West Memphis, Arkansas

Everything West Memphis is known for

6 songs mention this city 4 artists from here

West Memphis, Arkansas, located on the Mississippi River, has a rich musical heritage, particularly in blues, rockabilly, and gospel music. The city was a significant stop for musicians in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, with its 8th Street once known as "Beale Street West" due to its vibrant nightlife. Legendary artists like O.V. Wright and Little Junior Parker called West Memphis home, contributing to the city's soulful sound. Songs such as "Arkansas" by Chris Stapleton and "Take Me to the River" by Al Green also mention West Memphis, further cementing its place in music.

Music in West Memphis

Songs About West Memphis

Arkansas
Chris Stapleton
55%
"And when we hit West Memphis"
Joy
Lucinda Williams
40%
"I'm gonna go to West Memphis and look for my joy"
City of Angels
Cimarron 615
22%
"Crossing over that Arkansas line"
Whiskey, Beer & Wine
Buddy Guy
8%
"In the good ol' days, with Howlin' Wolf"
Take Me to the River
Al Green
5%
"I'd like to dedicate this song to little Junior Parker"
Outro (The Original Masters)
DJ Paul
2%
"Bethel Grove, Orange Mound, West Memphis bumpin' this shit"

Artists From West Memphis

Y
Yebba
r-n-b Pop: 73
O
O.V. Wright
soul Pop: 45
S
Shirley Brown
soul Pop: 37
L
Little Junior Parker
blues Pop: 17

Rivers & Roads in Song near West Memphis

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near West Memphis.

Highway I 40 10 songs Mississippi River 135 songs US Route 61 4 songs

Musical Heritage

Sun Studio — Where It All Started RoadyGoat

1950

At 706 Union Avenue, on the corner of Union and Marshall, sits the small storefront where Sam Phillips opened his recording service in 1950 and launched the Sun label. Many call it the birthplace of rock and roll: in 1951 Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats cut 'Rocket 88' here, often cited as the first rock-and-roll record. In July 1954 a teenage truck driver named Elvis Presley recorded 'That's All Right' in this room, and the rest followed — Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, and the famous 'Million Dollar Quartet' jam with Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Still a working studio by night and a tour stop by day, the original acoustic-tile room remains, with the worn floor where Elvis stood at the mic.

8.3 mi away

Stax — The Soul of Memphis RoadyGoat

1957

The Stax Museum of American Soul Music sits at 926 East McLemore Avenue, on the exact spot where Stax Records cut some of the grittiest, greatest soul music ever made. Founded in the late 1950s in a converted movie theater, Stax was the house that built the raw 'Memphis sound,' with Booker T. & the M.G.'s as the in-house band and a roster that included Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Isaac Hayes, and Wilson Pickett sessions. Redding recorded '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay' just before his death in a 1967 plane crash. The original studio was demolished in 1989, but the museum, opened in 2003, is a faithful re-creation on the same ground, complete with a recovered Stax marquee and Isaac Hayes' gold-trimmed Cadillac. It's a short hop from downtown.

8.9 mi away

Graceland — Elvis's Mansion RoadyGoat

1957

Graceland, at 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard in the Whitehaven neighborhood, is the Colonial Revival mansion Elvis Presley bought in 1957, when he was just 22, for about $100,000. He lived here until his death in August 1977. Inside are the rooms that became legend, including the green-shag, tiki-themed Jungle Room, which he later used to record parts of two albums. The Meditation Garden beside the house holds the graves of Elvis, his parents Gladys and Vernon, his grandmother, and a memorial to his stillborn twin Jesse; his daughter Lisa Marie was later laid to rest here too. Opened to the public in 1982, Graceland draws hundreds of thousands of visitors a year and is one of the most-visited private homes in America, second among houses only to the White House.

