Country musician Charley Pride, one of five artists to be inducted this year into the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience Hall of Fame, will be present Saturday to collect his award.

The Max announced Monday that Pride had accepted his invitation to a ceremony scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25 at The Max.

The five 2018 inductees include Pride, bluesman Howlin’ Wolf, photographer William Eggleston, musician and writer Jimmy Buffett and writer Willie Morris.

Pride will be the only inductee to accept his award in person. Howlin’ Wolf and Morris are deceased.

Buffett has another commitment and will be sending an acceptance video, according to Max Director of Marketing Paula Chance.

Maude Clay, a Mississippi photographer who also is represented in museum, will represent her cousin William Eggleston.

Howlin’ Wolf’s daughter, Bettye Kelly, of Chicago, and Morris’ son David Rae Morris will accept awards for their parents.

The Max will be opening an exhibit on Sept. 15, “Love Daddy: Letters from My Father,” featuring letters from Willie Morris to David Rae Morris and photographs by David Rae.

According to Pride’s induction notes:

“Pride went from picking cotton in order to buy his first guitar at 14 to becoming one of the only three African-Americans to have ever been inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

“A Sledge native, Pride was born into a family of poor sharecroppers. Growing up listening to country music because of his father’s love for the genre, Pride picked up his first guitar at age 14.

“However, music wasn’t his only passion. Pride dreamed about playing professional baseball, and at the age of 16, he began playing for the Negro League’s Memphis Redsox.

“After several years of playing minor league baseball and some unsuccessful tryouts, Pride realized his future was in music, and in 1966, he was signed to RCA Records.

“Over the course of his career, he cranked out chart-topping hits such as “Roll On Mississippi” and “Is Anybody Going to San Antone,” winning him three Grammy Awards. He was inducted into the Country Music Association’s Hall of Fame in 2000.”

Saturday’s ceremonies begin at 6:30 p.m. with the artists’ Walk of Fame star unveiling (open to the public), followed by the Hall of Fame Award Ceremony and Reception (ticketed events that also require cocktail attire). After the reception, The Max will host a free concert by The Vamps, open to the public on the Citizen’s National Bank courtyard.

Tickets for the ceremony, $50 each, are limited but still available for purchase at www.msarts.org or by calling 601-581-1550.