Memphis defined American music. How did it miss out on the money?

You can’t tell the story of American music without the blues, which means you can’t tell it without Memphis. From Beale Street’s blues bars to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music to Graceland – the city’s influence on nearly every genre of music is immense. But for a city that helped shape the sound of America — why hasn’t it fully shared in the wealth it created? USA TODAY National Correspondent Chris Kenning joins The Excerpt to discuss efforts to revitalize the modern Memphis music scene , its rich music history and how the story of music in Memphis is being written today. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending an email to podcasts@usatoday.com . See Privacy Policy at and California Privacy Notice at .

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Memphis defined American music. How did it miss out on the money? is an episode from 5 Things by USA TODAY The Excerpt.

This episode is 00:12:32 long.

This episode was published on May 25, 2026.

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