Memphis musician pays homage to Stax

Local musician Daniel Crockett of Crockett Hall recently released the music video for his solo debut, "I'll be true."

The song features Soulsville legend Ben Cauley on the trumpet and the video was shot in front of Stax Museum of American Soul Music to honor the recently passed Bar-Kay's musician.

Crockett made the decision to donate 100 percent of the song's profits to the Soulsville Foundation, which aims to educate and inspire youth in the Soulsville USA area.

"It was very important that I use the attention garnered by his name to give back to something he was attached to," said Crockett, who wants to draw more attention to the historic neighborhood. "If you look at how Stax started, with artists like Otis Redding and Booker T. Jones, they gave anyone a chance. That's the way Stax used to operate and that's how Soulsville still seems to operate today, giving people chances. They showed that openness to me and that's hard to get, even in Memphis."

Crockett first met Cauley when he saw him playing with Elmo and the Shades in an East Memphis bar, a meeting that Crockett said changed his life.

"I feel like he showed me a lot of kindness and love just by giving me the time of day and being willing to play with me."

Crockett wants to use his new song as a way to assist the Soulsville Foundation with their efforts, whether that be with extra funds or local attention. He hopes to officially release the song at an event in Studio A at Stax, but anyone wanting to purchase the song can visit illbetrue.bandcamp.com or visit the band website at crocketthall.com.
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Read more articles by Lauren Turner.

Lauren Turner is a native Memphian and journalism graduate student at the University of Memphis. She is passionate about her city and the people who inhabit it. 

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