The Memphis Black Arts Alliance is celebrating four decades with an award show honoring Memphians with impact on local, national or global artistry.

Stewart perhaps cut an unlikely figure for the founder of a label that became synonymous with Southern soul music, creating stars such as Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes amid releasing roughly 800 singles and 300 albums in an initial span of fewer than 20 years.

Coming to a stage near you this month: A legendary Motown band, an Orange Mound-born rapper with national acclaim and a three-time Grammy Award-winning a cappella crew.

One of the city’s go-to engineers has recently moved from the board and into the booth as an artist in his own right. 

“We talk a lot about ‘the Memphis Sound,’ which means something very different if you’re discussing rock or soul or hip-hop. Our goal was to build a lineup that showcases what the ‘Memphis Sound’ means in various contexts.” 

It has been more than a year since Memphis rapper Young Dolph was killed at Makeda’s on Airways Boulevard. Since that day, new details continue to come to light. 

Related story:

Fourth suspect in Young Dolph killing appears in court

In Memphis, and across the nation, people received services such as free meals, winter kits, haircuts and mental health services.

Rapper GloRilla, producer HitKidd, rapper Marco Pavé and band North Mississippi Allstars were among Grammy nominees with local ties.

2022 has been a banner year for new Memphis music, and this fall is no exception. 

The Walk of Fame program was started in 1986 to recognize contributors to Memphis music history.

“All of (Notes for Notes) studios were in cities that had a rich music history,” said the head of the local Boys & Girls Clubs. “So, I knew we’d definitely be a good fit.”

Coming to a stage near you this month: The long-time Memphian playing a makeup show in Germantown, the local rapper who has his own dance challenge on TikTok and an artist currently on his eighth arena tour. 

The new owners of Young Avenue Sound have renovated the building and kept the recording studios, but they’ve also added Airbnbs. 

This week offers Halloween happenings galore; plus, the Buckman Arts Center turns 25 and Rick Springfield plays Graceland on “General Hospital” fan weekend.

In 1963, “Sivad Buries Rock and Roll” failed to reach the heights of “Monster Mash,” but Watson Davis, aka Sivad, was backed by an assemblage of respected Memphis musicians for the single, which has an unexpectedly solid and infectious groove. 

This week, metalsmiths repair your broken stuff, brewers descend on Cooper-Young and Chicago comes to Memphis.

As part of the rapper’s initiative, each student is tasked with reading at least 100,000 words or 100 books by the end of the school year. 

Sam Phillips at Sun Records turned Lewis into a rockabilly star, with hits like “Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On” and “Great Balls of Fire,” but he also had several hits on the Billboard Country Music Chart.

The Side Street Steppers keep fans of old-time tunes coming back each Sunday in October at Saddle Creek North in Germantown.

The Grammy-winning singer and composer worked alongside hit producers Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley to create the “countrypolitan” sound of country music in the ‘50s and ‘60s that relied on strings and choral singers for an orchestral sound.

What would be possible in Memphis if every neighborhood was less than a mile’s walk to a beautiful gathering space where live music – and dance, and public art – was being performed on a regular basis?

Memphians share restaurant souvenirs on Twitter, basketball fans talk about Ja Morant’s preseason performance and rapper GloRilla receives praise.

O’Jay is among inductees including sports announcer Chick Hearn and the Godfather of Soul James Brown, who is being recognized as an owner of WJBE in Knoxville. 

The Memphis native was named “Best Breakthrough Hip Hop Artist.”

The concert sometimes called the “Black Woodstock” turns 50 this year.