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Thu, 19 July 2007  Saturday, July 21 and Sunday, July 22, the American Cinematheque in Hollywood is screening a series of Stax-related films as part of its 2007 "MODS AND ROCKERS FESTIVAL," including the just-unearthed Norwegian TV documentary about the 1967 Stax/Volt Revue! Official press release here! Category: general -- posted at: 3:56 PM |
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Mon, 9 July 2007  Bid early. Bid often. Support the Stax Music Academy and drive away in a piece of NBA history! Category: general -- posted at: 11:19 AM |
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Wed, 20 June 2007
Direct download: 03_Whos_Making_Love.m4a Category: general -- posted at: 9:17 AM |
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Tue, 19 June 2007 Maybe you've heard this new commercial for this weekend's STAX 50 concert... if not, give it a listen here!
Direct download: Stax50Celebration_V3_60K.mp3 Category: general -- posted at: 4:33 PM |
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Mon, 18 June 2007 WASHINGTON, DC--Memphis and its soul music heritage were honored on the floor of the
House of Representatives this afternoon as speaker after speaker
recognized the 50th anniversary of Stax Records.
Read the article in the Commercial Appeal by clicking here and view the full text of HR 154 here. Category: general -- posted at: 4:54 PM |
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Mon, 26 March 2007
Stax Museum and Stax Music Academy Honor Rufus Thomas on the day that would have been his 90th Birthday
Today, on what would have been Stax legend Rufus Thomas’ 90th birthday, students of Soulsville’s Stax Music Academy and Soulsville Charter School were treated to a history lesson on Thomas. A special exhibit
was created and is in the lobby of the Stax Museum of American Soul
Music (in addition to permanent exhibits honoring him), and he will be
remembered tonight the museum’s Last Mondays in Studio A concert with
The Temprees and The Mad Lads.
Known affectionately by millions as the “oldest teenager in the
world,� Rufus Thomas was born on March 26, 1917 in the rural community
of Cayce, Mississippi. His long, illustrious, and colorful career began
at the age of 6, when he played a frog in a school theatrical
production. In 1936 he joined the world of Vaudeville and toured the
South with a group named the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. After that, while
working at a textile factory for 22 years, he became one of the most
influential disc jockeys in the South on country’s first all
African-American staffed radio station, WDIA and is credited with
discovering B.B. King in that role.
In 1953 he began his recording career with an “answer record� to Big
Mama Thornton’s hit, “Hound Dog� called “Bear Cat� and released on Sun
Records, the label’s first hit. After being released from Sun, Thomas
paid a visit to Jim Stewart’s fledgling Satellite Records (later named
Stax), and, along with his daughter Carla, recorded that label’s first
hit, “Cause I Love You.�
An integral part of the success of Stax Records, Thomas had a number
of hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s on the label, including that
were tied to a then-current dance craze: “Do the Funky Chicken,� “(Do
the) Push and Pull,� “The Breakdown� and “Do the Penguin�. He performed
at Wattstax in 1972, leading a crowd of 40,000 in the “Funky Chicken.�
His smash Stax hit “Walking the Dog� has been covered by The Rolling
Stones and Aerosmith, among others.
He was the father of soul singers Carla and Vaneese Thomas and keyboard player Marvell Thomas.
Late in his career, for years, Rufus performed at the Poretta Festival in
Italy. In 1996 Rufus and William Bell headlined at the Olympics in
Atlanta. Highlights of his career included calming an unruly crowd at
the 1972 Wattstax Festival, performing with James Brown’s band, and the
knowledge that, along with James Brown and a handful of others, he was
a key to the emergence of funk. He was a charismatic stage presence,
telling jokes and dancing, and wearing capes and brightly colored hot
pants. Rufus Thomas died in 2001 at St. Francis Hospital in
Memphis.
A street is named in his honor, just off Beale Street in
Memphis. He continues to be one of the most beloved entertainers in
American history.
Category: general -- posted at: 5:31 PM |
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Thu, 22 March 2007  Stax legends Booker T. and the MGs, Isaac Hayes, William Bell, and Eddie Floyd delivered an incendiary set of soul classic's before a packed house at Antone's in Austin, TX as part of the annual South By Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival. A great piece about Stax, Soulsville, and the year-long celebration of soul music's 50th anniversary from the Austin Statesman here. Terrific coverage of the concert itself from Memphis' own Chris Herrington here and music blog Headphones-On here. (Thanks to Headphones-On for this photo.)
