South Memphis, one of the oldest portions of Memphis, Tennessee, is a community stretching from downtown to the Mississippi state line. In its early days, it was primarily an agrarian community. South Memphis has many well-known neighborhoods including Whitehaven, Longview, Westwood, Riverside, Lakeview Gardens, Lauderdale Sub, West Junction, Prospect Park, Coro Lake, Twinkletown, Dukestown, Boxtown, Gaslight Square, Walker Homes, Wilbert Heights, Mallory Heights, Elliston Heights, Dixie Heights, Barton Heights, French Fort, Nehemiah, Handy Holiday, Pine Hill, Indian Hills and Bunker Hill. Many of these communities are considered home to many famous hip hop/R&B singers from old to new. The most recent is from the Mallory Heights community his name, Tere'z. He was recently featured on Memphis's own Hot107.1 radio station debuting one his newer tracks "I loved you" featuring Miscellaneous. He has been rumored to be the first person in 2 years to win Hot107.1's live @ 9 contest with a five day consecutive win streak.

South Memphis is home to many houses of worship, some of which are Mt Vernon Baptist Church Westwood, Bountiful Blessings COGIC, Middle Baptist Church Whitehaven, Avery Chapel AME Church, Lutheran Baptist Church, Unity Baptist Church, White's Chapel AME Church, Union Valley Baptist Church, Ward's Chapel AME Church, Metropolitan Baptist Church, Ford's Chapel AME Zion Church, New Hope Baptist Church, Warner Temple AME Zion Church, Monumental Baptist Church, East Trigg Baptist Church, Cummings Street Baptist Church and Enon Springs Baptist Church.

It is also home to Java, Juice & Jazz, Goodwill Homes, Blacks Arts Alliance (The Firehouse), LeMoyne-Owen College, Graceland, Crystal Palace Skating Rink, T.O. Fuller State Park, Thomas B. Davis YMCA, Stax Museum, Southland Mall, Southgate Shopping Center and the historic cemeteries New Park and Elmwood.

South Memphis has numerous fine restaurants including the legendary Four Way Grill, Stein's, Interstate Bar BQ, A&R Bar BQ, Big Bill's Bar BQ, Daisy's, Coletta's, Jack Pirtle's Chicken and Uncle Lou's Chicken.

Several important highways run through South Memphis, including I-55, U.S. Routes 51(Elvis Presley Blvd), 61 (South Third), 64 and 70.

List Of People From South Memphis [edit]

Carla Thomas-singer
Marion Barry- former mayor of Washington D.C.
Willie Herenton- former mayor of Memphis
Maurice White- leader of Earth, Wind & Fire
Johnny Ace- 1950s R&B star
Elise Neal-actress
J. Blackfoot- singer
D'Army Bailey- Civil Rights activist, judge and actor
Harold Ford Jr.- author and former United States Congressman
Aretha Franklin- Queen Of Soul
DJ Paul- Academy Award winning music producer
Rosco Gordon- singer and musician
Benjamin Hooks- Civil Rights lawyer and judge who was head of the NAACP from 1977 to 1993
Gilbert E. Patterson- Presiding Bishop of COGIC from 2000 until his death in 2007
Booker T. Jones- musician
Frank Stokes- Blues singer and musician
David Porter- songwriter
Tela- rapper
Qyntel Woods- former NBA player, now plays for Lagun Aro GBC in Spain
Gangsta Blac- rapper
W. Herbert Brewster- gospel songwriter notably Mahalia Jackson's Move On Up A Little Higher
Andre Turner - former NBA player known as 'The Little General'
Thaddeus Young-NBA player