Jackson, MS. (Top40 Charts/ MFH) - The
State of Mississippi's ongoing "Birthplace of America's Music" campaign will get a huge boost later this month when Governor Haley Barbour hosts Celebrating A 50 Year Grammy Legacy set for April 26th in Jackson, MS.
Sponsored by Peavey Electronics and the Mississippi Development Authority, the event will take place at the Marriott Hotel Ballroom in downtown Jackson, MS, preceded by a reception at the Governor's Mansion, hosted by Governor Barbour and First Lady Marsha Barbour. The evening's focus will be performances by rock 'n roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis, gospel greats The Williams Brothers, country music icon Marty Stuart, jam band rock sensations The North Mississippi All Stars as well as Swedish pop music superstar Carola. The many styles and genres of these artists reflect the diversity of music that Mississippi has spawned. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Mississippi Blues Foundation whose Blues Trail project places interpretive markers at notable historical sites related to the history and growth of the blues throughout the state.
In addition to performances by the established stars as noted, the evening will also include a performance circumstance - a medley of songs associated with Mississippi and Mississippi artists - by a group of up and coming Mississippi-based artists who have been dubbed "Mississippi's future Grammy prospects" by the event organizers. This portion of the evening's program will showcase the talents of blues-rock artist Scott Albert Johnson; Soulfire, a rhythm and blues group as well as Sweet Water Jade, a female country vocal trio.
The event will offer a salute to the numerous Grammy Award winners and nominees, from the state that gave the world Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Faith Hill, John Lee Hooker, Tammy Wynette, Charlie Pride, Van Dyke Parks, Conway Twitty, Jimmie Lunceford and so many others. Since the inception of The Recording Academy's Grammy Award in 1958, a disproportionate number of winners - more than forty - and a vast number of nominees have been Mississippians. In announcing the event, Governor Barbour noted, "Mississippi Grammy Night is a powerful and entertaining way to recognize our state's heritage as the 'Birthplace of America's Music.' This special event will showcase Mississippi artists with phenomenal talents and launch a new level of recognition for our distinct and unique musical culture." Beyond the artists set to perform at the gala, it is expected that a significant number of Mississippi recording artists will be in attendance to lend their support to their home state music initiatives.
Jon Hornyak, Senior Executive Director of The Recording Academy's Memphis Chapter commented, "The Recording Academy is very supportive of this celebration of Grammy winners and nominees from Mississippi. With over forty Grammy Award winners in a variety of genres, the state's incredible influence is undeniable."
Ticket information for Mississippi - Birthplace of America's Music Celebrates A 50 Year Grammy Legacy is available by calling 601-576-2020
About the performing artists
With the exception of Carola, all of the headline artists set to perform at the event were born in or are long-term residents of Mississippi. Carola's involvement reflects the far-reaching impact of Mississippi music and the fact that she has enjoyed international success with hits songs associated with Elvis Presley. Born Carola Maria Häggkvist, but professionally known only by her first name, she represented Sweden three times in the Eurovision song contest, most recently just last year, and enjoyed tremendous chart success with an Elvis Presley medley. She is one of Sweden's top musical exports since the advent of ABBA.
Jerry Lee Lewis, a long time resident of Hernando, MS, one of the very first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has enjoyed a phenomenal career that dates back to before the inception of the Grammy Awards. As a Sun Records artist, he came to prominence under the same auspices as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins. He continues to draw audiences around the world and just last year released Last Man Standing, an album of duet performances where he was joined by Bruce Springsteen, B.B. King, Little Richard, Eric Clapton, Toby Keith, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, Neil Young, Jimmy Page and others. He is a Grammy Award winner, a recipient of The Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award and two of his recordings - "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" and "Great Balls of Fire" - are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The Williams Brothers today are comprised of Melvin Williams, Doug Williams, Henry Green and date back to 1960, just two years after Grammy's inception, when Leon "Pop" Williams founded the group. They began recording in 1973 and, on their own Blackberry Records, the first black-owned and operated record label in Mississippi, have received six Grammy nominations as they continue to dominate the soul gospel genre with three No 1 Billboard singles and sixteen top ten albums. With their constant output of new recordings and original compositions, The Williams Brothers are widely considered the most prolific quartet within the entire gospel genre.
Marty Stuart was born in Philadelphia, MS just a few months prior to the first Grammy Award ceremony. He started performing bluegrass before his teen years began and worked with such greats of the genre as Lester Flatt, Vassar Clements and Doc Watson. Johnny Cash became his country music mentor in 1980 when Stuart joined the Cash's backing band and started releasing singles and albums on his own within five years. A member of The Grand Ole Opry for two decades, he is a past President of the Country Music Foundation, he continues to serve on the organization's board and has authored several scholarly works on country music history for the CMF Journal. He is a four time Grammy Award winner.
The North Mississippi All Stars, a blues-rock trio that includes brothers Luther (guitar) and Cody Dickinson (drums) and Chris Chew (bass), has been a centerpiece of blues-rock within the jam band movement for more than ten years. Their very first release, Shake Hands With Shorty was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album and they have since received two additional nominations. Luther and Cody are the sons of legendary music producer/session man Jim Dickinson and grew up in Hernando County, MS where they were exposed to the area's endemic hill country blues as performed by R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, both huge influences on the blues-infused musical direction the band would take. They are heard on the soundtrack to the film Black Snake Moan and are one of the headline bands booked to play this year's Bonaroo Festival.
