Preston Lamm leaves 40-year legacy at Rum Boogie Cafe
“I am going to miss the action — the music, the vibe, the people, the dancing, the glasses clinking, the laughter,” said Preston Lamm, “the sound of people having a good time.” (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Beale Street would not be what it is today without club owner Preston Lamm.
Lamm was an integral part of the revitalization of Beale Street during the 1980s and, since then, has continued to play a key role in the evolution of the entertainment district.
His Rum Boogie Cafe remains one of the longest-running venues in the city for live music, offering a rare experience to patrons and employment to local musicians.
Former Jerry Lee Lewis club will reopen as new brand on Beale Street
But, after 40 years, Lamm is handing over the keys to his iconic blues club.
The club’s new owner is longtime employee Jim Losapio, who has been at Lamm’s side for the past 25 years.
How Lamm ended up as the proprietor of a blues club is an interesting tale. The story starts in the early 1980s.
“I was a CPA, and one day, I met (real estate developer) John Elkington at the mailbox outside our offices on Wheelis Drive (in East Memphis),” Lamm said of the meeting that changed the direction of his life. “John had just taken over the leases to several buildings on Beale Street, and he hired me to determine the funding needed to revitalize the street and turn it into an entertainment district.”
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Rum Boogie Cafe Beale Street Preston Lamm Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Jennifer Chandler
Jennifer Chandler has been a restaurateur, a cookbook author, a food stylist, a writer and a TV and radio personality.
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