BackinMemphis

The family who owns the mansion that was ravaged by fire Wednesday night lost another home to fire more than one year ago. Those fires are now part of the same investigation. It was just after 6 p.m. when Chopper 5 captured the exclusive video of the massive house fire on Riveredge Drive in unincorporated Cordova. At least 11 engine companies and more than 70 emergency workers battled the flames. Despite the efforts, the home, which was once owned by the late great soul man Isaac Hayes, was a total loss. "We got our guys up close to the seat of the fire but the fire load was just too great, a lot of hot gases up inside the house," said Brent Perkins, Memphis Fire Department. All that is left of the 7,200 square foot estate is a burned out shell. Hayes paid $1.3 million for the estate in 2002. It fell into foreclosure by the time the current owners, Kenneth and Doris Peters, bought it for about $324,000 almost exactly one year ago. The Peters are not strangers to t...

According to WMC-TV crews on the scene, there were three people at the home when the fire started. They were able to make it out and were not injured. Chopper 5 is above the fire in Cordova right now. Huge flames are visible from the air. The fire is so big Shelby County fire called both city and county resources to help contain it. The $1.4 million home was foreclosed on after Isaac Hayes' death. The Shelby County Fire Department confirms that this is the former home of Hayes. Source: WMC-TV Memphis/BackinMemphis

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Charles “Skip” Pitts, the longtime Memphis guitar player whose distinctive riffs helped define soul and make Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft” theme cool, has died. He was 65. Pitts is responsible for the unforgettable wah-wah guitar sound on Hayes’ “Theme from Shaft,” the ‘70s Blaxploitation film that remains a memorable moment in American popular culture — mostly due to the enduring popularity of the song. Tim Sampson, communication director with the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis, says Pitts died Tuesday after a long struggle with cancer. Schooled by neighbor Bo Diddley while growing up in Washington, D.C., Pitts had a long, historic run in Memphis. He played with Hayes for nearly four decades, worked as a session musician for Stax Records and logged time with many significant soul acts. Source: AP/NY Daily News/BackinMemphis

Country music recording artist Pam Tillis recorded this tribute song to Elvis Presley & Dr. Martin Luther King . She sings the song with upcoming R & B singer, Kris Thomas , a Memphian himself. The video was filmed in Memphis by local documentary film maker, Molly Secours . Thomas has an impressive music background. He was a member of the StreetCorner Harmonies , he also attended Stax Music Academy . He has performed with Isaac Hayes and Mavis Staples . Pam and Kris filmed the video back in Memphis . Scenes were shot on Beale Street, Mud Island, and Stax museum . Beautiful and heartfelt photos of Elvis Presley and Dr. Martin Luther King are featured in the video. Photos of fans at the annual candle light vigil for Elvis Presley are shown and photos from the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King . And today's StreetCorner Harmonies perform on the song as well. The song itself was co-written by Brenda O'Brien at a songwriter camp. O'Brien was one o...