Night Train to Memphis


Book Description

An assistant curator of Munich's National Museum, Vicky Bliss is no expert on Egypt, but she does have a Ph.D. in solving crimes. So when an intelligence agency offers her a luxury Nile cruise if she'll help solve a murder and stop a heist of Egyptian antiquities, all 5'11" of her takes the plunge. Vicky suspects the authorities really want her to lead them to her missing lover, the art thief and master of disguises she knows only as "Sir John Smythe." And right in the shadow of the Sphinx she spots him. . . with his new flame. Vicky is so furious at this romantic stab-in-the-back, not to mention the sudden arrival of her meddling boss, Herr Dr. Schmidt, that she may overlook a danger as old as the pharaohs and as unchanging. . . a criminal who hides behind a mask of charm while moving in for the kill.




A Secret History of Memphis Hoodoo


Book Description

“Reveals the stories and legends of conjurers and healers from the arrival of African slaves on Memphis plantations to blues musicians on Beale Street.” —Preston Lauterbach, author of Beale Street Dynasty Widely known for its musical influence, Beale Street was also once a hub for Hoodoo culture. Many blues icons, such as Big Memphis Ma Rainey and Sonny Boy Williamson, dabbled in the mysterious tradition. Its popularity in some African American communities over the past two centuries fueled racial tension—practitioners faced social stigma and blame for anything from natural disasters to violent crimes. However, necessity sometimes outweighed prejudice, and even those with the highest social status turned to Hoodoo for prosperity, love, or retribution. In this book, Tony Kail traces Memphis's colorful Hoodoo heritage from the arrival of Africans in Shelby County to the growth of conjure culture in juke joints and Spiritual Churches. Includes photographs




The Million Dollar Quartet


Book Description

Million Dollar Quartet’ is the name given to recordings made on Tuesday December 4, 1956 in the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The recordings were of an impromptu jam session among Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash.The events of the session. Very few participants survive. Includes interviews with the drummer and the sound engineer. A detailed analysis of the music played – and its relevance to subsequent popular music. The early lives and careers of the quartet – where they were in 1956. Relevant social and economic factors which meant that a massive audience of young people were keenly looking for a new kind of music they could call their own. The “reunions” of surviving members of the quartet. The emergence of the tapes, first on bootleg and then on legitimate CDs. The genesis of the stage show and its reception – the enduring appeal of the music.




Living the Rock 'n Roll Dream


Book Description

(Book). In 1957, Buzz Cason formed The Casuals, one of the first rock bands in Nashville. Over the next four decades, he worked successfully as a performer, songwriter, producer, actor and recording studio pioneer. He wrote the hit song "Everlasting Love," published the award-winning songs "Honey" and "Little Green Apples," sang with Roy Orbison, Kenny Rogers, Brenda Lee and Jimmy Buffet, and recorded with such artists as Olivia Newton-John, Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard and The Gatlin Brothers. This book is about freedom, adventure and, above all, music and the fun Buzz Cason has had being an integral part of it for almost 50 years. This book is an insider's view of the early days of rock'n'roll, from a man whose experiences influenced music history. Buzz's story is for everyone, from the aspiring young musician looking to break into the business as a performer or songwriter, to the fan, reflecting on life, music and dreams. Endorsed by Kris Kristofferson!




One Night on TV Is Worth Weeks at the Paramount


Book Description

Musical performance has been a part of television since the introduction of the medium. The styles and production requirements of music and of television have long influenced the other. Murray Forman gives the history of this interaction, going back to the early years of television, before the broadcast networks, up through the late fifties. He explores the full range of popular music from show tunes to Latin in a wide variety of television programs, and shows how the standards of presentation and performance developed.




The Story of the Development of NWATNA


Book Description

When the WWE bought WCW from Turner/Time Warner, they were basically the only professional wrestling company in the US. Jerry and Jeff Jarrett knew the needed capitol to begin a traditional wrestling company was beyond their resources. the father and son team realized that a new concept would be necessary to accomplish the task of starting a national wrestling company. Against great odds, the largest time allotment contract with the pay-per-view providers, InDemand and Direct TV was negotiated. With the seed money (1,000,000.00.) and a boat load of optimism, the Jarrett's set out to form a start up International wrestling company. After bankers promised loans and then withdrew at the last minute, Health South came in as the financing partner in the venture. Health South was forced to pull out without notice because of international problems and with a window of only 30 days, a replacement for Health South was found when Panda Energy bought into the project. The road was never an easy one. From discovering that a key man who handled the PPV end of the business was on the payroll of the company that handles WWE PPV's at the same time, to receiving forged documents form InDemand, to wrestlers that had verbally committed to NWATNA suddenly getting attractive contracts with WWE, the venture has survived. Today, two years after the launch, this company that insiders gave no chance of survival, has produced 90 weeks of pay-per-view programs, and is seen around the world on international television. NWATNA has secured a deal with a major television network.




Memphis


Book Description

MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL: THE COMPLETE BOOK AND LYRICS




One Night of Madness


Book Description

The year was 1950. Mary Ella Harris, works hard sharecropping alongside her husband, a man with a penchant for gambling, drinking, and associating with unsavory white people. When she is cornered in her home by Leon Turner, a white man who refuses to take no for an answer, Mary Ella narrowly avoids an attempted rape. After his arrest, Leon escapes jail and enacts a bloody revenge with two accomplices. With the eyes of the nation watching, the state itself is on trial. The jury's controversial decision ultimately serves as a catalyst for change.




The Alcalde


Book Description

As the magazine of the Texas Exes, The Alcalde has united alumni and friends of The University of Texas at Austin for nearly 100 years. The Alcalde serves as an intellectual crossroads where UT's luminaries - artists, engineers, executives, musicians, attorneys, journalists, lawmakers, and professors among them - meet bimonthly to exchange ideas. Its pages also offer a place for Texas Exes to swap stories and share memories of Austin and their alma mater. The magazine's unique name is Spanish for "mayor" or "chief magistrate"; the nickname of the governor who signed UT into existence was "The Old Alcalde."




Last Train To Memphis


Book Description

Written with grace, humour, and affection, Last Train to Memphis has been hailed as the definitive biography of Elvis Presley 'Elvis steps from the pages. You can feel him breathe' BOB DYLAN 'Wonderful' RODDY DOYLE 'Soars above all other accounts of Elvis' Guardian 'A triumph of biographical art... profound and moving' New York Times Last Train to Memphis is arguably the first serious biography that refuses to dwell on the myth of Elvis. Aiming instead to portray in vivid, dramatic terms the life and career of this outstanding artistic and cultural phenomenon, it draws together a plethora of documentary and interview material to create a superbly coherent and plausible narrative. The first of two volumes, covering Presley's rise to prominence up to his departure for Germany in 1958, Last Train to Memphis is undoubtedly the benchmark by which other biographies of him are judged.