Memphis, in the state of Tennessee, was named after the ancient Egyptian capital on the Nile. However, Memphis is known as Music City, as it was the setting for the birth of the blues, and the rise of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley

This dockside city has been influenced heavilty by music. Memphis culture also draws heavily on its early 20th-century role in giving birth to the blues. The city retains a certain soulful grittiness from a history replete with cotton, riverboats and blues. Today Memphis is one of the nation's most popular tourist destination, as many flock to see Graceland, Elvis' famed estate, and the glossy stretch of clubs and cafes on Beale St.

Not limited to music, Memphis also boasts the Chucalissa Archaeological Site & Museum, which is a reconstructed 15th-century Native American village sits on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi. Also, Memphis is home to the National Civil Rights Museum, located where the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr was tragically assassinated in 1968.

Memphis is a center of manufacture of textiles, heating equipment, pianos, and automobile and truck parts. It is also the headquarters of FedEx shipping. Because of its status as the primary hub for FedEx, Memphis International Airport is currently the world's busiest cargo airport in terms of tonnage. This activity has provided some deal of economic prosperity to the city.