April 2023. This is an account of a trip down the mighty Mississippi aboard the new (launched in 2022, in service since September) Viking river boat Viking Mississippi. Before that we spent 2 1/2 days in the city of Memphis, which was a real revelation. We were not expecting much but we had never been to Memphis before. The epitome of shabby-chic, the city is also the most integrated city in America. Black and White workers happily working together everywhere we went, and we detected no elements of racism or class bias anywhere. Incredible when you think of the dark history of civil rights struggles that have dogged the area for generations. Memphis is synonymous with the Blues, of course, which happens to be our favorite kind of music. So we had a great time in Blues clubs of various sizes, all belting out superb music. The Mississippi flows muddily through town carrying push-tows of barges of a size that would dam any English river. The multi-layers of icing on the cake were two great museums, the Blues Hall of Fame Museum and the National Civil Rights Museum, both of which occupied us for hours. Oh yeah, then there's the FOOD! We stayed in a grand old 1920's hotel, the Peabody, famed for its duck walk. I'll shut up now and let the pictures tell the story:
 The Memphis Trolley rumbles up and down Main Street. Another loop runs along the riverfront. You have to love a town that still runs old streetcars. CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE |
 Main Street Trolley interior. |
 Not sure who lives here but they must be music lovers! I think that's Aretha on the left but maybe you could educate me about the other dude? |
 Main Street Trolley approaching the Blues Hall of Fame Museum |
 Inside the Blues Hall of Fame Museum.  Beale Street. Shabby-chic and Blues Galore. |
 Ike Turner's First Piano.  Barb tucks into a Veggie Burger at Huey's. |
 BB King's Guitars. He named his guitars after a lady, "Lucille", who was the object of a fight between two men who upturned a kerosene heater and almost cost the young BB his life when he rushed back into the burning building to save his guitar. |
 No comment. |
 So many Clubs and Cafes -Where to Go? CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE |
 |
 We ended up in BB King's -and were not disappointed. |
 BB King's Club Interior. |
 DiverCity Band Belts Them Out at BB's..  The singer was a guest. I think she called herself 'Tennessee Whiskey' but as I can't find her on the web, that's probably not correct. She definitely had her mojo intact. |
 Great Music, Great Food! This is Fried Pickles, trust me - it's good!  Juke Joint on Bourbon Street |
 Classic Southern Comfort Food. Shrimp, Okra and Grits at BB's. If you are grits-phobic, this combo is therapy. The best food we had in Memphis was at BB King's Blues Club. |
 Peabody Hotel Lobby  The rooms did not live up to the opulence. This is no toilet - hot water in the washbasin. |
The Lorraine Motel today, as it was on April 4th, 1968, almost exactly 55 years before our visit on April 7th 2023. The wreath marks the spot where Dr. King was murdered. I took no photos
inside as they would not have conveyed the gravitas or atmosphere within. The National Civil Rights Museum is a very moving experience. We spent hours inside and could have used a whole day.
| We also toured the original Sun Recording Studio, a much lighter experience! Sun Records was a hotbed of musical innovation in the 1950's and early 60's. Owned by the visionary and irrepressible Sam Phillips, it nurtured talents like BB King, Big Walter Horton, Billy Lee Riley, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, Conway Twitty, Earl Hooker, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ike Turner, Johnny Cash, Rufus Thomas, Roy Orbison, and many more. Sam's most famous protege, of course, was Elvis Presley who hung out at Sun for weeks in 1954 bugging Marion Keisker and Sam to do a demo. Marion was impressed, Sam not so much. Sam finally relented but was bored by Elvis' repertoire which was full of schmaltzy ballads that were popular in the 50's. Sam's common refrain was "gimme something different!". Sam left the control room for a wee or a coffee (accounts differ) and in desperation Elvis started to jam with the local studio musicians, playing the music he really liked, which was the Black music he grew up with - Gospel and Blues. When Sam returned, Elvis was singing Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "That's All Right, Mama". Sam returned and rushed into the studio asking "what the hell are you doing?". Elvis said he wasn't sure and Sam said "well, keep doing it!" Elvis' version was released as a single by Sun and eventually became a huge hit. That's a potted version of the whole story which is now a legend of the birth of Rock n' Roll. There's a longer version here, one of many. |  The "Million Dollar Quartet" at
Sun. From
Left to Right: Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. |
  Sun Studios Control Room CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE |
  Home of Dewey Philips, the legendary (and crazy) disc jockey who soaked the Memphis airwaves with the Blues and was the first to play Elvis on-air, spinning 'That's Alright Mama' in 1954 |
  Smash Hit? |
 A vintage vocal microphone of the type Elvis used, a Shure 55SH, I think. |
Memphis is an adult theme park, and we left
grudgingly to board a bus to the ship but, talking of Elvis,
there was one more shrine of American music to visit
on the way - Graceland, Elvis' treasured mansion on the
outskirts of Memphis. I groused to one of the Viking guides
about never really wanting to see Graceland as I thought it
would be kitschy beyond belief. He said, "Oh yes it
is, even more so, but you should go see it. It's what
happens when a poor kid with no taste gets a lot of
money. In any case, it's a classic bit of American history.
