Submitted photo The 67th Annual Jimmie Rodgers Festival will present country recording star and Meridian native Moe Bandy as he returns to the Temple Theatre at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23.

The 67th Annual Jimmie Rodgers Festival will present country recording star and Meridian native Moe Bandy as he returns to the Temple Theatre at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23.

“Nobody puts on a better show than Moe Bandy,” said Roger Smith, the owner of the Temple Theatre owner. “He’s a nice person and a phenomenal performer.”

Bandy will also be inducted into the Walk of Fame in front of the Temple Theatre at 5:45 p.m.

Bandy, known for hits like “Bandy, the Rodeo Clown,” “Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life,” and “Till I’m Too Old to Die Young,” was born in Meridian in 1944 and has previously performed at the Temple Theatre three times.

“I really think my songs are about life,” Bandy said. “There’s cheating, drinking, and divorcing going on everywhere, and that’s what hardcore country music is all about. If I’d done all the things I sing about, I’d be dead.”

Audience members can rest assured that all COVID-19 protocols will be in place for the concert.

“We are at 50% capacity,” Smith said. “The theatre holds 1,600 people, so that we can accommodate 800. That’s basically every other row.”

Smith also encourages concert-goers to wear masks, but he also emphasized that they will not have to wear the mask when eating, just like in a restaurant.

Opening the show will be Davis County, a well-known country band from Laurel.

Tickets are on sale now at the Theatre Box Office. VIP tickets are $34, and General Admission is $20. For more information, call 601.693.5353.