Houma Representative Tanner Magee considers himself a music aficionado, and as one, something has bothered him for a very long time…the fact that the city of Memphis lays claim as the home of rock and roll. A trip to the legendary Sun Records studio years ago has inspired him to propose HB 889, which would create a rock and roll museum in New Orleans.
“One of the frustrating things about Sun Records is that they claim to be the home of the first rock and roll song,” said Magee. “This is categorically untrue. They tell it to every single person who comes to Memphis.”
The Dew-Drop-America’s Rock and Roll Museum would celebrate and promote the city and state’s rich musical heritage, as well as the social, cultural, and economic history of rock and roll music near the site of one of the most famous music clubs and hotels in the country.
“Tell the story of the Dew Drop Inn and what that building meant for early rock and roll, what it meant for New Orleans music, what it meant for the Civil Rights movement,” he said. “Because you can tell a broader story than just music.”
Magee says cities like Memphis have built up cultural tourism sites, leading to increased revenue and that it’s time for Louisiana to start doing the same.
“People can come in for Jazz Fest for New Orleans and they can have some other things to do,” Magee added. “Get them out of the Quarter too. See other parts of the city; learn more about what we did. We did more than jazz. We’ve done more than all these things.”
The pill passed House Municipal and now heads to the floor for further debate.
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