" So it proved to be.
 GRACELAND |
 The Mansion (left) was much smaller than we were expecting, but behind it are these modern warehouses containing Elvis memorabilia, like his costumes and cars (see below). |
 Living Room. |
 Dining Room. |
 The Jungle Room. Note carpet on ceiling |
 Jungle Room detail. |
 Billiard Room. He was also a fan of fabric on walls. |
 TV Room. I got the sense from these rooms that Elvis was trying to return to the womb. I don't blame him. |
 Elvis' Birth Certificate. |
 "E. P. Special" Solar Midget Race Car. Elvis wrecked it a few times. Vernon, his father, told his staff to "Get rid of it, before he kills himself". |
  Cadillac Eldorado "Angela Fins" (family joke) |
 Some of Elvis' Many Costumes. He often mixed and matched belts to change the look  |
 More Elvis Costumes CLICK on any IMAGE to ENLARGE |
 |
Feeling somewhat giddy from
gaudy Graceland and magical Memphis, we boarded the
Viking bus to finally join our ship. For some strange
reason, Viking decided not to dock in Memphis but 120
miles south at the tiny hamlet of Rosedale, deep in
the Mississippi Delta country. Various yarns were spun
about the reason for this. The one I tended to believe
most was told to us in private by our guide on the
trip south, Mike. He said that the ship was "too
heavy" (meaning, I assume, too deep draught) to dock
in the relatively shallow Memphis dock, especially at
times of low water. The dock is also plagued by
shifting silt, a curse I am fully aware of on the
Trent in Northern England. It's mind-boggling that
Viking would commission a brand new river boat in 2022
specifically designed for the Mississippi and not take
this into account. I asked the Purser on board, and
his 'official' response was that "a passenger" (just
one?) had complained about the whole day and night
cruising the river to get to the next stop and would
have preferred more shore excursions. Being a fan of
all-things-marine, I would have preferred Plan A. I
find it highly suspect that they would have gone to
all the trouble and expense of busing 380 passengers
120 miles just to avoid a day 'at sea'. In the event, we really enjoyed the ride as Mike was a fund of information about the history and agriculture of the Delta as we drove along the flat, damp, fertile flood plain. We passed the famous Crossroads where early bluesman Robert Johnson met the Devil. Johnson had hung out in Memphis with other musicians like Son House and was regarded as a bit of a mediocre pest before he disappeared into the country. Lucifer transformed Robert's meagre guitar talents in exchange for his soul. When he returned to Memphis he was hailed as a great guitarist, so the myth was hatched by Son House and others. More likely it was just lots of practice and good mentors in the boonies. There was a surreal stop in Clarksdale, mid journey. Here we checked in for the cruise in a disused bank, even though the ship was still 50 miles south, and wandered the semi-derelict town. In its day, slaves and sharecroppers came to Clarksdale to play and hear music and relax after long hours in the fields. Johnson played here. Muddy Waters grew up here and there is still a blues festival here every year, attended by diehard fans from all over the world. It's been a pilgrimage for Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, John Mayall and many other white Brit musicians who ignited the global blues revival in the 60's, or were guilty of cultural appropriation, according to your political views.
|
 Clarksdale |
 Derelict Cinema and Hotel in Clarksdale  |
 A Town of Murals and Broken Windows |
 Boarding the Viking Mississippi in Rosedale CONTINUE TO PAGE 2 |
HOME