If Memphis, Tennessee, is known as the “Home of the Blues,” then Beale Street is its front porch. The Blues were born in the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta, but Beale Street became its epicenter, attracting white and black musicians from the nearby regions. Just a stone’s throw to the west is Hotel Chisca, where Dewey Phillips received a copy of Ike Turner’s “Rocket 88” from Sam Phillips (no relation). “Rocket 88” is highly regarded as the first Rock n’ Roll song. Dewey was the first disc jockey to play white and black music from his WHBQ studio, influencing teenagers of both sides in a segregated South.
A Young Elvis Presley (undoubtedly influenced by Dewey) would walk these streets from his family’s apartment a mile away, being influenced by the black artists applying their craft in the honky tonks and bars lining the street. Just a few years later, he would record his first hit with Sam Phillips, who immediately gave it to Dewey to play on his show. On June 8, 1954, Dewey introduced the world to Elvis, and the rest is history. It all happened right in downtown Memphis.
Though Beale Street had some lean years, it always found a way to reinvent itself and came screaming back to life in the ’80s with no signs of slowing since. For more than ten years, this historic street has played host to one of its best-kept secrets of automotive Americana, the COMP Cams Hot Rods on Beale (HRoB) cruise-in, taking place right there on one of the most iconic and historic brick streets in the nation. It happens on the fourth Tuesday of April through October, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Cars must have a pass to enter the street, and there are only 120 spots available. The demand is so high that there is a rotating list of more than 500 cars!
How HRoB Started
So, how did HRoB get started? Well, we have to give props to longtime Edelbrock Group Partnership Marketing Specialist Trent Goodwin and his father, Clarence. Trent and Clarence saw that Beale Street had a Bike Night every Wednesday during the summer that gets hundreds of bikes to attend and thought it would be great to showcase the Memphis-area car culture. Though there had been some car shows on the street in the past, there was no organized, regularly scheduled event like HRoB.
“It was no easy task to start something from scratch and jump through all the hoops to pull something like this off,” Trent says. “We worked with the Beale Street Merchants Association and the city of Memphis to get approval. It took well over a year to get all the sign-offs.”
The Goodwins got the word out to the local car community, and the reaction was overwhelming. It was evident from the get-go that they would have to make it an invite-only event to keep it from getting out of hand. Clarence has been the gatekeeper of the waiting list for passes ever since. He is the sole man responsible for sending passes out every month.
Ten Pounds of Fun In a Five-Pound Bag
“In the beginning, we were worried that we wouldn’t have very many cars,” Clarence says. “But, boy, were we wrong! The Beale Street Historic District is essentially two blocks long, so we ended up having to go down to Beale and physically map out how many cars we could fit. I ended up creating a spreadsheet with names, emails, and addresses to keep track of everything. We now have over 500 people on the list!”
The duo determined they could fit 120 cars total — approximately 100 vehicles on Beale Street itself and another 20 on a closed side road by the FedEx Forum. The challenge they ran into for HRoB was getting all 120 cars onto the street without blocking downtown rush-hour traffic. The Goodwins belong to the American Muscle Car Club, and members help park cars monthly. It’s not easy as the road is not very wide and they have to park them tight.
Passes are numbered 1-120, and there are two entrances onto the street, either Second or Third streets. Participants enter according to the number on their pass. Between Second and Third Street is widely regarded as the most active block, with worldwide-known establishments such as B.B. Kings, King’s Palace, Rum Boogie Cafe, Silky Sullivans, and A.O. Schwartz. However, that stretch of street will only fit 38 cars, so passes numbered 1 through 38 enter off of Second.
Passes numbered 39 through 120 enter off of Third and stretch down to Fourth Street. Iconic sights and establishments on this part of Beale include Alfred’s, W.C. Handy Park, the Withers Collection and Museum, Coyote Ugly, and the New Daisy Theater.
Tuesday Night Surprise
As the borders have fully opened since the Covid pandemic, there are hundreds of people coming to Memphis to see the Birthplace of Rock n’ Roll and Home of the Blues. HRoB is a welcome surprise for many who don’t know about it. Memphis is a destination for music lovers worldwide who come to see Elvis’ Graceland, but Beale Street is on everyone’s list for nightly entertainment.
Tuesday nights on the historic street are typically light on revelers but high on tourists. Busloads of European and American tourists are dropped off to enjoy the restaurants, bars, and music. With drinks in hand, they fan out to enjoy the night. The HRoB participants love answering questions about their classic and collector cars, and they get tons of them on a Tuesday night. Some people have only seen a classic American car on television, so it is a special treat for them to see them up close. HRoB gives them a taste of Americana like no other.
Unfortunately, many Memphians don’t even know about HRoB. Some of them may be coming downtown to enjoy dinner, a play at the Orpheum Theater, or a Grizzlies game at the FedEx Forum and happen to see all the cars parked on the pedestrian-only street. It makes for a pleasant surprise for them as well.
Special HRoB Events
With Trent’s position in the automotive aftermarket, he has facilitated some prestigious HRoB events for tours such as Hot Rod Power Tour and Goodguys Road Tour as they’ve come through town. It’s always one of the most sought out stops on those tours. In 2022, the Power tour started at Liberty Park in midtown Memphis. One hundred twenty cars were handpicked to display their vehicles on Beale that night. If you see Beale Street on the schedule for any national event, you should make it a point to check it out. There is nothing quite like the reflections of neon in all the gorgeous paint jobs.
Checking Out HRoB
HRoB is a family-friendly event; you will meet great people who are happy to live in a city with a terrific car culture where they can drive their cars nearly year-round. If you are planning a trip to Memphis, try to schedule it to coincide with HRoB — the fourth Tuesday of April through October. You won’t be disappointed.
Even Hemmings came to Memphis to experience this unique event and were blown away by what they saw. Dan Stoner and his film crew shared some of the city and their trip downtown in “One Perfect Day” on their YouTube channel.
At HRoB, you will meet some of the nicest people on one of the most relaxed nights on Beale Street. Take your time to stroll down the bricks, check out the architecture, sit and listen to the local music pouring into the street, see the Brass Note Walk of Fame (bonus if you can find all 186 notes!), and most of all enjoy the restored and modified cars of Mid-Southerners. If you are passing through town with your collector car and want to participate, just message the HRoB Facebook page, and they will try to accommodate you!
There is no doubt that Memphis is a gritty river city with a sordid past and a rough reputation. Sure, it has its problems, but what city doesn’t? However, these are all things that give Memphis its soul. You can see it all downtown, but if you want to see the best in people, go to Beale Street on the fourth Tuesday of the month, April through October, for HRoB. You will see a little slice of Southern Americana, and you won’t see anyone without a smile on their face!
