Starbucks Tennessee mug: Discovery Series
The Tennessee mug from Starbucks' Discovery Series sets the state name in orange over a dark green circle, with a black bear, vinyl records, a rack of ribs and a waterfall. A guitarist, a tower building and a bird fill the other sides.
- Series
- Discovery Series
- Place
- Tennessee, USA
- Type
- Mug
- Released
- Not confirmed
- Capacity
- 14 fl ozstandard mug size
- SKU
- Not confirmed
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The Memphis session that was going nowhere until the break
In the summer of 1953, Elvis Presley paid $3.98 to cut a single acetate disc at Sam Phillips's studio in Memphis, supposedly as a gift for his mother [1]. He bought a second one in January 1954. Phillips just wasn't biting [1]. On the evening of 5 July 1954, a trial session with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black was producing nothing, one ballad after another [1]. During a break around nine o'clock, according to Moore, Presley stood up and began singing Arthur Crudup's blues "That's All Right" out of nervous energy [1]. Black started slapping his bass, and Phillips came through the door and told them to keep going [1]. Sun released it on 19 July [2]. Phillips could not afford promoters, so his son Knox recalled him packing up 45 rpm pressings and stopping at every radio tower on a circuit that included Houston, Shreveport, Oklahoma City and Dallas [1]. The two records at the right of the Tennessee mug (3) are the format he carried.
The mug does not label its drawings, so connecting this one to the story is our reading.
What's on the mug
- 1Lettering
TENNESSEE in orange capitals over a dark green circle.
- 2Rack of ribs
An orange-red rack with white bone ends sits above the lettering, next to a small bowl of dark beans with yellow dots.
- 3Vinyl records
Two blue-black vinyl records with yellow labels stand at the right of the circle, with red music notes floating above them.
- 4Black bear
A dark blue bear with an orange outline walks along a ridge at the left of the lettering.
- 5Waterfall
A blue-and-white waterfall drops over orange rock at the right of the circle.
- 6Blue ridge and pines
Blue hills with white-tipped pine trees run along the bottom, with a band of orange and yellow foliage in front.
- 7Guitarist Side view
A figure in a wide-brimmed hat plays a guitar at the left side of the mug, with a yellow amplifier at their feet.
- 8STARBUCKS wordmark Back view
The vertical STARBUCKS wordmark runs beside the handle on this side.
- 9Tower building Back view
A blue-and-orange building with a small tower and rows of lit windows stands on a yellow base.
- 10Blue flower Back view
A blue flower with a yellow centre rises above the building, with tall golden stalks beside it.
- 11Orange-breasted bird Back view
A bird with an orange breast and blue wings perches at the right edge; the curve of the mug cuts off the rest.
The three photos together cover most of the outside of the mug. The area behind the handle is out of view.
Collector notes
- The inside of this mug is bright blue, which shows in all three photos.
- The guitarist and the bear are on the left side of the mug and the building and bird are on the back, so a seller photo taken only from the front will show neither.
Before you buy
The bear, the guitarist and the building are on the left and back of the mug, so a front-only seller photo will not show them. The inside is bright blue. Starbucks also made Tennessee mugs in the Been There and You Are Here series, so check the series name in the listing.
