On the Road: a Music Lover's Guide to America's Deep South

MOXY is your entrance to downtown Memphis. Check into the Sound Studio Suite on the top floor and get ready to host your own private gig with the two guitars provided. Invite friends up for drinks at your minibar and simply play away. Feeling a little out of tune? Rock your way outside and get back in the groove with concerts at Orpheum Theatre and drinks in the Beale Street District.

While Jackson, Tennessee might not ring a bell, its famous exports will strike a chord. The Hard Rock Cafe and House of Blues have their roots here, and the city’s contributions to the early days of rock’n’roll are celebrated at the Legends of Tennessee Music Museum. There you’ll find exhibits on Carl Perkins, Sonny Boy Williamson and Denise LaSalle, to name a few.

No rockin’ road trip is complete without a pilgrimage to the King’s home. Graceland showcases all things Elvis: his jeweled jumpsuits, classic cars and the gold records that prove he’s one of the greatest rock’n’rollers of all time. Interactive exhibits bring the King to life digitally, using augmented reality to put you front-and-center for a serenade. He may have left the building, but Graceland still features live performances from Elvis tribute acts.

Urban Cowboy was built for one reason: having a good time. Kick off your cowboy boots and settle into this historic Victorian mansion for an unforgettable night’s stay. High ceilings, clawfoot tubs and one-off decor await in every cowpoke suite. Their watering hole out back, the Public House Bar, is always stocked with toe-tapping tunes, ice-cold cocktails and good times you won’t stop telling your friends about. Expect to see local musicians gathering on the porch at this honeypot hangout for resident acts.

Step into the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and you can’t help but stand in awe. Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Paul Simon, the Rolling Stones and countless other legends rocked out in this lauded facility. Your reverence will play on as you visit Muscle Shoals’ other iconic studio: FAME. Here, performers such as Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding belted out their hits. The visit may add an hour to your drive between New Orleans and Nashville, but standing on these hallowed grounds is worth the extra gas.

Johnny Cash. Patsy Cline. Willie Nelson. The greatest country musicians of all time are immortalized in Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame. This museum has thousands of pieces of memorabilia – from stage-strummed instruments and studio mics to rare photographs and pre-WWII recordings. Rotating exhibits highlight stars old and new, revealing hidden chapters of country music history and showcasing the diverse contemporary artists breaking its mold.

Maison de la Luz is a boutique stay from the hitmaker Ace Hotels brand in an exceptional location. Halfway between the French Quarter and Garden District, notes of jazz and scents of Creole are never far away. Still, the soaring ceiling and soaking tub in the Grand Suite, and the luminous bathroom and luxury linens in the King Suite are difficult to leave. Complimentary wine and cheese every evening in the Living Room are great primers for a night on the town.

Named in honor of a song by Professor Longhair, the rhythm and blues musician who deeply influenced New Orleans’ sound, Tipitinas is a NOLA institution that’s showcased burgeoning local acts and international artists for decades. Everyone from Stevie Ray Vaughan and Pearl Jam to hometown heroes like the Neville Brothers and Better Than Ezra has taken to the stage here. Live music fills the calendar on weekends and weekdays, with free Friday night shows a common occurrence.

As you drive through the Bayou State of Louisiana, you’d be tone deaf not to indulge in Cajun culture. Randol’s is a bar and restaurant in Lafayette that serves up the best local seafood with the two traditional musical staples of the region: live Cajun and zydeco music. Friendly regulars will welcome you to Acadiana (the French Louisiana region), inviting you to pick your own live crawfish to eat while mustering the rhythm to hit the dance floor.