Originally part of the famous Cherokee hunting grounds, it is located thirty miles south of Tennessee and two hours east of Memphis. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, it became an odd staging point for rock and R&B aristocracy.
Performers such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, and Paul Simon visited this sleepy hamlet, which offered fried catfish and turnip greens as local specialties at the eateries and had the nicest Holiday Inn.
They were drawn to The Swampers because they were a talented group of studio musicians whose deep, funky Southern grooves influenced hits like “Respect” by Aretha Franklin, “Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones, and “I’ll Take You There” by The Staples Singers.
The town’s disdain for the segregation that split the South was one of its draws. It was uncommon for the local radio station, WLAY, to play music by both black and white musicians, and the local recording facilities also adopted a colorblind philosophy.
