Reinventing Beale Street

I will be interested to see what becomes of the east end of Memphis' Beale Street.

That section of the district has struggled for years. It seemed the additions of Hard Rock Cafe and Pat O'Brien's on that end would really liven things up. I'm not sure how Hard Rock is doing but unfortunately Pat O's closed down a year or two ago.

Now that end will get some new businesses: Red Rooster (340 Beale), Lil' Anthony's Cafe (341 Beale) and Ground Zero Blues Club (310 Beale). Only Lil' Anthony's Cafe is new; Red Rooster and Ground Zero previously were located on Lt. George W. Lee Avenue in a hidden-away spot across from Gibson Guitar.

Here's hoping the bars find new life on Beale. And here's hoping that end of Beale really starts jumping now. 

There will be a celebration on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with $5 wristbands that will provide admission to all Beale Street clubs. 

There also will be tours of the historic Daisy Theater.

A couple of other additions to the street could help lure more daytime visitors. There has been some sprucing up taking place at the W.C. Handy House and the Ernest Withers Museum Collection & Gallery will open at 333 Beale.

Withers was a Memphis photographer who died a few years ago. His subjects ranged from Elvis to the civil rights movement.

The first phase of the ultimately 7,000-square-foot museum will encompass 3,000 square feet and include a set of Withers images curated and installed by Tony Decaneas of Panopticon Gallery of Boston. There also will be 40 pieces of art hanging in the space.

An opening is planned for the end of May.