The Memphis Chapter serves Recording Academy® members and music communities across the region stretching from Memphis and the Mid-South throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri. This wide-ranging area encompasses the deepest roots of American music and the birthplaces of blues, jazz, ragtime, R&B, Cajun, zydeco, and rock & roll. The Chapter was founded in 1973, when the Memphis Sound was one of popular music’s top brands thanks to local greats such as Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Ann Peebles, and Elvis Presley. Also at that time, Louisiana was experiencing a major cultural revival spearheaded by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and Jackson, Mississippi was a thriving recording scene for rhythm & blues and Southern gospel music.

In this part of the country, music isn’t simply art or industry – it’s a way of life, and has been for generations. There’s a vibrant history here that draws musicians and fans from across the globe. And while the