10 great places to know it's more than rock 'n' roll
— -- Rockin' New Year, indeed. Celebrate Elvis' birthday (The King would have been 73 this coming Tuesday) with a road trip down rock 'n' roll's memory lane. Chris Epting, host of The Pop Culture Road Trip at webtalkradio.net and author of Led Zeppelin Crashed Here: The Rock and Roll Landmarks of North America, shares his list of favorite stops with Kathy Baruffi for USA TODAY.
Elvis Presley Birthplace Tupelo, Miss.
"Fans trek to Tupelo to tour the modest, two-room house that was built for $180," Epting says. "That's because it's where Elvis Presley entered the world on Jan. 8, 1935. The city bought the land in 1956 with funds from a Presley concert, and today it's an official state landmark. Set on the 15-acre Elvis Presley Park, the grounds also have a museum and gift shop." 662-841-1245; elvispresleybirthplace.com
Motown Historical MuseumDetroit
"The Motown sound was born in this old brick house, now a museum dedicated to the revolutionary musical style," Epting says. "Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, the Jackson Five — they all got their start here under the orchestration of Motown Records' Berry Gordy Jr. Today you can see sheet music and the actual studio equipment they used, including the piano played by all the greats." 313-875-2264; motownmuseum.com
Benvenuto CafféWest Hollywood, Calif.
"The Doors' offices were once on the second floor of this building. The ground floor was a studio, and the classic album L.A. Woman was recorded here," Epting says. "In fact, the restroom in the restaurant today is the actual booth where Jim Morrison laid down his vocal tracks. Some gold records and framed, handwritten lyrics are on display in the restaurant." 310-659-8635; benvenuto-caffe.com
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and MuseumCleveland
"John Lennon's costume, The Supremes' dresses, Grace Slick's Woodstock outfit, Kurt Cobain's guitar, along with many other artifacts, can be found in this stunning building designed by I. M. Pei," Epting says. "In addition to its permanent exhibits, the museum stages a number of temporary exhibits throughout the year, including large-scale shows. The museum also contains some remarkable interactive exhibits, films and videos." 216-781-7625; rockhall.com
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