BackinMemphis

Leonard’s Pit Barbecue One of Elvis' Favorites! 5456 Fox Plaza Drive, Memphis • (901) 360-1963 Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; 
Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Leonard Heuberger opened Leonard’s Pit Barbecue at the corner of Bellevue and McLemore in 1922. Today, it’s owned by Dan Brown, who started working there in 1962. The restaurant is now located in Hickory Ridge, and there is still a steady stream of customers searching for the same barbecue sandwiches and fried chicken Elvis used to eat when Leonard’s was the town’s largest drive-in. The sandwiches are meaty, the sauce is rich and tangy, and the slaw is mustardy. Great big seasoned potato wedges stand in for fries, and I highly recommend you give them a try. There is also brisket and barbecue bologna on the menu. The daily lunch buffet is popular, serving up Southern favorites like catfish and country-fried steak, in addition to ribs and sandwiches. http://leonardsbarbecue.com/ The ...

Stillrealtous   -  Next month WWE Great Balls of Fire will air live on the WWE Network. No, you didn’t read that wrong, WWE actually named a pay-per-view Great Balls of Fire. When people hear the title they usually either think inappropriate thoughts, or they think of the Jerry Lee Lewis song of the same name. It turns out that WWE had to work out a deal with Jerry Lee Lewis in order to use the name, and on the latest episode of his podcast, Dinner with the King, Jerry Lawler revealed how it all went down. “My personal attorney here in Memphis is Joe Barton. Good friend of mine and my attorney. I got a phone call from Joe a few weeks ago, and Joe also represents Jerry Lee Lewis. And Joe said, ‘Hey Jerry, do you happen to know who I would contact at the WWE about copyright infringement?’ I go, “What? What are you talking about?” He goes, “Well, we understand they are doing a pay-per-view called Great Balls of Fire and Jerry Lee has that phrase trademarked. He has ever ...

Jerry Lee Lewis Ranch Tours 1595 Malone Rd. Nesbit, MS Tours run Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (901) 488-1823 Click Here for Tours

Oscar Party prep @TsunamiGrind @DrakeMilligan @ChristianLeees pic.twitter.com/Rpq7a8tQRD — Jonah Lees (@JonahRules) February 27, 2017 Pretty Cool, HUH? Sun Records airs Thursday night at 10 PM EST on CMT!

TooFab's Madison Brodsky spoke with the British twin actors Christian and Jonah Lees , who landed the dream roles of Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmy Swaggart in the series, Sun Records about stepping into the shoes of these iconic artists. “The writers did a great job,” Christian Lees, who plays Jerry Lee Lewis said. "We’re both very hard workers and we did a ton of research from watching movies and YouTube videos to reading books.” The series debuted last week with the real Jerry Lee Lewis narrating the beginning of the first scene. And because of the participation from Lewis, his wife, son and Johnny Cash's brother that the famed musicians' private stories will finally be revealed on the CMT series. It was a surreal moment [meeting Jerry] because I was literally studying and becoming the man who was standing right in front of me,” Christian told TooFab. The 21-year-old actor put his blood, sweat and tears into developing Lewis’ character, even to the ex...

Click HERE to Induct Jerry Lee Lewis into the Country Music Hall of Fame Petition | GoPetition Target: The Country Music Association Region: United States of America Website: www.ameripolitan.com Jerry Lee Lewis , equal in stature to the all time greats, Jimmie Rodgers, Al Jolson, and Hank Williams, and truly deserving of the title "Greatest Living American Song Stylist", is long overdue for induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Ameripolitan Music Awards , a grassroots movement, has created this online petition to let the Country Music Association know that Jerry Lee Lewis has one of the most loyal fan bases of any country artist in history, and together we have the opportunity to influence the nominating committee and voting members of the CMA. We are aware that Jerry Lee already has many advocates within the CMA and the Country Music Hall of Fame, and they need our help to make a strong case for his inclusion on the ballot. Though he is one of the most...

  The reviews among Elvis fans are mixed for Sun Records , the new drama on CMT which premiered last night. Most LOVE it , Some don't like it at all, and others want to give it a chance. Myself, I LIKE it . Last night was an introduction to all the characters . I think the writers and producers did a fine job summing up all that early history in less than an hour! I loved how they summed up Colonel Parker. It was PERFECT! I also liked the inclusion of Eddy Arnold. See, it's THOSE DETAILS that make the difference! Very Cool!  Details like this take time and KNOWLEDGE! And that is something most TV shows and movies don't have! Hats off to the writers! Very much appreciated, well at least by me! I love when the Colonel tells the boy he can cover the Bob Wills posters, "Cause Bob is a friend of mine and he said it would be okay." And then when Colonel goes in and sells the record store a hundred records and even gets the guy to pay the p...

