Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, a brother and sister duo, purchased the old Capitol Theater on McLemore Avenue to relocate their recording equipment. Without knowing, they would soon be part of a worldwide sensation dubbed American soul music. This move placed them in an area rich with talent. Many of the artists and musicians who recorded at Stax were from the surrounding neighborhood, local churches, and schools. In a time when racial tension was high, this studio never saw race but rather focused on producing its own sound, a Memphis sound, that would be heard around the world.