Beale Street performer killed in shooting, family seeks donations for funeral

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A longtime member of the Beale Street Flippers was shot and killed Friday evening in South Memphis, family confirmed Saturday.

Tajuan Todd was a performer for the Beale Street Flippers for 27 years. His brother has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses.

“We knew him as T-Todd, but the world knew him as a Beale Street Flipper. He was on Beale Street selling roses. Everybody loved Tajaun,” said James Todd, Tajuan’s younger brother.

Memphis police said officers were dispatched to a shooting before 6:30 p.m. Friday at a home on East Alston, where a man was pronounced dead at the scene. No suspect information is available at this time.

“I just want justice for him, you know what I’m saying. We don’t care about revenge. We’re not looking for any of that. We want justice. Whoever done it, we just want them to come forth, or the police to find them,” James Todd said.

Action News 5 interviewed Todd in 2015 after he was shot twice in the back while trying to break up a fight on Beale Street.

Joe Calhoun, operations manager at the Withers Museum, said Todd’s death is a significant loss for the Memphis community.

“They performed at halftime at the Grizzlies games often, so they were a well-known staple in the city and well-known on Beale Street,” Calhoun said. “It’s a big loss for the city, big loss for the tourism on Beale Street.”

Todd’s brothers said they have seen an outpouring of support from the Memphis community following the tragedy.

“Tajuan was always funny. He’d always tell jokes. He was always coming around laughing,” James Todd said.

“He was a loved person. He was somebody that you wanted to be around. He could be a pest, you know what I mean. Who didn’t love him though?” said Reco Jones, Tajuan’s older brother.

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