April 30, 2013
Thursday marks the 10th anniversary of Stax Museum of American Soul, the site where Elvis recorded three of his own albums. In celebration of the legendary recording studio, we recently sat down with Communications Director Tim Sampson to talk about Elvis' time recording with Stax. Fans can watch a portion of this interview in this new video (above) and tune in for this week's Rubberneckin' podcast on Thursday, May 2, for the extended interview.
In July and December of 1973, Elvis recorded three albums at Stax Records. The albums include "Raised On Rock," "Good Times" and "Promised Land," which produced four Top 20 hits on the charts. Sampson shares stories about Elvis' time at Stax and how after decades of being abandoned, the city of Memphis united to honor the musical history and legendary Stax artists.
On May 2, 2003, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music opened its doors at the original site of Stax Records, which had been a vacant, overgrown lot for more than a decade with a single State of Tennessee historic marker. This was once home to the label that launched the careers of such soul music luminaries as Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & the MGs, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Sam & Dave, the Staple Singers and dozens of other artists who changed music and popular culture forever.
On Friday, January 11, 2013, the Stax Museum – one of the Soulsville Foundation’s three programs along with the Stax Music Academy and The Soulsville Charter School – received a joint proclamation from Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell proclaiming 2013 as the “Year of the Stax Museum” for the City of Memphis and Shelby County. The museum received a proclamation from Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam proclaiming May 2, 2013, as “Stax Museum Day” throughout the State of Tennessee. Stax also received a congressional proclamation from Congressman Steve Cohen extending his “sincere congratulations to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music as it celebrates its 10th anniversary" and for “providing a phenomenal source of income and pride for our community.”
Learn more about history of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music by visiting StaxMuseum.com.