Greetings my fellow Memphians!
A couple of days ago there was a discussion on our Facebook page of Haunted places in Memphis. Someone mentioned Earnestine and Hazel’s on South Main, and I can tell you that it truly IS a place where some very strange things go on. Back in the 1930s and ‘40s the building was occupied by a drugstore. After that incarnation, it housed a dry-goods store with a soda fountain downstairs and a brothel upstairs. According to legend, it was a real den of iniquity too, complete with gambling, carousing, loose women and consumption of intoxicating substances. In the early 1950’s the place was purchased by nightclub impresario Sunbeam Mitchell, and his wife Earnestine, who turned it into a hotel for traveling musicians passing through town on the train between Chicago and New Orleans. The booths in the downstairs bar were where the big deals of music history were made by some of the real legends of soul, blues and rock and roll. It was a favorite overnight stop for people such as Howlin’ Wolf, Louis Armstrong, and even a young Elvis Presley, who is pictured on the wall shaking hands with a young B.B King. Earnestine and Hazel’s was also a favorite hangout of Ike and Tina Turner, Rufus Thomas, and Solomon Burke, just to name a few. In the 60’s Steve Cropper used to sit at the bar with Otis Redding after late night recording sessions along with other Stax legends. When the neighborhood began its decline, Earnestine and Hazel’s stood like a neon beacon among the rotting buildings and abandoned warehouses of South Main, beckoning those who would to come in and inhale a bit of Memphis history. Today, with the rebirth of the South Main Arts District and it’s tony new boutiques, restaurants, lofts, and art galleries, That history is still alive, as Earnestine and Hazel’s stands unchanged and waiting to invite you in for a cold beer as you sit with the ghosts at the old soda fountain turned bar. Yes there are ghosts. Earnestine and Hazel’s is one of the most popular places in America for those seeking the paranormal, and more than a few people I talked to have described seeing and hearing things that are definitely spooky and unexplainable. Take a walk up the stairs and through the musty old rooms if you dare, and sometimes you can hear the blues playing from a dusty old radio that hasn’t worked in decades, or feel someone watching you from behind a door. Or maybe you’ll see a shadow move on a cracked blue wall. Sometimes the jukebox will start by itself out of nowhere, playing Johnny Cash, or an old Ike Turner song. Doors close and ashtrays move sometimes too. Spooky. Bill　

You make the call!

Michael Buble is speaking out against critics who accused him of lip syncing on a recent episode of The X Factor in the U.K. According to BBC News, Buble said he was “shocked” people thought he wasn’t singing live, noting, “Whoever you are writing on these blogs if you think that I’m miming you’re an idiot.”

this one coming” File…

PAUL THE PSYCHIC OCTOPUS DIES: The German aquarium where he lived said, “Management and staff at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre were devastated to discover that oracle octopus Paul, who achieved global renown during the recent World Cup, had passed away overnight.”

Germany defeats Paul.

