MEMPHIS, Tenn. — I don't know about you, but the highlight of my week so far has not been the tremendous weather we've had the last few days. It was the chance to finally meet and greet – if only through video – Memphis music legend Booker T. Jones. As in Booker T. and the MG's.
Thanks to having a son who is also a local musician, I got to Facetime with Jones this week while he is in town being celebrated for helping to put Memphis music on the international map.
Wednesday, Jones performed at the Stax Museum in South Memphis where the music magic happened half a century ago. And Thursday night, Jones will be inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Cannon Center.
To call Jones an appropriate choice is an understatement. No musician past or present – with the possible exception of Elvis – has had a greater impact on the Memphis Sound than Jones. His group's signature instrumental "Green Onion" is as timeless as it is glorious. Plus his influence on other Stax musicians in the 1960s and 70s helped catapult Memphis into the ranks of greatest music cities in the world.
Other Hall of Fame inductees include Ronnie Milsap, Fred Ford, Priscilla Presley, and Mavis Staples. It promises to be a grand evening and a much-needed diversion – as Memphis celebrates what makes us special: our rich musical heritage.
