Huey Calhoun

Who is Huey Calhoun?

Huey is a white record store clerk in early 1950s Memphis with an outsized passion for the rhythm and blues music he hears on Beale Street, music that most white radio stations of the era refuse to play. His enthusiasm and stubborn belief in the music eventually earn him a spot as a radio DJ, where he pushes to bring it to a wider audience.

Huey falls in love with Felicia Farrell, a Black singer he discovers performing in a Beale Street club, and their relationship becomes both the emotional center of the show and a source of real danger in a segregated city. His idealism and refusal to compromise ultimately cost him as much as they gain him.

Huey's role in Memphis

Huey is the show's lead role, requiring a performer with a distinctive, energetic vocal sound and strong comic and dramatic range, since the character moves between brash showmanship and genuine heartbreak. His signature number, Memphis Lives in Me, closes the show as both a personal statement and a tribute to the music that shaped him.

Chad Kimball originated the role on Broadway in 2009 and received a Tony Award nomination for his performance. Audiences have responded to Huey's mix of reckless charm and genuine conviction, and his refusal to bend to convention makes him one of the more distinctive leading men in a Broadway musical of his era.

Huey Calhoun: frequently asked questions