George Klein, famous radio guy ("This is the Geeker in your speaker!") and buddy of Elvis, has been a fixture on the local sound scene since forever. He's a walking encyclopedia about the musical people, places and events around here and he just loves Memphis.

Why?

"What comes to mind," Klein says, "is what Elvis said when he was asked what he liked about Memphis: 'Everything.' "

But more particularly, Klein says, "It's the fact that Memphis is the friendliest city I've ever been in, and I've been all over. Memphis is a one-call town -- you just make one call and somebody knows somebody else and it gets done. Car fixed, garage door or carpenter. ...

"I was born and raised here and it's my home. Memphis has a feeling to it no other city has. I could have gone to LA or Philadelphia or New Orleans and I just didn't want to go. ...

"I remember when Chips Moman came back to produce recordings and I picked him up and I said to him, 'Chips, what is it about Memphis?' and he said it was a feeling. 'It doesn't sound like any city, doesn't act like any other. It's got its own personality.' "

Furthermore, Klein says, it's not a phony city: "Not plastic like Hollywood. Memphis is real. It's got a feeling to it. I'll never forget the time Elvis had been away for four and a half months making two movies and was coming in from Little Rock. I was on the radio playing the song 'Green Green Grass from Home' and he called and he said 'GK, play it again.' He said he was pullling out of Little Rock and he said it reminded him of Memphis and he was on his way. He called me five times to play that record. I said, Elvis, you're going to get me fired. After I got off the air I took it to Elvis and gave it to him."