Cool rides and hot Blues line the streets of the Hot Rods on Beale Street Car Cruise

If you’re a fan of Blues music, historic Beale Street in Memphis is your mecca. Immortalized in film and song, all the great musicians have performed right here. I’ve been to some car cruises in interesting places, but rarely do they occur in a place with such history and notoriety. This is more than just a car cruise--it’s a party. Wherever you go, from one end to the other, you are never out of clear earshot of someone playing the Blues with a proficiency that only comes from honing their craft right here. Combine that with some of the best restaurants in the south, and you have the makings of a very special night.

Fontanel Cruise packs a bunch of cars in at Barbara Mandrell's old place

The big car event in Nashville last Thursday night was the weekly cruise at the Fontanel Mansion. Like most of these places, I had never been there before, and didn’t really know what to expect. What I found was one of the coolest places to have a car event I’ve been to in a long time. The Fontanel was originally Barbara Mandrel’s 27,000 square-foot log home, but now it’s used for private events. There are zip lines, restaurants, an amphitheatre, the world’s only Goo Goo Clusters store, and much more. And everything is surrounded by rolling hills, lush grass, and green trees. It’s really pretty out there.

Checkin' out the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum at Graceland

Like most good Americans, I like Elvis.  Yeah, he was a bit of a nut burger, and his later persona was a little over the top, but dang it, he was The King.  You think The Beatles, or Michael Jackson, or Justin Bieber were the first guys to turn a huge sold-out crowd into a blubbering mass of screaming idiots?  Hell no.  Elvis did that.  He’s the biggest, most enduring entertainer in history.  And he even served in the U.S. Army.  You just gotta have a soft spot for the big guy.

Each year, some 1.4-jillion fans make their way to Graceland, Elvis’ mansion in Memphis, Tenn.  The place still looks about like it did when Elvis died in 1977, and people want to cast their eyes upon the stuff that Elvis cherished when he wasn’t on the road.  Oh, and did I mention that there is a car museum there?

Top car show tunes of all time. Ride, Mustang Sally, but remember, Deadman's Curve is no place to play

After attending a jillion car cruises and shows, I’ve noticed a pattern in the music that seems to be played when a disk jockey is present. I mean seriously, every single car show D.J. plays Mustang Sally. Every one of them! Here’s my list of the top most played car show songs.

Little Deuce Coupe. The Beach Boys. 1963. In many peoples’ eyes, this is the de facto standard car show tune. It was the Beach Boys at their best. Most of the song lyrics actually describe their hot rod in detail. All you have to hear is the two opening drum beats to know what’s coming. The song might have been played and played-out, but no other song is in as many car show D.J. record collections. And just one more thing—I’ve got the pink slip, Daddy.