Elvis and his family lived near this predominantly African-American neighborhood in Tupelo. The Mississippi Blues Commission put a sign here in 2003 that reads as follows:

"Shake Rag, located east of the old M&O (later GM&O) railway tracks and extending northward from Main Street, was one of several historic African American communities in Tupelo. By the 1920s blues and jazz flowed freely from performers at Shake Rag restaurants, cafes, and house parties, and later from jukeboxes, while the sounds of gospel music filled the churches. The neighborhood was leveled and its residents relocated during an urban renewal project initiated in the late 1960s."

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In 1957, Satellite Records was formed by Jim Stewart in his wife's uncle's garage in North Memphis, TN. By 1961, Stewart's sister had mortgaged her house to pay for recording equipment, and the name had changed to Stax Records.

The studio moved into the abandoned Capitol Theater on McLemore Ave, and a group of neighborhood kids began playing on records regularly, becoming Booker T. and the MGs (the house band at Stax for 8 years). In 1962, the same year they came out with "Green Onions," Otis Redding had joined Stax Records.

In 1965, Sam & Dave joined Stax and with the help of song-writer Isaac Hayes (theme from Shaft, South Park's Chef) put out a string of hits including "I Take What I Want," "Soul Man," and "Hold On, I'm Coming."

In 1967, tragedy struck the Stax family when Otis Redding and the Bar-Kays crashed into Lake Monona, WI.

Today, the Stax Museum is open to the public, supporting a number of music programs in the Memphis area.

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The Dakota also served for the sweeping exterior shots of the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby. In the film, the building is called "The Bramford" and has a troubled past associated with the occult, baby murders, and witchcraft.

The Dakota building was well known for its show business inhabitants. Director Roman Polanski initially thought the interiors to be to new and clean to be appropriate for the film, but that became a moot point once the building owners refused to allow interior shooting.

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In 1969, a group of four musicians known as "The Swampers" left nearby FAME Recording Studios to form their own studio. The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio created a number of legendary hits, and The Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section (The Swampers changed their name) was the first rhythm section to own their own studio and, eventually, their own publishing and production companies.

Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Bob Seger, Cat Stevens, and more have all recorded at the facility. The Staple Singers recorded "I'll Take You There" at Muscle Shoals Sound. Paul Simon heard the song, loved it, and got the rhythm section to record with him for "Kodachrome" and "Loves Me Like a Rock."

The Rolling Stones were here from December 2-4, 1969, when they recorded "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses." According to legend, Keith Richards was doing coke in the bathroom while the engineers pleaded with him to get into the studio. Richards responded that wild horses couldn't get him to come out.

Bob Dylan recorded "Gotta Serve Somebody" here in 1979, which won him a Grammy for Best Male Vocalist in 1980.

Although the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio has since moved to an updated facility on Alabama Ave in Sheffield, AL, the original building is occasionally used. The Black Keys recorded their album Brothers here in 2009, which won a Grammy in 2011.

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According to the journal of Kurt Cobain, he was hanging out near the Montesano Thriftway grocery store in the summer of 1983 when a "short-haired employee box boy" handed him a flyer. The flyer was for a free rock show behind the grocery store the next night, and the box boy was King Buzzo of The Melvins.

Cobain was first exposed to punk rock by The Melvins, and it was the beginning of a long relationship between the groups. It was through them that he would meet bass player Krist Novoselic. Cobain roadied for The Melvins in the late 80's, and Melvin's drummer Dale Crover played on early Nirvana demos (before Dave Grohl).

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