It’s the building where the Stax records classic “Knock On Wood” was written but it’s remembered for other reasons

The Final Jeopardy clue for Wednesday, April 16, 2025, came from the category Places in the American Past and read: “It’s the building where the Stax records classic ‘Knock On Wood’ was written but it’s remembered for other reasons.” This clue bridged two significant moments in American history—one rooted in musical innovation and the other in a pivotal and tragic chapter of the civil rights movement.

What is the Lorraine Motel?

The correct response was: What is the Lorraine Motel? Located in Memphis, Tennessee, the Lorraine Motel is widely known today as the site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination on April 4, 1968. However, before becoming a historic landmark of the civil rights era, the Lorraine was also a vibrant hub for artists and musicians, serving as a popular stop for Black entertainers traveling through the segregated South.

The Musical Legacy of the Lorraine Motel

The connection to Stax Records—Memphis’s legendary soul music label—is one that reflects the motel’s importance to the music community. The song “Knock On Wood,” co-written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper, was reportedly conceived during a stay at the Lorraine. At the time, the motel was known for its welcoming atmosphere and proximity to downtown recording studios. Musicians from all over the country would gather there to rest, write, and collaborate.

This aspect of the motel’s history underscores its role in Memphis’s music scene during the 1960s. Stax artists, including Otis Redding, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, and Wilson Pickett, were frequent guests. The Lorraine was more than lodging—it was a place where ideas were shared, songs were born, and a soundtrack to a changing America was shaped.

A Site of Tragedy and Transformation

Despite its musical associations, the Lorraine Motel is best remembered as the site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot while standing on the balcony outside Room 306. King had traveled to Memphis in support of a sanitation workers’ strike, a protest for better wages and working conditions for the city’s predominantly Black workforce. His assassination on April 4, 1968, marked a turning point in the civil rights movement and sent shockwaves across the nation.

Following King’s death, the Lorraine eventually ceased operations as a functioning motel. However, its historical significance only deepened over time. Preservation efforts began in the 1980s, recognizing the building’s cultural importance not just to Memphis, but to American history as a whole.

The National Civil Rights Museum

Today, the Lorraine Motel is home to the National Civil Rights Museum, which officially opened in 1991. The museum incorporates the preserved motel façade and the balcony where King was shot. Inside, it offers a comprehensive chronicle of the civil rights movement, from the era of slavery through Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, the 1960s, and into the present-day struggle for justice and equality.

Visitors can walk through exhibits that include King’s room, restored to its 1968 appearance, as well as interactive and educational displays about other civil rights leaders, movements, and landmark legislation. The museum has become a powerful site of remembrance and education, drawing scholars, activists, students, and tourists from around the world.

A Landmark of Dual Legacies

The Lorraine Motel stands today as a place of layered significance—where soulful music was composed and where a leader’s voice was silenced. The Final Jeopardy clue for April 16, 2025, captured both of these realities in a single sentence. It reminds viewers that history is often made in everyday places, and that buildings like the Lorraine can embody both the highest forms of cultural creativity and the most profound moments of national loss.

Its preservation as part of the National Civil Rights Museum ensures that future generations continue to learn not only about the music that echoed through its halls but also the legacy of the man whose dream was remembered there.