If the group were worried about violence in Memphis they would never have formed in the first place, sounds like bull to me.
Any major river town full of stevedores, bars, hookers, gamblers,bent politicians etc will have a fair degree of mayhem and no doubt about it, Beale Street was the magnet for all this activity. Similar in a way to Ratcliffe Highway alongside the Thames in London during the past.

My first visit there was in 1976 when it was virtually all derelict buildings (this was before it was rebuilt and tarted up for the tourists). Even then the police came down and insisted we leave under their escort, it being the dangerous part of town. What they didn't realise was that our motel was on the next corner.

I would guess that the main reason for the bands demise was that their style of raucus good time music was going out of style, this and the depression.

There are four volumes of their music available on the Frog label which I believe cover everything. JSP also issued three volumes but I'm not sure if they are still in print. It's all great stuff anyway.

Hoot