BackinMemphis

Legendary Memphis songwriter/producer Chips Moman and veteran music business leader Marty Lacker will have their names added to the Brass Note Walk of Fame on Beale Street on Sunday. A ceremony commemorating the occasion will take place at 5 p.m. in front of the Superior Bar at 159 Beale. The Georgia-born Moman hitchhiked to Memphis as a teen and became a gifted rockabilly guitarist and band leader in the 1950s. He later became one of the architects of the early Stax Records and author of some of the most enduring songs in the history of rhythm and blues and country music -- from "Dark End of the Street" to "Luckenbach Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)." Now retired and living back in his native Georgia, Moman -- who suffered a stroke in 2008 -- will not be in attendance at the Beale Street ceremony, due to his health. Accepting his award will be his friend Marty Lacker. "Memphis honoring Chips is long overdue," says Lacker. "He's a guy who ...

LOS ANGELES -- First there was Viva Elvis: the Cirque du Soleil show. Now fans of The King can experience Viva Elvis: The Album. In a QMI exclusive, the legendary rocker's ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, sat down in a chic Beverly Hills hotel to talk about the new album and her life with Elvis, who died in 1977 at the age of 42. The 65-year-old widow also touched on the world of music and her admiration for the Cirque du Soleil. Earlier this year, Priscilla Presley was closely involved in the planning of the Cirque's Viva Elvis show. What do you think about the musical arrangement of Viva Elvis? The album is inspired by the Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas. The Cirque du Soleil is famous for taking risks and it's a great partnership because Elvis is known as someone who also liked risks. So if you have to take a risk, this is the album to make. There's no question that many people will like the album and I hope that the young generation will like it. It's possible...

Last night I had the pleasure of meeting Ricky Martin who has this new single out with Joss Stone. Ricky Martin He also has a new autobiography out called Me. Ricky Martin is not only an incredibly handsome man but he's also friendly, sweet and down to earth. I had the chance to talk with him briefly and when I mentioned his two beautiful children, he got All Choked up! What a dreamboat.....now if only I could find a straight guy like him!

Collectors and nostalgia lovers will be able to find Jazz Concert Posters of Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and many more. Rock and roll rarities feature LPs and 45rpm records of Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Jim Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Who, The Rolling Stones, et al. Rhythm and blues classics include the music of Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and other Motown favorites. Folk finds are there from Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, The Weavers, Ed McCurdy et al. Country legends include Webb Pierce, Bob Wills, Johnny Cash, Sons of the Pioneers and many more.  Big bands are represented by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Jimmie Lunceford, Chick Webb, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Artie Shaw and Quincy Jones. There is opera and classical music plus reggae from Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff, blues from B.B. King and Ray Charles etc. etc. Rare African American sheet music from the early 20th century, others from the 1800s, photographs of rock and r...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The design of a new downtown Hilton hotel was revealed Wednesday. The new Hilton will be built at the corner of Linden and Fourth, just south of the Fedexforum. It will be 11 stories high with 290 rooms. It's estimated to cost between $68-$72 million. Marlon Phoenix, who's developing the project, says downtown Memphis needs more top of the line hotels. "We saw that a lot of things were happening in Memphis and people were staying in Tunica, and we saw an opportunity to build a first class hotel up here." Construction is expected to begin early next year, and could take up to 20 months to complete.

Memphis International Airport is the fifth most expensive departure ticket in the nation. According to the Bureau of Transportation, statistics the average domestic flight ticket out of Memphis cost about $437 dollars. That’s about $90 more than the national average and up almost 19 percent from last year. Knoxville ranked fourth on the list with an average fare of more than $441 and Nashville came in 52nd with an average of right at $335. The cheapest airport is in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Source: My Memphis