Stax
Today I went to the Stax museum in Memphis. It was quite moving. I have been listening to Otis Redding, Staples, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, and Booker T. and the Mg's on you tube for most of the evening.I plan on going to the library tomorrow to check out some CD's.
Before going to the museum I was not aware that Stax was one of the few integrated businesses of the time. The NAACP was constantly checking on the label's business policies because they were very concerned that the African American's were not being given their fair share. It was also depressing to learn that the label crumbled after Martin Luther King's death because race became such an issue in the city and for the first time in the label's history.
The museum is located in one of the poorest area of the city. I made a wrong turn attempting to find the parking lot and ended up on a street with mostly boarded up houses and witnessing a very shady transaction. The neighborhood looks almost identical to the way it appears in the museum movies and pictures. The only difference now is the paint is more chipped, houses have boarded windows and some of the cars that drive by our from the 80's and 90's. It was
eerie how little the aesthetics changed.
The museum displayed many artifacts such as clothing, instruments records and Issac Hayes's caddy. Talk about pimped out! The Cadillac had a gold plated bumper, fender and windshield wipers. The back seat had a wet bar and there was a 10 inch black and white TV attached to the floor in the front of the car. The floor of the car was covered in fur along with the interior of each door. It was a sight. The museum also tried explaining the label's place in time and how the label did some reacting and shaping of the times.
I have been in a music slump. I wanted to learn some more about "soul music". It is a genre I have never really explored. So far I am liking it. I like how the music is intensely, passionate and energetic yet soothing and relaxing.
Before going to the museum I was not aware that Stax was one of the few integrated businesses of the time. The NAACP was constantly checking on the label's business policies because they were very concerned that the African American's were not being given their fair share. It was also depressing to learn that the label crumbled after Martin Luther King's death because race became such an issue in the city and for the first time in the label's history.
The museum is located in one of the poorest area of the city. I made a wrong turn attempting to find the parking lot and ended up on a street with mostly boarded up houses and witnessing a very shady transaction. The neighborhood looks almost identical to the way it appears in the museum movies and pictures. The only difference now is the paint is more chipped, houses have boarded windows and some of the cars that drive by our from the 80's and 90's. It was
eerie how little the aesthetics changed.
The museum displayed many artifacts such as clothing, instruments records and Issac Hayes's caddy. Talk about pimped out! The Cadillac had a gold plated bumper, fender and windshield wipers. The back seat had a wet bar and there was a 10 inch black and white TV attached to the floor in the front of the car. The floor of the car was covered in fur along with the interior of each door. It was a sight. The museum also tried explaining the label's place in time and how the label did some reacting and shaping of the times.
I have been in a music slump. I wanted to learn some more about "soul music". It is a genre I have never really explored. So far I am liking it. I like how the music is intensely, passionate and energetic yet soothing and relaxing.