STAX LIVES!
Category: general -- posted at: 10:32 AM |
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Thu, 22 March 2007  The Soulsville family was saddened this week to learn of the passing of Stax legend Luther Ingram. As a songwriter and performer, Luther was responsible for some of Stax' biggest and most enduring hits, including "Respect Yourself" (which he co-wrote for the Staple Singers) and "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want To Be Right)," which was a #1 R&B hit in 1972. Luther died of heart failure in Belleville, IL, near his home in O'Fallon where he had lived for 10 years. He will be laid to rest on Monday, March 26, at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Belleville, IL. Flowers may be sent to M.E. Officer & Sons Mortuary, 8501 West Main Street in Belleville, 618-397-8538. More information about Luther's life and work here and a terrific video of Luther in concert here. Category: general -- posted at: 10:19 AM |
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Tue, 30 January 2007  In order so that we may prepare for Staxtacular '07 Presented By SunTrust, our biggest annual benefit for the Stax Music Academy, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music will be closing at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 24. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Category: general -- posted at: 9:57 AM |
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Mon, 22 January 2007 
Year-Long Campaign Spotlights Soul Legends
Including Isaac Hayes, David Porter, Steve Cropper and Al Bell
NEW YORK, January 22, 2007 – The Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau marks a soulful milestone in 2007 and is inviting America to the party.
The city, a breeding ground for some of the greatest sounds in popular
music, today launched a national campaign celebrating 50 years of soul
music and spotlighting the city’s extraordinary musical roots.
“Memphis Celebrates 50 Years of Soul� underscores the city’s role as
both a contemporary and historical center of American music. The
anniversary coincides with the founding of legendary music label Stax
Records and Royal Studio, home to Hi Records. Both Stax Records and
Royal Studios were instrumental in shaping the Memphis soul sound and
the careers of such legendary figures as Booker T & the MGs, Al
Bell, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Mable John, Ann Peebles, Otis Redding, Sam
& Dave, the Staple Singers, Rufus and Carla Thomas, and many, many
more.
“I am thrilled to be celebrating this important milestone,� said Isaac
Hayes. “I was part of Memphis soul from almost the beginning, and as
the story continues I am proud to help honor Memphis’ many remarkable
achievements and those yet to come.�
“Memphis Celebrates 50 Years of Soul� will spotlight a broad-range of
music-related landmarks in Memphis including the Stax Museum of
American Soul Music, Sun Studios, Graceland, Ardent Studios, the Rock
‘n’ Soul Museum and the Gibson Guitar Factory.
“A musical and cultural movement started in Memphis 50 years ago and
changed the world,� said Kevin Kane, President of the Memphis
Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We look forward to welcoming fans of
soul, rhythm and blues and rock to experience the city that gave birth
to popular music.�
Located at the original site of Stax Records, The Stax Museum
of American Soul Music pays tribute to all of the artists who recorded
there with a rare and amazing collection of more than 2,000 interactive
exhibits, films, artifacts, items of memorabilia, and galleries
designed to keep Stax alive forever.
“Memphis has stood at the crossroads of popular music, merging
influences from blues to rock and soul,� said legendary songwriter,
producer and guitarist, Steve Cropper. “No student of contemporary
music can ignore the influence and importance of this city and its
unique sound.�
For more information on the year and upcoming events, please bookmark www.StaxPodcast.com and visit www.memphissoul50.com.
Category: general -- posted at: 3:58 PM |
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Thu, 21 December 2006  Click here to visit the new website for Staxtacular '07 Presented by SunTrust, the "soul-shakin' throw-down" hosted by Danielle and Brian Cardinal, Natasha and Damon Stoudamire, and Pau Gaosl of the Memphis Grizzlies to benefit the Stax Music Academy.Mark your calendars: Saturday, February 24, 2007, we're getting down from 7 p.m. to lights out! Call 901 261 6334 for more details! Category: general -- posted at: 1:24 PM |
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Tue, 19 December 2006  Have you heard the news? Stax is back! From the website of Concord Music Group... In honor of the 50th anniversary of the legendary label Stax –
home to many of soul music’s most enduring recordings – Concord Music
Group is pleased to announce a year of activity that will include
deluxe reissues, special events and the reactivation of the label with
a slate of new signings.
