Memphis/Gonerfest Part Four - Stax Museum

So, we've gotten to Friday and we still hadn't seen any of Gonerfest except for the art show - we were just too busy taking in the sights of the city and trying to catch up on sleep for the big weekend.

Friday morning Gizmo Kenne Highland got to town and we met up and headed to the Stax Museum. First stop though was taking a pix of the cool One Stop for Churches store across the street from the hotel, even though we never got inside, regrettably.

Stax was a little out of the way, but not crazily so and we dug using the taxi-alternative, Lyft, in town - affordable and nice people!

Although the original building was demolished in 1989, it was rebuilt, along with the adjacent Stax Music Academy, in 2003, based on all of the original designs. Outside it looks damn near identical to the original.

And now even the restrooms are stylish and sport the logo.

The exhibits open with an authentic 100+ year old Mississippi Dealta church, showing the roots of soul music. Pretty amazing and inspirational.

Included are some of the actual recording equipment, such as this tape machine used by Otis Redding to record "Mr. Pitiful" and "Respect". The list of musicians and bands that recorded on the board and tape machines there was awe-inspiring. Much too much to report here - see it yourself!

The studio itself is reproduced to show how it originally looked, complete with sloping floor, due to the building starting as a movie theater. A number of original instruments are displayed here.

Their wall of records are as impressive as Sun's, and even more expansive. The sheer volume of amazing music to come from here is quite phenomenal.

Kenne had to pose with Issac Haye's gold-plated Cadillac, of course!

Speaking of Issac...

I loved this piece - Albert King's first guitar - a Sears knock-off!

And talk about a piece of history - the actual wah-wah pedal used for "The Theme From Shaft"!!

Of course, Ike & Tina!

Shit, did these belong to - I'm thinking it was Bobby Blue Bland - coke spoons in the heels and zippers!

And his sporty jacket!

Hard to get a good photo of this in its plastic vatrine, but this is the organ used on "Green Onions"!

The dance floor from Soul Train, taken over by elementary and Jr. High aged kids from the Stax Music Academy!

Across the street - just dug the styling.

Memphis Slim lived in the neighborhood, so this exists, though we didn't have time to explore it or the nearby cemetery when Memphis Minnie is interred.