The Road to Memphis

The Road to Memphis is a documentary directed by Richard Pearce.^[1] The film is part of The Blues, a seven part PBS series, with Martin Scorsese as the executive producer.^[2]

The Road To Memphis follows the career of Blues musician B.B. King as he returns to his hometown where he got his start at WDIA radio station.^[3] It features interviews and performances by B.B. King, Bobby Rush, Rosco Gordon and Ike Turner as they come together in Memphis for the W. C. Handy awards in 2002.^[1] The film also contains historical footage of Howlin' Wolf and Rufus Thomas.^[3]

Variety (September 6, 2003):

Road to Memphis" is about the blues in the here and now — historical footage is kept to a minimum — and it establishes the notion that this remains a hard life for anyone who chooses it...Pic's cornerstone is a reunion show of the four Memphis artists, and Pearce introduces them in a hierarchical scale: King is a passenger in his well-appointed bus; Rush is his own bus driver. Everyone seems to know Ike Turner, whose musical reputation keeps doors open; Gordon pleads for recognition.^[3]

• PBS website for The Road to Memphis
• The Road to Memphis at IMDb

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