Tennessee A state where music courses deep within its veins - from the folk music of the east, the bluesy rhythms in the west to the country music of Nashville in its centre.

The three main areas of Tennessee are as geographically diverse and unique as the their music. With rich delta terrain in the marshy west, extending from the Tennessee River to the mighty Mississippi; the plantation homes, rolling farmlands and hip city of Nashville in the middle, and the heather-coloured peaks descending into lush valleys with cool mountain streams of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the east.

Devotees flock to Memphis en masse to pay their respects to rock ‘n’ roll legend, Elvis Presley, making the pilgrimage to his final home and famous Colonial-style mansion, Graceland. Dying here in 1977, millions of visitors attend to pay homage to the King and witness its unique decor, redecorated by the King himself in 1974. Visit the moving National Civil Rights Museum, housed in the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jnr was fatally shot in 1968. It exhibits an extensive display and audio-guide chronicling the struggle of African American’s for freedom and equality in the US.

Stroll down the pedestrianised Beale Street with its carnival-like atmosphere and three blocks of restaurants, nightclubs, shops and music venues. The iconic street with its neon lights and all-night jam sessions is the official ‘Home of the Blues’ and has played host to notable blues greats such as Louis Armstrong and B.B. King.

Music fans will not want to miss a visit to Sun Studio, reputedly the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll. Opened in 1950, it was the very studio where Elvis recorded his first song and has been the recording studio of musical legends such as Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and more recently, U2 and Def Leppard. Growing from a foundation built on music, for more than 130 years, Nashville has been regarded as Music City - best known for its popular country music scene.