Pulling in the Anchor and Pushing Off with an Oar, Then
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pulling in the anchor and pushing off with an “Okay,” my uncle said, steering toward a oar, then cranking the motor. shady spot. “Let’s fish.” He handed me a rod and “I’m not a baby,” I said. I was twelve and big got out the bait. “If we get enough, we’ll have a for my age. I was almost as big as he was, I fish fry tonight. You can eat a fish right down thought. I was about the same age Danny had to the bone, like a cat,” he chuckled, trying to been when he and his mother moved away. put us both back in the good mood we’d been “Are you stupid then?” he said as we con - in when we started out this morning. tinued down the river. I plunked my baited line into the water and I remembered my dad saying I looked a lot watched the circles it made spread further and like Danny and my uncle threatening to shoot further apart until they had disappeared and the him if he ever said it again. “No,” I said. surface was smooth and still. I could see my re - “No what?” he said, speeding up again and flection in it, the reflection of a silly boy, so maneuvering around a log. He was still frown - filled with hope he could hardly breathe, imag - ing but not as hard as before. ining the fish we would catch, the celebration “No sir,” I said. The sky was a deep blue, we would have tonight. Hoping my uncle and the sun felt warm on my skin. I took out my would smile the way he still did once in a while, knife and polished the green pearlized handle his eyes twinkling like a sky full of sunshine. with my shirt. sts Rockabilly Rides: 1959 Ford Fairlane. Photograph by Lisa Chaney. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Arkansas Review 49.1 (April 2018) 64 Delta Sources and Resources Rockabilly Rides felt the stories behind the musical gems woven Memphis, Tennessee into the fabric of American music history de - By LaDawn Lee Fuhr served to be told in full. Working for a local touring company telling Memphis history to a multitude of Memphis, Tennessee is renowned for its tourists inspired Birkedahl and Cunning to offer musical and cultural contributions to the world. a more intimate insider tour experience by pre - This famous quote ‘the Mississippi Delta begins senting a realistic, up close and personal her - in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel and ends on itage tour of the River City. And what better Catfish Row in Vicksburg’ is a good description way to spark the imagination than in a shiny of Memphis’s diverse and eclectic heritage. two-ton time machine identical to those vehi - From W.C. Handy bringing the blues to Beale cles rocking the streets of Memphis back in the Street, Sam Phillips of Sun Records discovering day. With both company founders owning vin - Musical phenomena in his own backyard, or tage cars, Birkedahl’s a 1959 Ford Fairlane Sky - Jim Stewart and his sister Estelle Axton creat - liner retractable convertible, licensed for ing the Stax Records sound by integrating the Sunday driving only, and Cunning’s 1955 sounds of all people, Memphis has been at the Chevy Bel Air, stored and collecting dust in his epicenter of American musical history. Imagine former Pennsylvania hometown, the idea for a young man who would later become the King Rockabilly Rides was born. of Rock and Roll dancing at his high school Rockabilly Rides booked their first cus - prom, or a vacuum salesman with a low, silky tomer in June 2015. Six hundred and fifty tours voice who would go on to become the leg - later, reservations have nearly doubled every endary Man in Black: Memphis has a great deal year. The company now sports four classic ve - of heritage that cannot be missed. And Rocka - hicles that take visitors on their Elvis 101 tour billy Rides will drive you there, and beyond, in and a Memphis history tour. The Elvis 101 Tour style. begins downtown at the former site of Lansky Rockabilly Rides is a Memphis Tour expe - Brothers clothing store, a favorite Elvis shop - rience that takes the visitor back in time along ping spot. Next, to the historic Peabody Hotel, the streets of Memphis, Tennessee when some home of the Peabody ducks, where Elvis at - of the biggest names in music were only dream - tended his senior prom; then a cruise to Elvis’s ing of the future. Visitors experience those sto - home in Lauderdale courts, government hous - ries and landmarks in a classic car that was in ing where he lived as a teenager, Humes High style at the same time history was being made school, where he graduated in 1953, and other in the home of the blues, and the birthplace of must see hot spots. rock and roll. Brad Birkedahl and Brandon The Rockabilly Rides Memphis 101 tour Cunning are the owners of Rockabilly Rides. covers important aspects of the historical Delta Both are accomplished and popular musicians and the South including tours on the blues, the who perform on historic Beale Street in down - Civil War, the mighty Mississippi River, and the town Memphis. Like so many others, they love Civil Rights era. By request only is the Million the sounds that came out of iconic Sun Studio Dollar Quarter Tour, visiting the sites as seen and share those tunes from the stage regularly by the original Southern fab four Sun Record - with audiences from around the world. But they ing artists Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee ___________________________________________________________________________________ Arkansas Review 49.1 (April 2018) 65 Lewis, and Carl Perkins. Rockabilly Rides has resume. He grew up in Washington, Pennsylva - expanded the business with custom transport nia with a love of all things from the decade of services such as weddings and hosting VIPs who the fifties, especially the music. He also began want to be in a sweet ride while in Memphis. playing guitar at an early age, and after years of Rockabilly Rides has a 5-star rating from Trip playing in Pittsburgh moved closer to the Advisor which frequently ranks them as the top source, relocating to Memphis in 2007. He city tour in Memphis. The company is featured spent several years as a radio personality before in the book 100 Things to Do in Memphis Be - pursuing music full time. Like Brad, he found fore You Die , and has hosted customers from all himself playing stages with his idols such as over the world. Smoochy Smith, J.M. Van Eaton, and the late The real secret weapons of Rockabilly Sonny Burgess. He is also a well-known Beale Rides are the owners/tour guides, Brad Street musical performer. Birkedahl and Brandon Cunning. Birkedahl is Rockabilly Rides provides a one of a kind a native of Tacoma, Washington who began heritage tour experience in Memphis, and is as playing guitar at age twelve and transplanted to unique as the city itself. From the birth of the Memphis twenty years ago to play rock and roll. blues and rock and roll music, to the Mississippi He has been a mainstay on Beale Street and mud, Rockabilly Rides, fronted by Birkedahl played the world with legends like Carl Perkins, and Cunning, unveils the classic sights and Wanda Jackson, Billy Lee Riley, The Stray sounds of the River City. You can follow Rock - Cats, and DJ Fontana. He is also known for his abilly Rides on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. work with the rockabilly trio, The Dempsey’s, Their web address is www.rockabillyrides.com, with whom he appeared, as legendary guitarist and their phone number is 901-264-0819. Scotty Moore, in the 2005 Johnny Cash bio-pic They can also be reached at tours@rocka - Walk the Line . billyrides.com. sts Cunning also boasts an impressive musical Rockabilly Rides: 1955 Plymouth Belvedere. Photograph by Brad Birkedahl. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Arkansas Review 49.1 (April 2018) 66.