TWO NEW ELVIS HISTORICAL MARKERS TO BE DEDICATED IN AUGUST

On August 11, the Shelby County Historical Commission will be dedicating another two markers as part of Elvis Week. The commission will be commemorating Elvis’ hangout the Poplar Tunes record shop as well as theLauderdale Courts, where the Presley family once resided.  

The markers are part of an “Elvis trail” of sorts that the commission has been developing over the last few years. In 2014, the commission placed a marker at the Family Dollar store at Chelsea and Thomas. The former location of American Sound Studios was where Presley recorded his 1969 “comeback” sessions, and where producer Chips Moman and the studio’s house band conjured up over a 100 chart hits.

Markers have also been placed at the site of Presley’s favorite ride, the Zippin Pippin at Libertyland; at Lansky Brothers, the “clothier to the king”; the Plastic Products Record Plant, where Elvis’ first single "That's All Right" was pressed; and his alma mater Humes High School.

The August 11 ceremony at the Poplar Tunes site – 308 Poplar, now home to ASAP Bail Bonds – will take place at 10 a.m. and be followed with a second ceremony at the west side of the Lauderdale Courts (282 North Second Street) at 11 a.m.

Event organizer Jimmy Ogle notes that due to space limitations at both sites, there will not be an elaborate seated setup as was the case with the American Studios marker last year. But there will be a special "Walk in the Footsteps of Elvis" tour between the two locations, which are four blocks apart. Local tour guides Mike Freeman and Sue Mack will conduct the procession from Poplar Tunes north up Lauderdale Street to Market Avenue, and west to North Third. Ann Shaw and Alan Grossman, the team behind the “Memphis Map for Elvis Fans,” will also be part of the walk.  

The SCHC has plans for several other music-related dedications in 2016, including markers for WHBQ at the Hotel Chisca and a Johnny Cash dedication in the Cooper-Young neighborhood.