CMT's premiere of Sun Records airs tonight right after Nashville . The first episode is titled, "706 Union." Description: Sam Phillips moves his family to Memphis to open a recording studio to look for his first hit musical act, but instead rekindles a steamy affair. Young Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash struggle at home. Sun Records airs tonight on CMT at 10:02 PM EST . The show is only scheduled for 8 episodes for now. From the interviews I have seen with the cast, they all seem to have a great appreciation for the music and the legends their characters are based on. They talk with great affection for the artists and the city of Memphis. Tune in tonight and check it out for yourself!

Meet Roland Joffé, the legendary director of CMT 's new scripted series, Sun Records . Get a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to be directed by Roland Joffé. Sun Records premieres Thursday, February 23 at 10/9c on CMT . Follow #SunRecords : Twitter : @CMT ( http://twitter.com/CMT ) Instagram : @CMT ( http://instagram.com/CMT ) Facebook : @SunRecordsCMT ( http://facebook.com/SunRecordsCMT ) CMT .com: http://cmt.com/shows/sun-records

Justin Bieber skipped the VMA's yesterday to sing Karaoke in LA. Justin chose legendary Sun Records artist, Jerry Lee Lewis and his smash hit, Great Balls of Fire.  Justin Bieber singing Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis at karaoke bar in LA - August 28, 2016 Great Balls of Fire was written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer. The Jerry Lee Lewis 1957 recording was ranked as the 96th greatest song ever by Rolling Stone . The song sold one million copies in its first 10 days of release in the United States and sold over five million copies, making it both one of the best-selling singles in the United States, as well as one of the world's best-selling singles of all time. Jerry Lee Lewis's original recording, which was recorded in the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee on October 8, 1957, was producing by the GODFATHER of Rock n Roll Sam Phillips , using Roland Janes on guitar and JM Van Eaton on drums. It's nice to see Bieber appreciates good music! ...

CMT will partner with “Hatfields & McCoys” producer Thinkfactory Media to produce a limited drama series that chronicles the rise of rock ‘n’ roll. The premiere of the eight-episode scripted series, which will be based on the Tony Award-winning musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” will mark the 60th anniversary of the famed “Million Dollar Quartet” jam session that was recorded by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins in Dec. 1956. Set in the early days of Memphis’ Civil Rights era, the series will document the birth of rock ‘n’ roll and the rise of the genre’s pioneering musicians during periods of extensive political change and social unrest. CMT and Thinkfactory Media will begin a nationwide casting search for the roles of young Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, BB King, Ike Turner, Carl Perkins and other supporting characters beginning Feb. 3, with auditions to be held at the historic Humes Preparatory Academy Middle School, Presley’s a...

 Thank You BB for the music!

Music legend Jerry Lee Lewis is mourning the loss of his bass player, who was murdered early Sunday morning in Southeast Memphis. B.B. Cunningham was shot to death while working as a security guard at the Cherry Crest Apartments. Lewis’ longtime manager, J.W. Whitten , says Lewis is devastated and says he lost a friend and companion in the music industry. Cunningham began playing for The Jerry Lee Lewis Band in 1997. Cunningham, who was also a singer and keyboardist, began his music career performing on his fathers record label, ‘Cover Records,’ in Memphis. He found fame in 1967 when he wrote and recorded the hit song, ‘Let It All Hang Out,’ with the Hombres . Jon Hornyak , the executive director of The Recording Academy in Memphis , played in bands with Cunningham and spent time with him in the studio. He says it’s hard for the music community to see a beloved figure go out that way, “Part of it is musicians get older and there are not enough gigs to make a living just a...

