Sounds of the South

The Deep South is where you’ll hear the sounds that shaped America. The genres born is this corner of the world have spread far and wide but where better than to feel the soul at its source?

Take a journey through Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee and discover why they should rise straight to the top of your unmissable music moments list.

Sun Studios, MemphisTennessee is a heavyweight when it comes to the sounds of the south. Head to Nashville to catch the great and the good of country music at the Grand Ole Opry or check out some up and comers as you bar hop along Music Row. Over in “Home of the Blues” Memphis, you can follow in the footsteps of rock ‘n’ roll royalty at Sun Studios and peek into Elvis Presley’s later life at Graceland. If shows with a side of spills and thrills is your thing, hot foot it to Dollywood, Dolly Parton’s theme park up in the Appalachians. Experience the melodies of Memphis and Nashville on our Overland Music Meccas holiday or go all on a Grand Tour of the Deep South. 

Tupelo, MississippiAs you cross the state line into Mississippi, you’ll move from the home to the birthplace of the blues (and the 'King of Rock 'n' Roll', Elvis Presley). This emotion-rich genre has been shaped by the history of the Magnolia State and was born from the work songs and field hollers of enslaved African Americans. The Mississippi Blues Trail markers celebrate the people and the places that gifted the world these deeply soulful sounds. On a Music Roots Road Trip, you’ll pass through the Mississippi Delta. Take some side quests to the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale and the Dockery Plantation just outside Cleveland, a place with an important part in the history of the Blues, and Elvis' birthplace in Tupelo.

New Orleans, LouisianaWhen it comes to soundscapes, Louisiana is multi-layered thanks to the state’s cultural mash up. In one holiday you can drop into New Orleans jazz joints, stumble across Cajun jams in and around Lafayette, and hear bluesy Zydeco music across southern Louisiana. Lafayette’s Blue Moon Saloon is an institution to tick off for roots music fans while hepcats should patronise Preservation Hall or The Spotted Cat Music Club, two classic jazz halls in New Orleans. Opt for a no-drive Overland Music Meccas holiday to focus on New Orleans or get behind the wheel on our Highlights of the Deep South self-drive for a more in-depth delve on Louisiana’s scene. 

Muscle Shoals Studio'Sweet Home’ Alabama is where the blues, country, rock ‘n’ roll, gospel and soul music all cross paths. An extraordinary number of all-time greats have come out of the ‘Heart of Dixie’, proof of some serious music heritage credentials. Montgomery links Jazz icon Nat King Cole and country superstar Hank Williams; Muscle Sholes, Florence and Tuscumbia band up as a trio of musical heavy hitters in north-west Alabama, packed with recording studios and sites linked to the ‘father of the blues’ W.C. Hardy; and coastal Mobile is where Madri Gras began in America. And you can experience it all on our Grand Tour of the Deep South road trip.

This article was created on 19th February 2026. The information is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. Feature by Emma Tibbetts.