11.4 mi away

History of West Memphis

West Memphis, AR RoadyGoat

West Memphis, Arkansas, exists because of the river. Sitting just 220 feet above sea level in the flat expanse of the Mississippi Delta, its fate has always been intertwined with that mighty waterway. The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 left an indelible mark, spurring massive levee projects that still shape the landscape today. Even its name, adopted in 1927, reflects its proximity to its larger neighbor across the river. But while Memphis, Tennessee, grew into a major metropolis, West Memphis maintained a different pace. Its strategic location, however, ensured its survival and growth. As a major transportation hub, it became a vital link in the nation's supply chain. Logistics and transportation are key industries, a modern echo of the riverboat era. But the past lingers. And though the roar of the crowds at the old greyhound track has faded, a palpable sense of history mingles with the slow pace of life, evoking a quiet nostalgia for a different time. Even the distant cheers for Scotty Thurman's championship-winning three-pointer remind you of the surrounding area's impact on the larger world.

West Memphis, AR RoadyGoat

West Memphis, Arkansas, hums with a low, steady rhythm, a place where the past feels close enough to touch. Sitting just across the Mississippi from its namesake city, its flat Delta landscape, barely 220 feet above sea level, betrays its history of flooding – a history that demanded the massive levee system that now defines its riverfront. You can imagine the crowds that once flocked here for greyhound racing, a vanished spectacle that speaks to a different era.

West Memphis, AR RoadyGoat

West Memphis owes its existence to the Mississippi. The land itself is the flat, fertile delta, built up over millennia by the river's relentless flow. At just 220 feet above sea level, it's a landscape defined by water, a place where the river's moods have always dictated life. That defining flood of 1927 reshaped everything, leading to the construction of the levees that now stand as a constant reminder of the river's power, but also the resilience of its people. The river made it a natural crossroads, a place where goods and people flowed, which explains why logistics are still so important to the town today. That location, just across the river from Memphis, shaped its destiny, too. Named West Memphis in 1927, the town became a convenient spot for things that were frowned on across the river, like greyhound racing. It drew crowds and money, becoming a piece of the Mid-South’s story. Even now, there's a palpable sense of history, a feeling that the land remembers its past, and that past still echoes in the present.

Sun Studio

1950

Sam Phillips opened Memphis Recording Service at 706 Union Avenue in 1950, launching the careers of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.

8.5 mi away

Beale Street

1860

The birthplace of the blues, Beale Street in Memphis served as the cultural and commercial center for Black life in the Mid-South for over a century.

7.4 mi away

Stax Museum of American Soul Music

1957

Stax Records at 926 East McLemore Avenue was the home of Southern soul music, producing Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and the Staple Singers.

9.1 mi away

Graceland

1957

Elvis Presley purchased Graceland in 1957 for $102,500 and lived there until his death in 1977; it is now the second most-visited private home in America after the White House.

11.3 mi away

Things to Do in West Memphis

historical 12.9 mi away
Graceland

Elvis Presley's Memphis mansion. The King's jumpsuits and pink Cadillac.
historical 7.4 mi away
Beale Street

The home of the blues. Neon-lit clubs and BBQ joints where B.B. King got his start.
food 7.6 mi away
Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous

Memphis' underground rib palace since 1948. Down an alley under a hotel. Dry rub ribs charcoal broiled. No sauce needed.
historical 8.5 mi away
Sun Studio

Where rock and roll was born. Elvis Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis recorded here.
historical 9.0 mi away
Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Where Otis Redding Isaac Hayes and Booker T recorded. Memphis soul lives here.
food 7.5 mi away
Central BBQ

Memphis dry-rub ribs and pulled pork nachos. Locals' favorite over the tourist spots.
quirky 7.5 mi away
The Peabody Ducks

Five ducks march through the Memphis Peabody Hotel lobby to their rooftop palace. Daily at 11 AM and 5 PM.
food 7.6 mi away
Interstate Barbecue

Jim Neely's legendary Memphis dry-rub ribs and BBQ spaghetti. A soul food institution.

Everything Near West Memphis

42 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Explore West Memphis on the Map
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