tribal thing that goes back millennia but, whatever the reason, it sure feels good!

Secondly, music is a way to connect with our past. Perhaps more strongly than food or even photographs, music can bring us back to another time in our lives. We all have songs associated with those seminal moments. Our first date. Our first car. Our wedding. Our children. Somehow, music can transport you back in time and evoke memories that long lay dormant.

In that spirit, I walked along Beale Street here in downtown Memphis, home of the Great American Steamboat Company. The city is constructing a wharf and public area at the foot of Beale Street on the Mississippi River at which we will dock the American Queen. Anyone choosing a cruise that begins or ends in Memphis can stroll right up Beale Street and see what I’m talking about.

Beale Street has an energy all its own. It’s filled with restaurants (including some fantastic BBQ joints), jazz clubs, blues bars and street musicians. The thing that I really love about Beale Street is its authenticity. Sure, it’s been polished up over the years to become a hub for visitors to the city, but the buildings are real, the food is real and, most importantly, the music is real. And the authenticity of a jazz quartet playing at an open-air night-club, the single saxophonist wailing out a tune on a street corner, or the multitudes swaying to the music is what makes Beale Street, well, so quintessentially Beale Street.

Not too far away is another music icon. Graceland is more the center of rock and roll than just about any place on earth. One-time home of Elvis Presley, it is now a museum and open to the public. As we all know, Elvis Presley passed away in 1977 but his legend lives on in Graceland, an estate covering nearly 14 acres located about nine miles from downtown Memphis. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1991 and, after the White House and Biltmore Estate, is the most-visited private home in the country. One of the things that brings Graceland alive for me is the legendary list of items that Elvis, in his later years, insisted be kept in the Graceland kitchen. The items range from a regular case of Pepsi, six cans of biscuits and pickles to, of course, peanut butter, fudge cookies and fresh banana pudding. He even had a requirement that there always be three packs of Juicy Fruit, Doublemint and Spearmint gum available at all times. I assume that only after many years of carefully monitored consumption did he determine that exactly three packs of each kind of gum was the proper amount to have on hand.

But all kidding aside, the one thing I noted at Graceland is the sense of reverence among visitors, a clear testament to the impact his musical genius had on the world. The home of the King of Rock and Roll is a religious experience. Many forget that not only was Elvis associated with rock and roll, he was also a deeply religious man (despite his flaws) who had deep roots in Gospel music. The music, the man, the importance of music in our lives and the memories that music invokes all converge in the mediation garden, where Elvis is buried.

Between Beale Street and Graceland, one gets a strong sense of the role music has played in shaping a city like Memphis. It also helped me rediscover why music is so important in my life and the way it has shaped who I am today. It also made me realize that a quick walk through a city street doesn’t give us a true sense of the community or the people. Two of the surest ways to understand and experience a destination are to listen to the music and sample its cuisine.

Obviously, we think the best way to take you to these destinations is on an American river cruise but we also understand how important it is to get to know the land and its people. With the creations of acclaimed Southern chef Regina Charboneau, we feel we’ve got the cuisine angle covered gloriously.

But the desire to bring a destination alive was also a driving force behind our decision to make sure that your fare includes a free one-night luxury hotel stay before or after your cruise. In fact, on our first voyage from Memphis on April 27, we’re offering a free two-night stay before the cruise not just so you can participate in some special events we have planned but also so that you can get to know the rhythm of the city. Dance to an Elvis Presley hit. Tap your toes to a jazz standard or just lose yourself in a Blues tune.

I urge you to get to know our destinations through music. That extra day we’re giving you free of charge can make all the difference in the world. I know one day at Graceland and one night along Beale Street in Memphis has changed the way I think about music, my city and the ties that bind us all together.

Let the music carry you away to the Great American Steamboat Company Facebook Page for the latest news, photos and lively discussions about the American Queen, Mississippi river cruising and our ports of call.