Memphis Mayhem

(Paperback)

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Description

Memphis Mayhem weaves the tale of the racial collision that led to a cultural, sociological, and musical revolution. Beginning with the 1870s yellow fever epidemics that created racial imbalance as wealthy whites fled his hometown, David Less moves beyond W.C. Handy's codification of the blues in 1909 to the mid-century advent of interracial music, the birth of punk, and finally to the growth of a music tourism industry.

Reviews

"A lively combination of personal observation, scholarship, and insider knowledge of an important era of American music." -- Kirkus Reviews
"I like the way Memphis Mayhem represented Hi Records, Stax, and all of Memphis music. I totally enjoyed this book. Great job." -- Ann Peebles, soul singer
"Music writer Less presents a fascinating history of the music of his native Memphis ... Less brings to vivid life the music of Memphis." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"This quick romp through Memphis music from a racial perspective will complement Robert Gordon's books, as well as James Dickerson's Goin' Back to Memphis." -- Library Journal
"Wow. Memphis Mayhem tells the history of the music from my hometown with fun and entertaining stories. David Less's role as the 'everyman narrator' works perfectly because of his long involvement within the Memphis music community. Anyone interested in American music should read this book. O, my Soul." -- Jody Stephens, Big Star

Author Bio

David A. Less has studied Memphis music for over 40 years, and has conducted research for the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Gibson Guitar Foundation. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, DownBeat, Blues Revue magazine and the Bulletin for the Society of American Music. He is a third-generation Memphian who still lives in Memphis, Tennessee.