Levitt Shell
   HOME
*



picture info

Levitt Shell
The Overton Park Shell (formerly ''Levitt Shell,'' ''Shell Theater, and Memphis Open Air Theater'') is an open-air amphitheater located in Overton Park, Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis Presley gave his first paid concert there on July 30, 1954. The Overton Park Shell was built in 1936 by the City of Memphis and the Works Progress Administration for $11,935, as part of the New Deal. Designed by architect Max Furbringer, it was modeled after similar shells in Chicago, New York, and St. Louis. The WPA built 27 band shells, the Overton Park Shell is one of only a few that still remain. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Shell was the site of Memphis Open Air Theater orchestral shows, along with various light opera and musicals. However, on July 30, 1954, Elvis Presley opened for headliner Slim Whitman, and performed what music historians call the first-ever rock and roll show. In the mid-1960s, the Shell was turned over to the Memphis Arts Center, who planned to raze it in order to build a $2 ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


National Conference Of Christians And Jews
The National Conference for Community and Justice is an American social justice organization focused on fighting biases and promoting understanding between people of different races and cultures. The organization was founded in 1927 as the National Conference of Christians and Jews in response to anti-Semitism and anti-Catholic sentiment surrounding Al Smith's run for President. History The NCCJ was established in 1927 by social activists, including Jane Addams and US Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes, to bring diverse people together to address interfaith divisions. Over the course of its history, the organization expanded its purview to all issues of social justice; in 1998 its name changed from "National Conference of Christians and Jews" to "National Conference for Community and Justice". A number of regional offices exist under the auspices of the National Federation for Just Communities. Programs and events The NCCJ promoted inclusivity through various events and ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Buildings And Structures In Memphis, Tennessee
A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, and have been adapted throughout history for a wide number of factors, from building materials available, to weather conditions, land prices, ground conditions, specific uses, prestige, and aesthetic reasons. To better understand the term ''building'' compare the list of nonbuilding structures. Buildings serve several societal needs – primarily as shelter from weather, security, living space, privacy, to store belongings, and to comfortably live and work. A building as a shelter represents a physical division of the human habitat (a place of comfort and safety) and the ''outside'' (a place that at times may be harsh and harmful). Ever since the first cave paintings, buildings have also become objects or canvasses of much artistic ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Culture Of Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee has a long history of distinctive contributions to the culture of the American South and beyond. Although it is an important part of the culture of Tennessee, the history, arts, and cuisine of Memphis are more closely associated with the culture of the Deep South (particularly the Mississippi Delta) than the rest of the state. For example, the city's influence on 20th-century music has had worldwide impact. Memphians have had an important role in founding or establishing several important American music genres, including blues, gospel, rock and roll, and "sharecropper" country music. As of the American Community Survey of 2011, there were 652,050 people, 245,836 households, and 141,199 families residing in the city. In 2012, the Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was the 41st largest in the United States, with a population of 1,341,690. Memphis in May is an annual, month-long festival that promotes many aspects of Memphis' cultural heritage. E ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Amphitheaters In The United States
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meaning "place for viewing". Ancient Roman amphitheatres were oval or circular in plan, with seating tiers that surrounded the central performance area, like a modern open-air stadium. In contrast, both ancient Greek and ancient Roman theatres were built in a semicircle, with tiered seating rising on one side of the performance area. Modern parlance uses "amphitheatre" for any structure with sloping seating, including theatre-style stages with spectator seating on only one side, theatres in the round, and stadia. They can be indoor or outdoor. Natural formations of similar shape are sometimes known as natural amphitheatres. Roman amphitheatres About 230 Roman amphitheatres have been found across the area of the Roman Empir ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