Greetings friends and neighbors!
　　　　 I’m sure there are more than a few of you who remember life before digital technology. Before Cell Phones. Before the Internet. Before I-Pods, and instant text messages, and HDTV. Before YouTube and downloadable Mp3s. Even before CDs. It wasn’t all that long ago, really. The way we stored and listened to music began to change in the mid to late 1980s. Before then, the medium for music was, as it had been for most of the 20th century, the Record. You remember Records, right? Round, made of Vinyl? Hole in the middle? You played them on your Turntable?….. Once CDs took over as the preferred medium for music, the poor old obsolete Record wound up stored in boxes. Stuffed away in closets, attics, garages and tool sheds. Before long turntables began to disappear from stores, as the digital revolution swept the world. And the Record seemed doomed to the dustbin of music history.
　　　　 There have always been a few of us however, who for one reason or another still loved Records. For me the reasons were purely romantic. I loved the Cover art of Record Albums. I loved watching them spin at 33 1/3 RPMs on my turntable as sweet music of the ages, caught forever on Vinyl like a photograph, poured like audio honey from my speakers. The first music I had ever heard was from a Record. As was the first tune I ever played live on the radio. It was Marty Robbins’ EL PASO on KTLW in Texas City Texas. For me, and a few others out there, the Record is almost a living thing. With a soul and a personality all it’s own.
　　　　 I still have an extensive collection of Records and even though I no longer possess a turntable, I hold on to them, take care of them and admire them. If you are a Record lover like me, I thought you’d be interested in a place I discovered here in Midtown, where the Record not only still lives on, but is placed in the highest esteem. That place is Goner Records at 2152 Young Avenue. Goner Records is the home base of the Record label of the same name, and it was founded and is still run today by Eric Friedel and Zac Ives, two Memphis musicians who share a profound love of music and of the medium. Eric was in a band called the Oblivians, a legendary Memphis band which gained international appeal, touring Europe, Japan, and other parts of the world. Eric formed his own label called Goner Records in the early 1990s. Zac’s band was called The Final Solutions, and he joined Eric to record on the Goner label.
　　　　 Since then, Goner has produced more than 35 internationally acclaimed releases. Even cook-books and other publications. In February of 2004, Zac and Eric opened Goner Records on Young Avenue and from there, carry on their extensive research and online marketing to music lovers all over the world. As you may know Memphis is considered by many across the globe to be the center of the music universe, and it’s here at Goner Records where many come to find the roots of 60s Garage bands, 70s Punk, and Memphis Soul, which to this day heavily influence contemporary music. Notables who have come through the doors of Goner Records have included such people as Tommy Ramone, Peter Case, Dinosaur Jr., and even actor and musician Matt Dillon.
　　　　 Goner Records has an inventory of more than 50,000 Records and CDs under their roof, and it is the home of Goner Fest, one of the biggest 4 day events in the country, which brings in bands from all over the world to join great Memphis bands who perform for locals and international visitors alike. Browse through Goner’s vast inventory of music, and feel free to ask for anything. These guys are the absolute authorities on anything rare and hard to find. And if they don’t have it, they’ll do their best to get it for you. Need something to play those new-found treasures on? Goner also sells turntables, and they are one of the last places on the planet that has access to any kind of needle or stylus you may need. Oh yeah, they even buy Records too. Put a coin into the donation box of the First Church of the Elvis Impersonator’s Shrine  and watch the show. It’s truly one of the most unique and wonderful places I’ve been to and I’ve been around the world and have seen it all.
Goner Records is Located at 2152 Young Avenue in the heart of Cooper-Young. They are open every day. Monday thru Saturday 12-7pm. Sundays 1-5.

Here we are going into another weekend! Are you going to work or play this weekend? Are you going to do both? Or perhaps youd rather play but your honey has another idea. I am talking about the well-known but not always popular honey-do list.

Here we are going into another weekend! Are you going to work or play this weekend? Are you going to do both? Or perhaps you'd rather play but your honey has another idea. I am talking about the well-known but not always popular "honey-do" list.

Here we are going into another weekend! Are you going to work or play this weekend? Are you going to do both? Or perhaps youd rather play but your honey has another idea. I am talking about the well-known but not always popular honey-do list.

Here we are going into another weekend! Are you going to work or play this weekend? Are you going to do both? Or perhaps you'd rather play but your honey has another idea. I am talking about the well-known but not always popular "honey-do" list.

My name is Miranda and I am fourteen years old. Each night I can, I tune into your radio show, lie down on my bed and snuggle down to listen to stories of peoples tragedies, relationships and happiness. Sometimes, I even fall asleep to you. I want to thank you for all of the advice you give to people because sometimes it helps me too.

My name is Miranda and I am fourteen years old. Each night I can, I tune into your radio show, lie down on my bed and snuggle down to listen to stories of people's tragedies, relationships and happiness. Sometimes, I even fall asleep to you. I want to thank you for all of the advice you give to people because sometimes it helps me too.