A reasonable day as far as the weather goes. Maria and I strolled down to Beale Street to see if we can book on tour to Sun Studios tommorrow. We particularly fancied the Backbeat Hound Dog tour. Sadly no chance, the whole tour had been bought out by a private party. We were told there was a free shuttle service from the Rock and Soul Museum to Heartbreak Hotel, Gracelands and Sun Studios. So we thought we’d have a wander around Beale street and then walk the couple of blocks to the shuttle. If you want to buy mundane stuff like loo roll or soap or a normal book you have a problem, however if you’re after a vodoo doll or a pair of size 70in. waist jeans, Beale Street is perfect. A place with real character. Music blarring out of every doorway,  people calling out ‘how y’all’, fantastic. We went into A Schwab, a general store, established 1876 and I think they still have some of the original merchandise,
After we’d exhausted the delights of Beale Street we dropped off our shopping at the hotel and headed for the shuttle.
Sun studios is so famous that we expected something big and impressive. In fact it’s only the part with the white shop front that is the old studio, a small reception room with a slightly larger room behind and a tiny mixing room at the back. Next to it is what is now a cafe and gift shop (used to be a bakery) on the ground floor, and a small museum (used to be a 3 room boarding house) upstairs. Yet this where Rock and Roll was born!!!
So many greats have recorded here, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ike Turner, Johhny Cash, B B King to name but a few. And of course more recently Ringo Starr and U2.
The mike in the studio is the original one that Elvis etc used, so it was a real priviledge to be able to touch it and sing a few notes into it. Maria has bought me a small guitar, I shall have to get practising.Â
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