BackinMemphis

The Chisca hotel is known to Elvis fans as a historic Elvis site. In July 1954, for the first time in history, radio airwaves carried the voice of Elvis Presley. The broadcast came from The Chisca and changed the world forever. This was the largest hotel in Memphis at the time. It was built in 1913. It wasn’t a luxury hotel like the Peabody; it was an accommodation for the middle class. Many other historic events occurred at The Chisca hotel. From 1949 to 1956, WHBQ radio’s DJ Dewey Phillips broadcast his legendary show, “Red, Hot and Blue” from the mezzanine level of The Chisca. “Daddy-O-Dewey,” as Mr. Phillips was popularly known, was the first DJ to give Elvis a chance. Phillips played Elvis’s “That’s All Right, Mama” three days after Sam Phillips recorded it at Sun Records Studio. The Chisca Hotel has been vacant for years. It's owned by the Church of God in Christ, which has let the building fall into disrepair. Memphis City Councilman Edmund Ford is proposing a two m...

Dewey Phillips' Family Meets 'Memphis' Cast: MyFoxMEMPHIS.com Anxious theater goers waited to see Memphis the Musical since it kicked off its national tour at The Orpheum, but none were as nervous as the Phillips brothers, Randy and Jerry. "I am looking forward to watching it," said Randy. "I am sure it will meet or exceed my expectations." They had never seen the production based loosely on their dad, legendary Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips. His character in the musical is named Huey Calhoun and played by Bryan Fenkart. "He sounds a lot like my dad; his mannerisms were a lot like my dad's were." Randy's wife Doris of 37 years never met her father-in-law. "I feel like I know him because I have heard all those stories all these many years, and I think those two are full of Dewey!" The family had not been told of a surprise FOX13 set up for them, a meeting that left a lasting impression on the family and a cast me...