Soul Music Gallery
Labels
like STAX, HI and Satellite recruited musical artists from the black
community, and some of its stars literally walked in off the streets.
Memphis music was a product of collaboration - and sometimes tension -
between black and white musicians. Soul music embodied African-American
cultural identity and aspirations in the volatile 1960s and became an
important voice of expressing black pride, and demanding political
change. Just as white teenagers expressed themselves through their
speech, dress, and rock ‘n’ roll, soul was a part of a larger identity
for African-Americans. Soul music changed from popular entertainment
to a vehicle for political expression and community activism.