The Sensational Six are one of Memphis’ veteran gospel groups. During their 40-year career, they have recorded for many local Memphis labels, including Philwood (a subsidiary of Select-O-Hits), Designer, Messenger and others. Their performance at the Center for Southern Folklore Saturday during the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival was a real-life demonstration of the close relationship of gospel to soul music.
The Anointed Cowan Sisters perform on the ArtsMemphis stage at the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival, 9/1/12
Memphis folk-rockers Bean (@Bean_Music) perform on the ArtsMemphis stage at the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival, 9/1/12. Like them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/beanband/info, visit their website at http://beanmusic.bandcamp.com/ or follow them on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Bean_Music.
The Memphis Music and Heritage Festival also celebrates the visual arts as well, with exhibits both indoors and out on the Main Street Mall, 9/1/12
#011 BTW Drumline (by jdoggtn7)
The Booker T. Washington High School drumline performs in the stands at their game against Westwood at Booker T. Washington Stadium in South Memphis, 8/31/12
#010 Westwood Drumline (by jdoggtn7)
The Westwood High School drumline performs at Booker T. Washington Stadium, Memphis TN, 8/31/12
#008 BTW Drumline (by jdoggtn7)
The Booker T. Washington High School band marches into BTW Stadium to the cadence of their drumline, South Memphis, 8/31/12
#007 Westwood Drumline (by jdoggtn7)
The Westwood High School drumlines plays a cadence toward the BTW stands at Booker T. Washington Stadium in South Memphis, 8/31/12
#004 Westwood Drumline (by jdoggtn7)
The Westwood High School drumline leads the band into Booker T. Washington stadium in South Memphis, 8/31/12
Memphis’ Booker T. Washington Stadium is arguably the second-oldest in the city after Crump Stadium, behind Central High School, although the latter has had a complete renovation in recent years. Much has changed in the surrounding neighborhood, including the demolition of Cleaborn Homes and Foote Homes, but crowds still turn out to support the Booker T. Washington Warriors, the oldest Black high school in Memphis. This year, BTW seems to have a decent marching band, with a first-rate drumline. Westwood, on the other hand, is a pathetic shadow of its former life, when, in the 80’s and early 90’s, it used to march over a hundred band members. Open enrollment, and outmigration from the neighborhood have devastated it. Still, the Longhorns have a small marching band that seems well-trained and which might become the foundation of a rebuilding. Only time will tell.
