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From Nashville, exit 215 on I-40 to Briley Pkwy and follow the signs – it’s just over 11 miles (about 20 minutes).

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If Graceland doesn’t suck the charmed life out of you, begin your evening with burgers at former brothel Earnestine & Hazel’s, once a hangout of Stax recording folk like Otis Redding and Booker T & the MGs’ Steve Cropper. Yes, Elvis ate here too. From here it’s a quick trolley ride along Main St to Beale St. Back in the 1860s, African American traveling musicians would perform here; in the early-20th century it was a debauched thoroughfare of gambling, drinking, prostitution, murder and voodoo; today, it is home to the blues (and lots of drunks). These days it is perhaps a little too Bourbony, but there are still plenty of good live-music venues to get your groove on along this historical stretch of 30 nightclubs. The most authentic of the lot is classic juke joint Mr Handy’s Blues Hall, which is attached to the Rum Boogie Café.

Stumble like a rock star back to Madison Hotel, a whimsical boutique hotel with soulful tunes pumped right into the lobby inside a renovated 100-year-old bank building. If you’re on an Elvis pilgrimage, you’re sleeping out by Graceland at Heartbreak Hotel, where B&W photos of the King don the walls, and four themed suites evoke the true spirit of Presley’s gaudiness.

Stop at the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum, done up by the excellent Smithsonian Institute, before skipping town. This seven-gallery museum covers rock and roll, and soul, from rural roots to modern-day hit makers. It’s here at this corner of Beale and 3rd that your adventure continues: head south from here and you are on the legendary Blues Highway, otherwise known as Hwy 61. It’s a 70-mile drive from here to The Crossroads, the intersection of Hwy 61 and Hwy 49 just north of Clarksdale, Mississippi. This is where legend says Delta blues henchman Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at midnight in exchange for mastery of the guitar. Johnson went on to become one of America’s first guitar heroes and one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, but the devil don’t play that: he cashed in on his side of the deal when Johnson was just 27-years-old. Three blue guitars mark the spot.

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“If you come to Memphis and want to see something Elvis but don’t necessarily want to see the iconic figure buried in his backyard, try a place called the Hi-Tone. It was once Elvis’ karate studio but has long since been turned into a bar and fabulous venue for concerts. On any night of the week you can see acts like Elvis Costello and the Imposters and local rockers Lucero.”

Kyle Blair, Memphis

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The awesomely named Shack Up Inn is the place to stay (B&B here meaning Bed & Beer as opposed to Bed & Breakfast) as much for its renovated shotgun shacks as for proclamations like, “The Ritz we aint!” and “If you like 5-star shit, go somewhere else.” It’s 3 miles from the Crossroads on the old Hopson Plantation. A few miles north in downtown Clarksdale, everything old is becoming new again, all in the name of paying homage to the blues. Delta Blues Museum, in the old train depot, hosts an impressive collection of blues memorabilia.

But Clarksdale’s blues heritage is hardly a thing of the past – stop in at the Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, Inc for kitschy blues memorabilia and CDs, but also to pick owner Roger Stolle’s brain about what music to take in during your visit. He owns a blues record label and is also the booking agent for actor Morgan Freeman’s blues club, Ground Zero, a must-stop but not nearly as authentic as Red’s, a nitty-gritty, smoked-out juke joint rubbed with the kind of musical spices that makes the blues the sonic equivalent of a 60-day dry aged porterhouse. Speaking of which, Abe’s does the kind of gut-sticking barbecue that will have you singing the blues on the toilet, but you won’t much care at this stage, they are teeth-pickin’ good. Save some room, though; New Orleans may be the birthplace of jazz, but it’s not a bad spot to chew the