The first new
signings to Stax include soul luminary and Stax patriarch Isaac Hayes
and superlative vocalist Angie Stone. Isaac Hayes remains an integral
force in Stax and beyond, and Angie Stone is widely regarded as one of
her generation’s few heirs to the grand tradition of R&B.
“Stax
always has been and always will be Soul Music, I was a part of that,�
said Hayes. “I am coming back to Stax because there is still so much
to do. It’s like coming home.�
“The thrill of putting out music
on the label that brought the world Otis, Booker T, the Staples and so
many other artists who made me want to sing in the first place is
simply indescribable,� added Stone. “I simply can’t believe that I
will be a Stax artist – and I’ll be label mates with Isaac Hayes. The
staff at Stax share my belief that soul has to stay in touch with its
origins. We’re going to make beautiful music together.�
Concord, which
acquired the legendary Memphis label as part of its purchase of Fantasy
Records in 2004, will also honor Stax’s 50th year by releasing
definitive collections, rare performances, unreleased tracks and more
from the Memphis R&B imprint in deluxe new packages. The first of
these will be Stax 50: A 50th Anniversary Celebration, a two-CD,
50-track anthology brimming with hits from Sam & Dave (“Soul Man,�
“Hold On, I’m Comin’�), Otis Redding “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the
Bay,� “Respect�), Booker T. & the MGs (“Green Onions�), Isaac Hayes
(“Theme from Shaft,� “Never Can Say Goodbye�), The Staple Singers
(“Respect Yourself,� “I’ll Take You There�) and many more. Plans for digital releases, remixes and
other projects are also in the works; the anniversary year’s releases
are slated to include more than 20 CDs and DVDs.
Category: general -- posted at: 4:49 PM |
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Wed, 15 November 2006 Even Scots got soul. Arts/culture blog "Alternatives to Valium" recently visited the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and wrote one of the most wonderful pieces about the Soulsville dream that we've seen in a long time... Looking for the birthplace of southern soul, I came across the Hooper
Chapel, an African Methodist Episcopalian church which used to stand in
Duncan, Mississippi, 100 miles south of Memphis on Highway 61. It was a
spartan building with hard pews, an ornate pulpit and a piano that was
never tuned. By the right aisle was a case containing a paper fan with
a portrait of Mahalia Jackson on it, and a notice, with an explanatory
message from Deanie Parker, whose grandfather founded the church in
1906: "The full moon would shine brightly, casting a shadow on the
bayou. The sounds of the bullfrogs and crickets were drowned out by the
stirring music that reverberated from thigh-slapping male quartets. The
visiting preacher, along with the unrehearsed choirs singing R&B
selections, could be heard way down the road past the silos and bamboo
thickets."The Hooper Chapel is the second thing you see when you enter the Stax Museum of American Soul Music...
Enjoy the rest of their visit here.
Category: general -- posted at: 1:10 PM |
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Thu, 2 November 2006 
Want to help make money for Soulsville by playing on the internet? Well, now you can--and it won't cost you a penny.
GoodSearch.com is
a new search engine that donates half its revenue (about a cent per search) to non-profit organizations designated by its users. You use it just as you would any search
engine, and it’s powered by Yahoo!, so you get great results.
It works like this: go to www.goodsearch.com
and enter Soulsville as the charity you want to support. Then search for whatever you want. That's all. Easy.
500 people searching four times a day will raise about $7,300.00 in a single year-- without anyone
spending a dime. These funds will be used to support the great new exhibits and live music events at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the music education programs, unique performance opportunities, and valuable mentoring resources for at-risk youth at the Stax Music Academy.
You can also make Goodsearch.com your homepage by visiting www.goodsearch.com/MakeHomepage.aspx, and add Goodsearch.com to your browser's toolbar by visiting www.goodsearch.com/toolbar.
Tell everyone you know--and start your soul searching today...
Category: general -- posted at: 9:21 AM |
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Thu, 19 October 2006  Following his appearance at the Freedom Awards ceremonies on Tuesday (which included a special performance by our Soulsville Charter School rhythm and string orchestra!) Motown legend STEVIE WONDER paid us a visit at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, escorted by none other than Stax greats Isaac Hayes and David Porter. Big thanks to Isaac and David for bringing Stevie over, and much love and gratitude to Mr. Wonder for honoring us with his visit. Category: general -- posted at: 9:57 AM |
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