Memphis 59

With a name lifted from the chronicles of Rock and Roll history, Memphis 59 is a band that hails from Arlington, Virginia. The band features singer-songwriter Scott Kurt, Richard Lewis on bass, and Chris Zogby on drums. Memphis 59’s sound, influenced by artists like Tom Petty, Keith Urban, and Steve Earle, is described as a combination of rock, country, and pop. “Ragged but right”, says Grammy-winning producer John Jennings of Memphis 59’s musical style – a description the band liked so much ...

With a name lifted from the chronicles of Rock and Roll history, Memphis 59 is a band that hails from Arlington, Virginia. The band features singer-songwriter Scott Kurt, Richard Lewis on bass, and Chris Zogby on drums. Memphis 59’s sound, influenced by artists like Tom Petty, Keith Urban, and Steve Earle, is described as a combination of rock, country, and pop. “Ragged but right”, says Grammy-winning producer John Jennings of Memphis 59’s musical style – a description the band liked so much that it was adopted as the title of their first full-length album. Memphis 59 released their debut CD “Ragged But Right” in 2010 with the assistance of a trio of Grammy winners who helped produce, engineer, and play on the record. The album stays true to the band’s straight-ahead, guitar driven roots rock sound. Featuring 12 original tracks, “Ragged But Right” was recorded at the award winning Bias Studios in Springfield, Virginia and produced by John Jennings who is best known for his work with Grammy-winning artists Mary Chapin Carpenter, George Jones, Lyle Lovett, and The Indigo Girls. Since forming in 2008, Memphis 59 has made a noticeable impact on the Mid-Atlantic music scene by reaching the finals of the Mid-Atlantic Region Band Battle (more than 130 bands entered), and being nominated by the Washington Area Music Association as Best Roots Rock Band and Best Roots Rock Recording for their CD “Ragged But Right”. Recognizing the importance of giving back to fans and to the local community, Memphis 59 donates a portion of the proceeds from every CD sold to the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital and frequently plays benefit shows around the mid-Atlantic region. In addition to headlining shows in the Washington DC area, Memphis 59 has shared the stage several times with Academy of Country Music nominee The Randy Rogers Band, The Clarks, Third Eye Blind, The Gourds, and The Bangles to name a few. The band is also in regular rotation on WMZQ one of the leading Country Music radio stations in the Washington, DC area and has also charted on Radio Free Texas which is the largest online radio station in Texas.