Downtown Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Poplar Tunes / One-Stop Shop
306-308 Poplar Avenue
Poplar Tunes
Calling itself "Memphis' Original Record Shop," Poplar Tunes lived up to its billing. Founders Joe Cuoghi and John Novarese opened the store in 1946, selling records for the retail, wholesale and jukebox trade. Demo records lined the shelves with turntables at the end of each row, allowing customers to hear records before deciding to buy. A young Elvis Presley, who lived nearby, bought his first record here. As his career began to take off, Elvis frequented the shop, hiding in a corner to hear how customers were reacting to his latest release. Another drop-in was Sam Phillips of Sun Records, often introducing Cuoghi to new talent, such as Jerry Lee Lewis. The store's success led to the founding of Hi Records, headquartered next door. Hi's most famous artists were the Bill Black Combo, Willie Mitchell and Al Green.
One-Stop Shop
Before the days of "Top 40" charts, Poplar Tunes, circulating its own chart, became a barometer and major influence of popular music tastes. Boosting the store's reputation was disc jockey Dewey Phillips. With his free-wheeling, rapid-fire banter, "Daddy-O-Dewey" urged his listeners to: "Get yourself a load of goober dust, take it to Joe Cuoghi at Poplar Tunes and tell him Phillips sent you." During off hours Phillips and local artists would visit the shop, spin new
Erected 2015 by Shelby County Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1946.
Location. 35° 8.914′ N, 90° 2.636′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in Downtown Memphis. Marker is at the intersection of Poplar Avenue and North Lauderdale Street, on the right when traveling west on Poplar Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Memphis TN 38105, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Chickasaw Trail (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); The First Lee House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Let Freedom Ring (approx. ¼ mile away); Eugene Magevney (approx. ¼ mile away); 1862 Post Office (approx. 0.3 miles away); St. Mary's Catholic Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Malcolm Rice Patterson (approx. 0.3 miles away); Forrest's Early Home (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 11, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,551 times since then and 161 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 11, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.