KWEM Radio - West Memphis, TN - Arkansas Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

"The inaugural broadcast of West Memphis' KWEM radio station on February 23, 1947, set the stage for what would become one of the pioneering platforms for Delta blues and the beginnings of the rock 'n' roll sound.

Here at 231 Broadway Boulevard in downtown West Memphis, emerging and talented local musicians played live on the air from 1947 through 1955. In a rare “pay-to-play” business model, musicians recruited their own sponsors and were rewarded with the apportunity to promote themselves and their gigs on air. Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf, Johnny Cash, Ike Turner, Junior Parker, Hubert Sumlin, James Cotton, and Albert King all graced the KWEM studio during these early years. For many, it was their first radio exposure and opened doors to larger radio markets as well as recording studios in Memphis and Chicago.

Inspired by the success of the live blues broadcasts on KFFA in Helena, Arkansas, KWEM began a series of noonday, live broadcasts early in the life of the station. Sonny Boy Williamson debuted these live shows and was soon joined by Junior Parker, Joe Willie Wilkins, Willie Nix, “Forrest City Joe” Pugh, and, briefly, by B.B. King, before he got his own radio show on WDIA in Memphis. The future king himself, Elvis Presley even made an early appearance on KWEM before he visited Sun Records.

Listening to these artists on KWEM would inspire another Arkansas Delta prodigy, Albert King, to learn to play guitar. King launched his career nearby at the T-99 Club in Osceola, Arkansas and went on to become a major influence on Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughn as a master of the guitar. Playing on KWEM ensured thebest live bookings in Memphis and throughout the Delta.

Howlin' Wolf had his own daily show on KWEM from 1949-1952 and was joined in the studio by young musicians Junior Parker and James Cotton. After a 1951 recording at Sun Records across the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee, Wolf's success led to a deal at Chess Records in Chicago, Illinois. In 1952, Howlin' Wolf headed north where his West Memphis “blues” would become Chicago's “electric blues.”

Junior Parker, the emerging blues harpist (also known as the harmonica), had his own show on KWEM in 1953 when he co-wrote and recorded “Mystery Train,” a hit record on the Sun Records label. Shortly thereafter in 1954, Parker followed Howlin' Wolf to Chess Records in Chicago.

Johnny Cash's first radio appearance was a live performance at the KWEM studio, prior to signing with Sun Records in 1954. He had his own weekly radio show with bandmembers Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant where they entertained listened with a pure country sound. This first live performance recorded at KWEM was later reported to serve as Cash's audition tape at Sun Records.

Dan Craft and the Craftsmen, a local country at with a strong West Memphis following, appeared on the “Date with Delta” radio show each Sunday on KWEM in 1948, which led to regular appearances through 1955 and the moniker “Delta Dan” for the hometown guitarist.

KWEM did not discriminate – black and white musicians and blues, country, and gospel songs were all featured on air. KWEM's performances and playlists influenced thousands of listeners all over the Delta and the Mid-South. Along with Sun Records and Beale Street in downtown Memphis, KWEM was an integral player in the development and dissemination of the Delta sound that would morph into American rock 'n' roll music.

[Captions (left to right)] Joe Hill Louis, KWEM Studio, c. 1949 • KWEM 990 West Memphis • Howlin' Wolf in the KWEM studio, c. 1950 Courtesy photo archives, Delta Haze Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

The Trail
The music of the Arkansas Delta is the music of America. With roots in gospel or “church music,” the blues, jazz, country, and
rock n' roll flowed from the rich, fertile landscape bordering the lower Mississippi River and spread out across the country and the world. Follow the Arkansas Delta Music Trail to experience the sounds that shaped the land, its people, and the nation.

Erected by Arkansas’ Delta Byways Tourism Association."

Link to Marker: [Web Link] History of Marker: KWEM Radio Additional Parking: Not Listed

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