Native Mississippians Jimmie Rodgers and Charley Pride will be honored with the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award for their contributions to music history in February. 

Meridian native Rodgers is widely regarded as the Father of Country Music. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll of Fame and has three recordings in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Rodgers, who died in 1933 at the age of 35, is one of country music’s founding fathers. His recording career, though short, made an indelible impact on artists like Ernest Tubb and Merle Haggard, and included seminal songs such as “Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)” and “Waiting For a Train.”

Born in Sledge, three-time Grammy winner Charley Pride played in the Negro American Baseball League before he was signed by RCA. He was the first African-American singer to perform at the Grand Ole Opry and is considered the first African-American superstar in country music.

Pride is a three-time Grammy nominee, winning 1972’s best country vocal performance for “Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs,” 1971’s best sacred performance for “Did You Think to Pray” and best gospel performance for “Let Me Live.”

“It’s credit to the talent of our state that two Mississippians are receiving Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Awards this year,” said Gov. Phil Bryant in a press release. “There aren’t two bigger pioneers of country music than Charley Pride and Jimmie Rodgers. We all should be honored they’ll forever be remembered for their lifetime of work.”

“Mississippi’s bicentennial year is proving to be a powerhouse for our native musicians as five of our most celebrated artists are being honored by the Grammys 2017,” adds Craig Ray, Visit Mississippi Director. “We invite everyone to visit Mississippi and experience for themselves the communities and traditions that shaped artists like Charley Pride, and continue to shape our rich musical legacy today.”

Other inductees include Shirley Caesar, Ahmad Jamal, Nina Simone, Sly Stone and the Velvet Underground. The Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates performers who have made outstanding contributions of artistic significance to the field of recording. Recipients were determined by vote of the Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees.

Mississippi will be well represented during the annual Grammy Awards, with four nominees in the following categories: Luther Dickinson for Traditional Blues Album; Vasti Jackson for Traditional Blues Album, Tig Notaro for Comedy Album and Bobby Rush for Traditional Blues Album.

The awards will be held Feb. 12, 2017.