Ellis Auditorium

Ellis Auditorium was a major multipurpose public venue in Memphis, Tennessee. Opening in 1924 as the Memphis Auditorium and Market House, it combined the functions of a concert hall, convention facility, and athletic arena. The building had capacity for approximately 10,000 people and became one of Memphis's principal locations for large public gatherings, touring entertainment, and sports events during much of the twentieth century. The venue was renamed Ellis Auditorium in 1930 following the death of Robert R. Ellis, who had served as president of the Memphis Chamber of Commerce. Its program included concerts, theatrical performances, conventions, professional and amateur sporting events, and appearances by prominent touring artists. John Philip Sousa gave the first performance at the newly opened facility, establishing a connection with nationally recognized entertainment from its earliest days. Ellis Auditorium also reflected the racial segregation of the period. Black patrons were assigned a separate entrance and balcony, and the venue's discriminatory operating practices affected its cultural programming. In 1945, a production of Annie, Get Your Gun was not presented at the auditorium because the cast included Black performers. At the same time, the venue was used for events that challenged or complicated Memphis's segregated public culture. In 1953, an audience of approximately 6,000 white spectators watched the all-Black Harlem Globetrotters perform there, illustrating the contradictory racial boundaries surrounding entertainment and sport in the era. Music became one of the auditorium's most durable associations. Elvis Presley performed there on May 15, 1956, as part of the opening of the Cotton Carnival and returned for other appearances. Later visitors included David Bowie, who played the venue in 1972, and Bruce Springsteen, who appeared there in 1976 and again in 1996. The building also hosted selected Memphis Tigers basketball games, including the team's February 1957 upset of third-ranked Louisville. Ellis Auditorium remained an important Memphis venue until the late twentieth century, despite competition from newer arenas and performing-arts facilities. It was demolished in 1999. The Cannon Center for the Performing Arts was subsequently built on the same site, ending the auditorium's physical existence while preserving the location's role in Memphis's civic and cultural infrastructure.

Ellis Auditorium began operating in 1924 under the name Memphis Auditorium and Market House. Conceived as a broad civic facility, it accommodated concerts, conventions, theatrical productions, and athletic contests rather than serving a single specialized function. Its approximate 10,000-seat capacity made it one of Memphis's principal large-event locations. John Philip Sousa performed at the opening, giving the building an early association with nationally prominent touring music. In 1930, the facility was renamed Ellis Auditorium in honor of Robert R. Ellis, a former president of the Memphis Chamber of Commerce, after his death. The new name became associated with decades of public events in the city. The auditorium served both local institutions and touring acts, including the Memphis Tigers basketball program, which used it for selected games. In February 1957, the Tigers defeated third-ranked Louisville there in a notable upset. The auditorium's history was also shaped by segregation. Black patrons were required to use a separate entrance and sit in a separate balcony. These policies influenced which performances could take place. In 1945, a production of Annie, Get Your Gun was not staged because its cast included Black members. The venue's racial history was not limited to formal restrictions: its events also demonstrated the uneven boundaries through which Black performers could reach Memphis audiences. In 1953, about 6,000 white spectators attended a performance by the all-Black Harlem Globetrotters. Music and popular entertainment gave Ellis Auditorium continuing visibility. Elvis Presley appeared there on May 15, 1956, opening the Cotton Carnival, and performed at the auditorium on other occasions. The venue later hosted David Bowie in 1972 and Bruce Springsteen in 1976 and 1996. These appearances placed the Memphis building within the touring circuits of major American and international performers. By the end of the twentieth century, Ellis Auditorium had become an older venue within a changing Memphis event landscape. It was demolished in 1999. The Cannon Center for the Performing Arts was constructed on the same site, replacing the former auditorium with a newer performing-arts facility. Ellis Auditorium therefore survives primarily as a historical site and as part of Memphis's civic, sporting, and musical memory rather than as an operating venue.

• 1999

  Demolition and replacement

  [1]Ellis Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  Ellis Auditorium was demolished; the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts subsequently occupied the same site.

• 1976

  Bruce Springsteen performs at Ellis Auditorium

  [1]Ellis Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  Bruce Springsteen played the auditorium in 1976 and returned for another appearance in 1996.

• 1972

  David Bowie performs at the venue

  [1]Ellis Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  David Bowie appeared at Ellis Auditorium as part of the venue's later concert history.

• 1957

  Memphis Tigers defeat third-ranked Louisville

  [1]Ellis Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  The Memphis Tigers basketball team upset Louisville in a game held at Ellis Auditorium.

• 1956

  Elvis Presley performs at the Cotton Carnival opening

  [1]Ellis Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  Presley performed at Ellis Auditorium on May 15 to open the Cotton Carnival and later returned to the venue.

• 1953

  Harlem Globetrotters draw a large audience

  [1]Ellis Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  Approximately 6,000 white spectators watched the all-Black Harlem Globetrotters at the auditorium.

• 1945

  Segregated production of Annie, Get Your Gun does not proceed

  [1]Ellis Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  A performance was not held because the cast included Black performers, highlighting the auditorium's segregation policies.

• 1930

  Renamed Ellis Auditorium

  [1]Ellis Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  The venue was renamed after Robert R. Ellis, a former president of the Memphis Chamber of Commerce.

• 1924

  Opening as Memphis Auditorium and Market House

  [1]Ellis Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  The multipurpose facility opened in Memphis with a performance by John Philip Sousa.

A large civic and entertainment venue serving Memphis as a combined auditorium, convention center, concert hall, and sports arena.

• Performing arts venue · 1924

  Concert and live entertainment venue

  Ellis Auditorium presented touring musicians, theatrical productions, and other live entertainment. Its large capacity allowed it to host nationally recognized performers, including John Philip Sousa, Elvis Presley, David Bowie, and Bruce Springsteen.

• Civic venue · 1924

  Convention and public assembly facility

  The building was designed as a multipurpose civic facility and served as a location for conventions, public gatherings, and community events in Memphis.

• Sports venue · 1924

  Athletic arena

  The auditorium hosted basketball and other athletic events, including selected Memphis Tigers games and a 1953 appearance by the Harlem Globetrotters.

• 1945

  Segregation prevents staging of Annie, Get Your Gun

  The auditorium operated with separate facilities for Black patrons, including a separate entrance and balcony. In 1945, a performance of Annie, Get Your Gun was not held because the cast included Black members.

  Source

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• 1956Cotton Carnival opening performance

  Memphis, Tennessee, United States

  Ellis Auditorium hosted Elvis Presley's May 15 performance opening the Cotton Carnival, strengthening the venue's connection with Memphis's civic celebrations and popular music culture.

  Outcome. The appearance became one of the auditorium's notable music events, and Presley later returned for additional performances.

  Source

• 1999

  Replacement by the Cannon Center for the Performing ArtsStrategy

  Background

  The aging auditorium was removed as Memphis replaced the site with a newer performing-arts facility.

  Action taken

  Ellis Auditorium was demolished and the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts was built at the same location.

  Aftermath

  The original venue ceased to exist, while the site continued to serve Memphis's performing-arts and civic functions.

  Source

• 1930

  Adoption of the Ellis Auditorium nameOther

  Background

  The building originally operated as the Memphis Auditorium and Market House. After Robert R. Ellis died, the venue was renamed in his honor.

  Action taken

  The facility adopted the name Ellis Auditorium.

  Aftermath

  The new name was used throughout the remainder of the venue's operating life.

  Source

1. 1Ellis Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org