Willie Mitchell's Royal Studios

Constructed as the Shamrock Theater in 1915, this building was converted into Royal Recording Studios in 1957. Home of Hi Records and the Hi Rhythm Section, Royal grew from a minor rockabilly studio into one of the most successful producers of soul music worldwide. Willie Mitchell (1928-2010) created the signature soul sound of Hi Records at Royal, a sound also exemplified by singers Ann Peebles, O.V. Wright, Otis Clay, Syl Johnson, and Al Green. Al Green's Let's Stay Together, recorded here, topped the Billboard magazine charts in February 1972. Mitchell, who purchased Royal from Cream Records in 1984, collaborated with a wide spectrum of artists, including Phineas Newborn, Jr., the Bill Black Combo, Ace Cannon, and Keith Richards.

Memphis, Tennessee · United States