Beale Street

Beale Street is a street in Memphis, Tennessee and a significant location in black history and the history of the blues. In the early 1900s, Beale Avenue was filled with clubs, restaurants and shops, many of them owned by African-Americans. In 1909, W.C. Handy wrote "Boss Crump Blues" as a campaign song for political machine leader "Boss" Crump. The song was later renamed "Memphis Blues." Handy also wrote a song called "Beale Street Blues" in 1916 which influenced the change of the street's name from Beale Avenue to Beale Street. From the 1920s to the 1940s, Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters, Albert King, Memphis Minnie, B.B. King,Rufus Thomas and other blues and jazz legends played on Beale and helped develop the style known as Memphis Blues. In the 1960s, Beale became run down and many stores closed. By the 1980s however, Beale enjoyed an economic revitalization, with many new clubs and attractions opening. Present-day attractions include W.C. Handy Park, the Hard Rock Cafe, Silky O'Sullivan's, B.B. King's, and old-time general store A. Schwab's.