Vienna in the 1880s. Paris in the 1920s. Memphis in the 1950s. These are
the paradigm shifts of modern culture. Memphis then was like Seattle
with grunge or Brooklyn with hip-hop--except the change was more than
musical: Underground Memphis embraced African American culture when
dominant society abhorred it. The effect rocked the world. We're all
familiar with the stars' stories, but It Came From Memphis runs with the
the kids in that first rock and roll audience, where they befriended the
older blues artists, the travails of blazing a rock and roll career path
where one had not existed (nor did society welcome it), and the
adventures--sometimes drug-fueled, often accidental, always pushing the
envelope--that epitomize the rock and roll experience. Stars pass
through--Elvis, Aretha, Jerry Lee--but the emphasis is on the singular
achievements of Alex Chilton, Jim Dickinson, Furry Lewis and wrestler
Sputnik Monroe. This is a book about the weirdos, winos and midget
wrestlers who forged the rock and roll spirit, unwittingly changing the
fabric of America. Music liberated that Memphis audience, and the world
followed.