The University of Memphis and Rhodes College are set to join the Apollo Theater, the Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. and the Ritz Theatre in Jacksonville, Fla. as venues in The Chitlin' Circuit, named for a string of locales throughout the eastern and southern United States where African-American musicians could safely perform during the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
Performers on the circuit included Sammy Davis Jr., Duke Ellington and Ike and Tina Turner.
The schools will host an annual collaborative week of events co-sponsored by the Marcus W. Orr Center for the Humanities and the Mike Curb Institute for Music at Rhodes.
John Bass, Curb Institute director and Rhodes professor, said that since the institute was founded in 2006, its goal has been to "research and promote the music of this region."
"So much of our history revolves around music and African-American history," said Aram Goudsouzian, interim director for the Marcus Orr Center.
Preston Lauterbach, local journalist and author of "The Chitlin' Circuit and the Road to Rock ‘n' Roll," will deliver a keynote lecture in the University Center Theater on Thursday at 6 p.m. He will also discuss and read an excerpt from his book, which was released in July.
Joseph Hayden, associate director of the Marcus Orr Center, said Lauterbach will discuss the post-World War II origins of the circuit and how rock and roll grew out of it.
"Elvis was familiar with (the blues circuit) as well as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. It was a key influence in their music," Hayden said. "(That fact) is not well-known; it's kind of obscure that blues helped shape the 20th century rock and roll."
Rhodes College will host the Chitlin' Circuit Symposium in the Bryan Campus Life Center in the McCallum Ballroom on Friday. Student presentations at 1 p.m. will be followed by a panel discussion at 3 p.m.
Panelists will include Bobby Rush, internationally acclaimed blues musician, and Julius Lewis, instructor to Isaac Hayes and other musicians. Lauterbach will moderate.
"This is full circle for me," Lauterbach said. "(Bobby) Rush introduced me to the Chitlin' Circuit. People will get to see what I saw that inspired me to write this book."
Bobby Rush and the Bo-Keys will perform at 8 p.m. at the Warehouse, located at 36 G.E. Patterson, a private residence that often hosts events promoting local musicians and music organizations.
Hayden described the venue as "small enough to be a huge bar and big enough to host a lot of people for a concert."