List Of Contemporary Amphitheatres
This is a list of amphitheatres in use today. }) , , align="right", 3,000 , - , Rhode Island , Providence , Waterplace Park Amphitheatre , Not covered , , - , rowspan=2 , South Carolina , Simpsonville , Heritage Park Amphitheatre , , align="right", 15,000 , - , Clemson , Clemson University - Outdoor Theater , Not covered , align="right", 2,500 , , - , South Dakota , Interior , Cedar Pass Campground Amphitheater – Badlands National Park , , , - , rowspan=4 , Tennessee , Knoxville , Tennessee Amphitheater , Covered , align="right", 1,400 , , - , Nashville , Ascend Amphitheater , Roof only , align="right", 6,800 , , - , rowspan=2 , Memphis , Levitt Shell , Shell , , , - , Mud Island , Roof only , align="right", 5,000 , - , rowspan=9 , Texas , Austin , Austin360 Amphitheater , , align="right", 14,000 , , - , rowspan=2 , Beaumont , Ford Pavilion , Square enclosure facing 6,300 seats under cover and 8,000 lawn seats , align="right", 14,300 , - , Beaumont ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects
ANF Architects, formerly Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects and originally Lee Askew and Associates, is a Memphis, Tennessee based architectural firm established in 1975. It is led by Lee Askew III, a Fellow (FAIA) at the American Institute of Architects. The founders were Lee H. Askew, William B. Ferguson, William Nixon and Butch Wolfe. In 1982 the firm became Askew Nixon Ferguson Wolfe. It became Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects in 1998. In 2008, the firm was run by eight partners, including Askew and Ferguson, and employed about thirty registered architects. Its office building features a gallery which displays monthly art shows of local Memphis artists. The work of ANF Architects includes museums, civic project high-design retail stores, and university projects.http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/Content?oid=oid%3A38334 The Memphis Flyer, January 2008 Notable projects *University of Memphis, School of Law campus, re-purposing, retrofitting and interior design work. Awards * De ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Richard Hackett
Richard Cecil "Dick" Hackett (born July 21, 1949) was mayor of the city of Memphis, Tennessee from 1982 to 1991. He also served as Shelby County (Tennessee) Clerk from 1978 to 1982. At the time that he took office as mayor, he was 33 years old and was the youngest mayor of a major U.S. city. He is best known for his defeat in the historic 1991 election that saw the victory of the first African-American mayoral candidate in the city's history, W. W. Herenton. Despite his incredibly narrow loss to Herenton (172 votes out of slightly over 248,000 cast), Hackett was a fairly popular mayor during his nine years in office. He ran and won three times, claiming victory in a 1982 special election as well as in the 1983 and 1987 general elections. His percentage of the vote increased each time, culminating in a lopsided victory in 1987 in which he garnered over 58% of the vote, including nearly 20% of the black vote. Despite this, by 1991 Hackett had become vulnerable due to changin ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Raoul Wallenberg
Raoul Gustaf Wallenberg (4 August 1912 – disappeared 17 January 1945)He is presumed to have died in 1947, although the circumstances of his death are not clear and this date has been disputed. Some reports claim he was alive years later. 31 July 1952 is the date of death declared by the Swedish Tax Agency in October 2016 and determined in accordance with Swedish law. was a Swedish architect, businessman, diplomat, and humanitarian. He saved thousands of Jews in German-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust from German Nazis and Hungarian fascists during the later stages of World War II. While serving as Sweden's special envoy in Budapest between July and December 1944, Wallenberg issued protective passports and sheltered Jews in buildings he declared as Swedish territory. On 17 January 1945, during the Siege of Budapest by the Red Army, Wallenberg was detained by SMERSH on suspicion of espionage and subsequently disappeared. In 1957, 12 years after his disappearance, he was ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Musicians At Levitt Shell 06-18-2011
A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who write both music and lyrics for songs, conductors who direct a musical performance, or performers who perform for an audience. A music performer is generally either a singer who provides vocals or an instrumentalist who plays a musical instrument. Musicians may perform on their own or as part of a group, band or orchestra. Musicians specialize in a musical style, and some musicians play in a variety of different styles depending on cultures and background. A musician who records and releases music can be known as a recording artist. Types Composer A composer is a musician who creates musical compositions. The title is principally used for those who write classical music or film music. Those who write the music for popular songs may be ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Levitt Shell
The Overton Park Shell (formerly ''Levitt Shell,'' ''Shell Theater, and Memphis Open Air Theater'') is an open-air amphitheater located in Overton Park, Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis Presley gave his first paid concert there on July 30, 1954. The Overton Park Shell was built in 1936 by the City of Memphis and the Works Progress Administration for $11,935, as part of the New Deal. Designed by architect Max Furbringer, it was modeled after similar shells in Chicago, New York, and St. Louis. The WPA built 27 band shells, the Overton Park Shell is one of only a few that still remain. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Shell was the site of Memphis Open Air Theater orchestral shows, along with various light opera and musicals. However, on July 30, 1954, Elvis Presley opened for headliner Slim Whitman, and performed what music historians call the first-ever rock and roll show. In the mid-1960s, the Shell was turned over to the Memphis Arts Center, who planned to raze it in order to build a $2 ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




Slim Whitman
Ottis Dewey Whitman Jr. (January 20, 1923 – June 19, 2013), known as Slim Whitman, was an American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist known for his yodeling abilities and his use of falsetto. He claimed he had sold in excess of 120 million records, although the recorded sales figures give 70 million, during a career that spanned over seven decades, and consisted of a prolific output of over 100 albums and around 500 recorded songs, that not only consisted of country music, but also of contemporary gospel, Broadway show tunes, love songs and standards. In the 1950s, Whitman toured with Elvis Presley as the opening act. In the 1990s and 2000s, a new generation was exposed to Whitman through his songs featured in the film ''Mars Attacks!''. His "Indian Love Call" (listened to by the elderly character played by veteran actress Sylvia Sidney) would kill the invading Martians by causing their heads to explode every time the record was played. This proves the key to ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]