From the Stage to the Page

MEMPHIS READING LIST

There is a rich cultural history that underlies the story of MEMPHIS. HCT has published an Audience Enlightenment Guide that covers some of this (which you can download HERE), but there is so much more. Here is a list of books and articles covering a myriad of topics related to the historical background to the show.

Books you can check out through the Hickory Public Library

1. The Power of Black Music by Samuel Floyd, Jr.

2. White Negroes by Lauren Michele Jackson

3. The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty

4. Race Music: Black Cultures from Bebop to Hip-Hop by Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr.

5. Dewey and Elvis: The Life and Times of a Rock 'n' Roll Deejay by Louis Cantor

Other books available for purchase through various retailers

1. The Death of Rhythm and Blues by Nelson George

2. Souled American: How Black Music Transformed White Culture by Kevin Phinney

3. African Americans in Memphis (Images of America) by Earnestine Lovelle Jenkins

4. An Unseen Light: Black Struggles for Freedom in Memphis, Tennessee – edited by Aram Goudsouzian and Charles W. McKinney

Online resources:

“The True Story of Rock and Roll” by Caroline Peacock

https://thekollection.com/the-true-story-of-rock-and-roll-how-whitewashing-let-down-the-black-voice/

“Before Birmingham: The Early Stages of the Civil Rights Struggle in Memphis”

https://seancarroll.tripod.com/memphis/struggle.htm

“Elvis and Why Unintentional Racism is Even Worse Than Appropriation” by James A. Crosby

https://jamesacosby.medium.com/elvis-and-why-unintentional-racism-is-even-worse-than-appropriation-4f0b23fb2303

“Black Artists and Appropriation” (video) - PBS Wisconsin

https://pbswisconsin.org/webisode/why-race-matters/black-artists-and-appropriation/video/