Lansky Brothers Clothier To The King - Beale Street, Memphis, TN
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Lat34North
N 35° 08.401 W 090° 03.216
15S E 768445 N 3892545
Brothers Clothier To The King marker is located next to the Hard Rock Café on Historic Beale St in Memphis, TN.
Waymark Code: WMT5H4
Location: Tennessee, United States
Date Posted: 09/29/2016
Views: 7
Lansky Brothers
Clothier To The Kink ™
(Side 1)
Lansky Brothers was founded in 1946 Bernard Lansky with a $125 investment from their father, S.L. Lansky. The story began at 126 Beale Street as an army surplus store, but gradually changed to accommodate customer interest in a one- of –a-kind look. At the time, Beale Street was the center of the African-American social and music scene in the. Bernard traveled the country looking for unique products. Sometimes outrageous, always years ahead of anything else in town, many of the items were made of bright, vivid colors and silky fabrics. Lansky Brothers quickly became fashion headquarters to musicians and the clothes savvy including B.B. King, Isaac Hayes, David Porter, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Rufus Thomas.
(Side 2)
It was Elvis Presley who helped establish Bernard Lansky’s “Clothier to the King” title and allowed for global recognition. Bernard recalls looking up one day and seeing a young man looking at his window’s. He walked up to greet him and told him “Come on in and let me show you around.” The young man said, “I don’t have any money, Mr. Lansky, but when I get rich, I’m going to buy you out.” Bernard told him, “Don’t buy me out, just buy from me!” Lansky outfitted Elvis for his performances on the Ed Sullivan show, Dorsey Brothers show and the Louisiana Hayride. Bernard dressed Elvis in the Pink/Black combination, which defined the cool colors of the’ 50s era. The Lansky family has cultivated a legacy that is three generations now, and is still operating clothing stores in the lobby of historic Peabody Hotel.
Erected by
The Lansky family & Shelby County Historical Commission
August, 2001.
Marker Name: Brothers Clothier To The King
Marker Location: City
Type of Marker: Person
Marker Number: None
Group(s) Responsible for placing Marker:
The Lansky family & Shelby County Historical Commission
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Visit Instructions:
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