MEMPHIS

From the critically-acclaimed album MISSISSIPPI: AMERICAN STORIES comes the heart-wrenching single from Grant Maloy Smith. Written by folk legend Janis Ian and Deana Carter in 2000, a brand new version was recorded for this album, featuring Janis playing piano and acoustic guitar.

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“I love Grant's voice. It sits in that ground between Willie Nelson and George Jones, for my money, two of the greatest singers of my era. His vocals do the song (“Memphis”) justice, and I was thrilled when he invited me to play on the track.”

~Janis Ian, Grammy® Award-winning songwriter​​​​​

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Grant and Janis met at Burnt Orange Studio in Sarasota in May 2024. They had the whole day to record Janis' parts, but she knocked them out like the pro that she is.

"I've always loved Janis' piano playing, but I didn't know what a good guitar player she is, too. She floored me with what she could do on both instruments," according to Grant.

Memphis rose to prominence in the 19th century as a booming hub of cotton, commerce, and river trade. Its strategic location on the Mississippi River made it a vital artery for the Southern economy. Wealth flowed through its ports, and the city flourished with banks, warehouses, and a thriving population. But after the Civil War and into the 20th century, systemic racism, disinvestment, and the decline of the cotton economy eroded its prosperity.

Industrial jobs disappeared, white flight drained resources, and neighborhoods once alive with opportunity fell into poverty and neglect.

The song tells that harrowing story, but also expresses a genuine love for the city and an enduring hopefulness about its future.