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History of Beale Street:
The Blues were born on Beale Street, and it was the home to famous blues musicians such as W.C. Handy who wrote the first blues song here in 1909.
Beale Street is one of the most famous streets in Memphis, and it is the soul of old Memphis. Aside from the bustling cotton trade on the cobblestone banks of Front Street along the Mississippi, no other Memphis landmark has held such mystique, intrigue, fame and infamy over the years.
As immigrants from many countries flocked to Memphis bluffs in the 1800's, homes, businesses, theaters, clubs, produce stands, churches and pawnshops appeared along Beale Street. By the 1840's, Beale Street was an affluent suburb of Memphis. The Hunt-Phelan home, which still stands today near the east end of Beale Street, is an example of this affluence that once graced this street.
In the 20th century, Beale was a bustling street, and music could be heard in the night clubs and in the churches. Night life was sometimes a dangerous mix of seedy characters, easy money and liquor. This was the atmosphere that gave birth to the Blues.
Today the Blues can still be heard on Beale Street, but there are also newer sounds to hear, like Reggae, Rock, Fusion Jazz, Soul, and Gospel as well. The entire downtown area of Memphis is undergoing an amazing, massive, and long-overdue renovation which reflects positively on Beale Street. Weekend nights, all summer long, visitors will find open-air parties and park concerts all along Beale late into the night.
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