MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--John Elkington, the man credited with the redevelopment of the Beale Street Entertainment District, was honored in Memphis magazine’s thirty-fifth anniversary edition as one of thirty-five individuals whose influence has been critical to the growth and evolution of Memphis since the magazine’s founding.
According to the magazine, Beale Street consisted of “blocks of abandoned and boarded-up buildings, and trash littering otherwise empty streets.” Elkington and his team at Performa Entertainment Real Estate took responsibility for redevelopment in 1983. Today, the magazine reports, it is “Memphis’ premier entertainment attraction and one of the top destinations anywhere.” More than 4 million visit Beale Street annually.
Others recognized by Memphis magazine included FedEx founder Fred Smith, Civil War historian Shelby Foote, former NAACP President Benjamin Hooks, entertainer Justin Timberlake, musician and pastor Al Green, and AutoZone founder J.R. “Pitt” Hyde.
Recognizing his pivotal role in redeveloping Beale Street, Memphis Mayor AC Wharton, one of those honored, said that Elkington “went in when others did not go in, and the community owes him a debt of gratitude.”
In 2008, Elkington wrote of the redevelopment challenges in “Beale Street: Resurrecting the Home of the Blues,” published by the History Press.
His honors include the Blue Note Award from the National Blues Foundation and the A.W. Willis Preservation Award from the Memphis Heritage Foundation. In 2010, Elkington was recognized with a Brass Note on the Beale Street Walk of Fame, joining Memphis legends such as Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, Jerry Lee Lewis, Isaac Hayes, Johnny Cash, and Furry Lewis.
Elkington’s public service includes serving as a board member of the National Civil Rights Museum and the Memphis Center City Commission.
Today, Elkington continues as Chairman and CEO of Performa and puts his Beale Street experience to use as a consultant to other urban entertainment districts. Beale Street, true to its roots as the home of musicians, living and deceased, such as W.C. Handy, B.B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, “Big Mama” Thornton, and Rufus Thomas, features live music in more than a dozen clubs and restaurants.