The Ellis Auditorium was a 10,000-seat multi-purpose

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. It hosted local sporting events and concerts.

History

The auditorium opened in 1924 as a multipurpose concert hall, convention center, and athletic arena. The first performance was held by

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. The building opened as the Memphis Auditorium and Market House and was renamed for Memphis Chamber of Commerce President Robert R. Ellis after his death in 1930. The auditorium was segregated and had a separate entrance and balcony for black patrons, and in 1945 a performance of ''Annie, Get Your Gun'' did not go ahead because the cast included black members.

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played Ellis Auditorium on May 15, 1956, to open the Cotton Carnival. Presley also made a number of other appearances at the venue. Other performers who played Ellis include

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(1972) and

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(1976 and 1996).

Sports

Ellis Auditorium also hosted basketball events, including a 6,000-strong all-white crowd who watched the all-black

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play in 1953. The Memphis Tigers basketball team also played select games at Ellis. They upset number 3 ranked Louisville at the venue in February 1957. Ellis Auditorium was demolished in 1999 and replaced by the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts at the same location.

References

1999 disestablishments in Tennessee Buildings and structures demolished in 1999 Indoor arenas in Tennessee Sports venues in Memphis, Tennessee {{Tennessee-stadium-stub