Echoes of Memphis

Memphis music history is full of stories that feel too wild to be true. In this episode, the people who lived them take us behind the curtain. James Alexander remembers a Bar-Kays performance so grueling that the drummer literally fell off the stage in his sleep. Hubbie Turner recalls sneaking out of the Vietnam jungle to find a keyboard and a way back into music. Willie Hall talks about growing up obsessed with British rock and shaping his identity one pair of Beatle boots at a time. And Clears members Shelby Bryant and Alicja Trout revisit the days when they pieced together futuristic stage outfits from the fading racks of the Mall of Memphis. Steve Selvidge rounds out the journey with memories of his father Sid’s thrifted, intellectual look, a style as intentional as his songs. These stories capture the unpredictable, joyful, and sometimes chaotic road that runs through Memphis rock and soul. Presented by MEMPHO Presents. Made possible by Humanities Tennessee. Featuring: On the Loose by Hi Rhythm Do You See What I See by the Bar-Kays Portrait by Sid Selvidge The Clears by the Clears Guests: James Alexander Archie “Hubbie” Turner Willie Hall Steve Selvidge Shelby Bryant Alicja Trout Host - Jared "Jay B." boyd Producer - Robby Grant, Andria Lisle Editor / Engineer - Daniel Lynn Brought to you by WYXR 91.7 FM Memphis More information on Stereo Sessions here

Success can change your life, but figuring out what comes after can be the harder story. In this episode, musicians who have already tasted the spotlight talk about the real work of staying in the game. Willie Hall remembers joining the rebuilt Bar-Kays in 1968, when long nights on the road and shoestring budgets sat in sharp contrast to the band’s rising reputation. Sam Samudio reflects on leaving behind his Sam the Sham fame to reinvent himself with a deeper, more personal sound. Members of Zuider Zee revisit the near-breakthrough that slipped away and the unexpected second act that followed decades later. And DJ Jus Borne speaks to the early days of Memphis rap, when entire scenes thrived without national recognition and had to build their own path forward. Together, they show how survival in the music business demands grit, reinvention, and the belief that your best work might still be ahead. Presented by MEMPHO Presents. Made possible by Humanities Tennessee Featuring: John Gary Williams by John Gary Williams Hard and Heavy by Sam Samudio Zuider Zee by Zuider Zee The Antidote by Indo G and Lil Blunt Guests: Willie Hall Mark Newman Robert Hall of Zuider Zee DJ Jus Borne" Host - Jared "Jay B." boyd Producer - Robby Grant, Andria Lisle Editor / Engineer - Daniel Lynn Brought to you by WYXR 91.7 FM Memphis More information on Stereo Sessions here

A hit record is never guaranteed. In this episode, musicians and producers who have chased that spark walk us through the moments when a song feels like it might break through and the times when fate has other plans. James Alexander remembers the Bar-Kays fighting for a second chance at Stax, only to stumble onto the raw idea that became “Soul Finger.” Steve Selvidge talks about his father Sid Selvidge’s debut album, Portrait, and the strange mix of pride, doubt, and timing that surrounded its lead single as it started to catch regional airplay. Willie Hall reflects on the promise and heartbreak behind John Gary Williams’ self-titled solo record, a project on the brink of a breakthrough when Stax Records suddenly shut down. And producer Natalie Rosenberg offers an honest look at the ingredients behind a hit, using her work with New Zealand Trading Company to show how talent and craft still rely on a final force: luck. Together, their stories trace the thin line between a good record and a great one, and how even the best music sometimes needs the world to be listening at the right moment. Presented by MEMPHO Presents. Made possible by Humanities Tennessee. Featuring: Do You See What I See by the Bar-Kays Portrait by Sid Selvidge John Gary Williams by John Gary Williams New Zealand Trading Company by the New Zealand Trading Company Guests: James Alexander Steve Selvidge Willie Hall Natalie Rosenberg Host - Jared "Jay B." boyd Producer - Robby Grant, Andria Lisle Editor / Engineer - Daniel Lynn Brought to you by WYXR 91.7 FM Memphis More information on Stereo Sessions here

The recording studio has always been the great Memphis laboratory, a place where musicians chase ideas until something unexpected lands on tape. This episode follows the people who know that magic firsthand. Companion bandmates Andy Tate and Mike Russell talk about long nights at Royal Studios, working after hours and following every creative impulse. D. Beaver’s David Beaver remembers a moment in the early 1970s when anything felt possible, from full string sections to tape-speed trickery. Producer Natalie Rosenberg revisits the joy and surprise of shaping the New Zealand Trading Company’s kaleidoscopic sound. And engineer Davis McCain of Easley-McCain Recording walks through the organized chaos behind the Grifters’ Crappin You Negative, a record that helped define a whole corner of the indie rock underground. The Hellcats round out the story with memories of sessions where amps blared, sirens leaked into takes, and inspiration came as fast as the tape could roll. These voices paint a picture of the studio as its own character, one that pushes musicians to experiment, commit, and create something bigger than they imagined when they first walked in the door. Featuring: Reap the Lost Dreamers by Companion Combinations by D. Beaver Crappin You Negative by the Grifters New Zealand Trading Company by the New Zealand Trading Company Hoodoo Train by the Hellcats Guests: Andy Tate Mike Russell David Beaver Natalie Rosenberg Davis McCain Lorette Velvette Host - Jared "Jay B." boyd Producer - Robby Grant, Andria Lisle Editor / Engineer - Daniel Lynn Presented by MEMPHO Presents. Made possible by Humanities Tennessee

In Memphis, music often starts at home, and this episode follows five artists whose families shaped their first notes and their longest-running ideas. Members of the Hi Rhythm Section look back on growing up under one roof, practicing in the same rooms, and building the groove that became the heartbeat of Royal Studio. Blackout talks about learning rhythm from his relatives in Mississippi and the church keyboard that first sparked his imagination. The Legend Lady J reflects on the creative fire she picked up from her father, the visual artist Joe Light, and how that energy found its way into her North Memphis storytelling. Devin Crutcher traces his path back to his grandmother Bettye Crutcher and the Stax legacy she kept tucked in photo albums and old boxes. And Robert Clayborne shares how a house full of musicians pushed him toward the bold gospel funk of Power to Overcome. We feature past Stereo Sessions on Hi Rhythm’s On the Loose, Blackout’s Dreamworld, Legend Lady J’s Glock N’ My Hand, Bettye Crutcher’s Long As You Love Me (I’ll Be Alright), and Robert Clayborne’s Power to Overcome, and we speak with Leroy Hodges, Charles Hodges, Hubby Turner, Blackout, Legend Lady J, Devin Crutcher, and Robert Clayborne. Featuring: On the Loose by Hi Rhythm Dreamworld by Blackout Glock N’ My Hand by the Legend Lady J Long As You Love Me (I’ll Be Alright) by Bettye Crutcher Power to Overcome by Robert Clayborne Guests: Leroy Hodges Charles Hodges Hubby Turner Blackout The Legend Lady J Devin Crutcher Robert Clayborne Host - Jared "Jay B." boyd Producer - Robby Grant, Andria Lisle Editor / Engineer - Daniel Lynn Presented by MEMPHO Presents Made possible by Humanities Tennessee