Andrew "Sunbeam" Mitchell (November 6, 1906 – August 22, 1989) was an American Memphis-based businessman.
In the book The Chitlin' Circuit, author Preston Lauterbach wrote, "Sunbeam laid the cornerstone of what came to be known as the Memphis sound.
[2] Mitchell returned to Memphis after working at a Chrysler factory in Detroit, Michigan during World War II.
African American musicians began moving to Memphis, and established entertainers would perform and record here.
"[5] His wife Ernestine managed the hotel which had thirty rooms, "gas head and modern baths.
King, Ike Turner, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and Little Junior Parker, "all of whom were living in Memphis at the time looking for a break.
[8] Water poured into the burning building caused damage to Gottman's Department Store below the hotel at 205 Beale Street.
Mitchell also sponsored local concerts at venues such as the Ellis Auditorium, where Ray Charles performed in 1961 and 1966.
[4] His widow, Ernestine Mitchell, died from heart failure at age 80 on March 30, 1999.