Dock Britt is charged with one count of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder for the death of 70-year-old musician B.B. Cunningham.Detectives said they found the bodies of Cunningham and 16-year-old Henry White in the courtyard of the Cherry Crest Apartments. According to police, Britt was one of two men who shot at a female security guard at an apartment complex near Cherry Road and Kimball Avenue.They say Britt ran across the street and in to the Cherry Gate apartment complex.Los Hombres lead singer and Jerry Lee Lewis band member B.B. Cunningham , who was also working as a security guard at the time, went after the two shooters. Britt with his grandmother  Police said they are still awaiting the results to determine which bullet killed the teen.  Britt's mother denies her son killed anyone. She would not do a full interview with Action News 5. "I'm already going through enough. And I'd appreciate if you guys just back off. I can tell...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (FOX13) - Satirically penned by Memphis songwriter and producer B.B. Cunningham , 1967's "Let It All Hang Out" not only rhythmically noted the pleasures of regaling in your favorite vices can often bring, it served as a personal anthem for a man who lived life to its fullest as a musician, songwriter and producer. Family, admirers and long time friends, such as legendary, Memphis disc jockey, George Klein, who often called on Cunningham's talents during the 40 years of his annually hosted Charity Christmas Concert, reflected on a man whose shooting death Sunday morning in Southeast Memphis left more than a musical void. "I you called him, you'd say, Hey, we got a charity affair here B.B..Could you get the Hombres together and bring it one more time? He said, sure. There was no check my calendar," recalls Klein. Memphis Police announced the arrest on Monday of Dock Cedric Britt , accused of shooting Cunningham and woundin...

Dock Britt has been arrested and charged with First Degree Murder.On Sunday, October 14, 2012 at approximately 2:12 a.m., officers received a Shooting call to 1460 Cherry Road.Upon arriving on the scene, officers located two victims that had suffered from an apparent gunshot wound. Victim#1, 70-year-old Blake Cunningham and 16-year-old Henry White were both pronounced deceased on the scene. The preliminary investigation revealed that Cunningham was working in a nearby apartment complex as a uniformed security guard when two unknown suspects fired shots at a second security guard which was also working at the nearby apartment complex. After the shots were fired, Cunningham pursued the suspects across the street into the rear of the Cherry Crest Apartments. Additional shots were heard moments later by the second security guard. After checking the area, both Cunningham and White were found dead lying in the courtyard. The second suspect, which fled the scene after the shoo...

Memphis Police have arrested a suspect in a double shooting in East Memphis that left a well-known Memphis musician and a 16-year-old dead. 22-year-old Dock Britt was arrested late Sunday night and charged with First Degree Murder and Attempted First Degree Murder. Right now, he's only facing murder charges for B.B. Cunningham's death. He is not charged with the murder of the 16-year-old. The shooting happened early Sunday morning at the Cherrycrest Apartments on Cherry Rd. near Kimball Ave. "The whole area was taped off. I don't know what was going on," said resident Irran Davis. Investigators say 70-year-old Memphis musician B.B. Cunningham was working as a security guard when he came out to the courtyard to help after he heard gun shots sound off. BIM: We have been informed that Dock has been released for quite some time. I have been in touch with some who know him and from their comments to me, he seems to be a nice person and loved by h...

WMC-TV – Memphis police are looking for clues in what led to a shooting that left two people dead. One of the victims was a teenager, another well known Memphis musician. The shooting happened at the Cherry Crest Apartments in East Memphis. Resident Judy Baladez told our crew they heard lots of shots. "I just like kind of stayed down in my bed and laid quiet and still because I didn't know if more shooting was going to continue," said Baladez. "Like, very loud, like they were very close by they didn't sound like they were being shot in the air. They sounded close by like they were being shot at somebody," she added. A 70-year-old security guard and 16-year-old male were killed in the gunfire. You can still see places where there were pools of blood. Crime Scene tape illustrates the spot where the men were shot. What investigators want to know is: what happened? While our crews were on the scene, a woman carrying a torn piece of crime sc...

BB & Keith Richards Memphis musician B.B. Cunningham , 70, a member of Jerry Lee Lewis' band, was shot in Southeast Memphis early Sunday morning, family members confirm. "I can't believe that that's the way he went out because of ... because of some teenager that wanted to rob a store," says his granddaughter Maria Cunningham . Memphis police say they are investigating the shooting deaths of a 16-year-old male and a 70-year-old male security guard at the complex; MPD says they have not positively identified the victims at this time. Officers responded to the call at approximately 2:12 a.m. at the Cherrycrest Apartments where they found the bodies in the courtyard of the complex. MPD says both victims suffered apparent gunshot wounds. "It was devastating at first but the more we think about it, the more reality kind of hits us and it hurts. It hurts a lot," says Maria. "He was a legend. He really was. Memphis lost a really great ...