Rhythm and Blues, abbreviated as R&B, is a style of music that originated in African American communities, and developed during World War II in 1939-1945. The term ‘rhythm and blues’ was used to recognize and categorize every form of secular music associated with African Americans. As rhythm and blues evolved, various regions and their diversity had different takes on rhythm and blues, creating unique sounds for the particular region.

The Memphis sound originated in Memphis, Tennessee in the 1960s. The Memphis sound was described as an “urban sound with rural undercurrents” and “laidback”. Similar to other types of music, the African American community used rhythm and blues to tell their stories: realities of life in the segregated South, relationships, etc. Eventually, the Memphis sound was referred to as ‘soul’. A particular group from Memphis, Tennessee that expressed the Memphis sound of Rhythm and Blues was Booker T. & the MGs.