MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Whitehaven resident is singing a melody to spread awareness about the pothole problems in Memphis.
The song is called the "Memphis Pothole Blues" and it's being brought to viewers by someone whose life mission is to fix the Bluff City's pothole problem.
"I am Sybil Presley, also known as the Pothole Lady, right here in Memphis, Tennessee,” Presley said.
Presley didn't start out as the Pothole Lady, but as she saw the problem get worse, she came up with a way to spread awareness.
"Next thing I know, I'm the Pothole Lady," Presley said. "I didn't really plan it. My comedy takes reality, and people can laugh at themselves."
Presley uses the Pothole Lady character to raise awareness about the never ending problem.
"I'm just kind of bringing attention to that," she said. "And I have an outlet so people can let off steam, because I've talked to a lot of people who are very frustrated and stressed.”
One of those people is Mary Stonebraker, whose car was damaged by potholes in January.
“We were going down Graceland and ran right in the middle of a pothole that we did not see,” Stonebraker said. "It popped my tire immediately. I don't know where my hubcap went. That was about $55 for a tire, and it wasn't too much later that the same thing happened again on another street here in Memphis.”
And that seems to be the root of the frustration — the fact that there's not a more long-term solution.
Since the potholes seem never ending, the Pothole Lady created a Facebook group for people to share stories and voice concerns about potholes around the city.
“Recently, I decided to go on Facebook again, and I created a group," Presley said. "It's called Memphis Pothole Support Group.”
So while the support group continues to grow and people wait on a permanent fix, Presley will keep trying to get her message out the best way she knows how.
“Well, I'm going on the internet and on the local news," Presley said. "Please sign my petition. I've got the Memphis pothole blues.”