MERIDIAN —     Jimmie is back and ready to Jam! The Jimmie Rodgers Foundation in partnership with Meridian Main Street is excited to announce ‘Jimmie’s Jam,’ an event of the 2011 Jimmie Rodgers Festival. The concert will take place Saturday, May 21, from 5 p.m.-11 p.m. at Singing Brakeman Park in historic downtown Meridian. The concert is free to the public. 

    Event chairman Josh Taylor said he hopes the event will spur new interest in Rodgers’ music.

    “We’re excited to breathe new life into the tradition of the Jimmie Rodgers street dance,” said Taylor. “We hope the event will pass along Jimmie’s music and influence to a new generation. “

    The Jam will showcase local and regional bands including Big Swig, Bo and the Show, Southern Drive, and No Requests. Jimmie’s Jam will also include great local food and cold refreshments.

    Headlining the concert is Big Swig led by Meridian native Arlan Gibson. Gibson started the band nearly 10 years ago in Atlanta. Since its creation, Big Swig has played at hundreds of venues across the southeast and throughout most of the United States. The band’s website says Big Swig has a "traditional meets alt-country sound [and] is a roadhouse blend of influences by the legends and modern icons of country and southern rock.”  For more information on the band, visit big-swig.com.

    Classic rock group Bo and the Show, made up of local musicians Bo Denton, Chris Ethridge, David Zettler, and Tom Rovinski, will take the stage before Big Swig. Ethridge, a Meridian native, is one of the most well-known bass players in the world. Ethridge played alongside Willie Nelson for nearly a decade. He also co-wrote numerous songs with Gram Parsons and was a part of The Flying Burrito Brothers and the International Submarine Band.

    During the night, special guest Krissy Winstead will perform an original solo. Winstead, 2011 Jimmie Rodgers adult country talent show winner, is a student at Union High School in Union. She is a self-taught guitar player and has been performing in public since the age of 10.

    Kicking off the festival will be the acoustical duo No Requests, featuring southern musicians Will Hayes and Jerry Oltremari. Following No Requests will be Southern Drive, the acoustical trio of Clay McRee, Adam McRee, and Chris Courtney. Both groups play a wide variety of music featuring original works and cover songs.

    For more information on the festival, visit jimmierodgers.com or contact Josh Taylor at (601) 934-5674 or jtaylor5674@gmail.com.

    Here's a rundown of upcoming events scheduled for the Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Festival, which opened with the George Jones concert Thursday at the MSU Riley Center:

    • May 20 — Robert Earl Keen at The MSU Riley Center, 7:30 p.m.

    • May 21 — 5 p.m.-11 p.m., Jimmie’s Jam at Singing Brakeman Park, Downtown Meridian. Admission is free. This event includes food, cold beer and live music featuring Big Swig, Bo & The Show, Southern Drive and No Request.

    • May 25 — 6:30 p.m., Contemporary Gospel Concert featuring Shane & Shane at Singing Brakeman Park, Downtown Meridian.

    • May 26 — 10:30 a.m., Unveiling of Country Music Trail Marker, Country Music Comes of Age, in honor of the first Jimmie Rodgers Festival held on May 26, 1953. The marker will be in Dumont Plaza, downtown Meridian.

    • May 26 — Noon, Wreath Laying Ceremony, Jimmie Rodgers gravesite in Oak Grove Cemetary.