Libertyland

"Covered with barbed wire, land of the free, Libertyland, baby you and me." It was a delight to stumble across this lost gem recently. The Marilyns were one of my favorite Memphis bands of all time, and I saw them countless times, recorded them in one of their later incarnations, and recently covered one of their songs. This was shot by Ron Easley at the Ornamental Metal Museum on the banks of the mighty Mississippi, probably in 1984. From left to right: Jeannie Tomlinson (now Saltmarsh) - vocals, Kim Kruger - guitar, Marilyn Albert (then Duckworth) - guitar and vocal, and Jim Duckworth - drums. Libertyland was Memphis' fairly unspectacular amusement park attraction, now long gone, which did have one saving grace - the Zippin' Pippin. It was a bit of a laughing stock, even in its heyday, but it did give us one classic song.

The Zippin' Pippin

My favorite rollercoaster in the world, and Elvis', too. The Zippin' Pippin of Memphis, Tennessee, gone but not forgotten.

Life, Libertyland and the pursuit of happiness

I used to love the Fairgrounds and Libertyland, and I wasn't alone. Formidable Memphis band The Marilyns had a great song dedicated to our shabby little theme park. The Zippin Pippin in particular was a delight (hell, Elvis liked it), certainly one of the world's great historic roller coaster experiences, and the subject of this tribute by the inimitable Misty White. However, in my humble opinion, one of the finest-ever moments of the Mid-South Fair was the unveiling of a life-size statue of Dolly Parton, sculpted entirely in butter. The old ways are dying...