The week-long Jimmie Rodgers Music Festival kicks off at the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience in downtown Meridian on Monday, May 12, with an evening of Mississippi music featuring Mississippi John Hurt and Jimmy “Duck” Holmes. St. Paul and the Broken Bones and Ole 60 headline the festival’s Friday and Saturday night performances, with Mississippi’s own Vasti Jackson opening for SPBB on Friday. Jackson returns to The MAX on Saturday to present a program titled One Man, One Voice, One Guitar, with a live performance and Q&A exploring how the music of Jimmie Rodgers inspired Jackson’s 2016 Grammy-nominated album, “The Soul of Jimmie Rodgers.” Other festival highlights include performances by up-and-coming Mississippi artists, American Blonde and Cuffing Season.

 

On Monday, May 12, in partnership with the Jimmie Rodgers Music Festival and the John Hurt Foundation, The MAX will unveil its latest temporary exhibit, Mississippi John Hurt: Legend of Avalon, present a screening of the documentary, “A Man Called Hurt: The Life and Music of Mississippi John Hurt,” and host the legendary Jimmy “Duck” Holmes in concert.

 

Mississippi John Hurt (1893-1966) was an unsung hero of folk and blues with a distinctive, self-taught, three-finger picking style. His music has impacted blues and folk musicians around the world, with artists like Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal and Jerry Garcia covering his songs. In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine included Hurt on its list of Greatest Singers of All Time.

 

After being discovered by Okeh Records in 1928, Hurt went to New York and recorded six albums. He returned home to Avalon to await more work, but it would be 35 years before he was “rediscovered” in 1963, when he moved to Washington D.C. and became the center of the folk movement, performing for thousands of fans at folk festivals around the country.

 

For three years, Hurt performed extensively—spreading Mississippi culture at colleges, concert halls and coffeehouses, in appearances on The Tonight Show, Pete Seeger’s show, Rainbow Quest and in Time magazine. Although he only spent a short time in the spotlight before his death, Mississippi John Hurt’s impact on American music is so important that it has been preserved in perpetuity at the Library of Congress.

 

In 1997, the Mississippi John Hurt Foundation was established to preserve his home as a museum. Hurt’s family moved to the humble three-room shotgun house in Avalon, in 1837. Over the years, it became a gathering place for fans who make the pilgrimage for the annual Mississippi John Hurt Music Festival. On Feb. 20, 2024, the Mississippi John Hurt Museum was named a national landmark. The next day, it mysteriously burned to the ground—along with nearly every remnant of this iconic musician. The items on display at The MAX represent nearly everything that survived.

 

The public is invited to the free screening of “A Man Called Hurt, followed by a performance by Jimmy “Duck” Holmes” starting at 6 p.m. at The MAX on Monday, May 12.

 

“A Man Called Hurt” chronicles the life and influence of Mississippi John Hurt on the music world. The film also reaches beyond his musical impact and explores his humanity through relationships. The documentary illustrates the importance of John Hurt’s legacy through touching interviews with Hurt’s family and admirers like Happy Traum, Guy Davis, Dom Flemons and others while demonstrating the need to protect endangered landmarks and cultural heritage. The film will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s executive producer, Hurt’s granddaughter, Mary Frances Hurt, and film producer Paul West.

 

This pairing of The MAX, Jimmie Rodgers, and Mississippi John Hurt is a natural fit. Scott Barretta said, “Mississippi John Hurt was, like Jimmie Rodgers, a master of various musical styles. His respect for the music of Jimmie Rodgers was reflected in his use of the melody of ‘Waiting for a Train’ for his own ‘Let the Mermaids Flirt with Me,’ and I have no doubt that Rodgers enjoyed Hurt’s contemporary records.”

 

A performance by the legendary Jimmy “Duck” Holmes will close out the Monday night event. The Grammy-nominated artist is the last of the original torchbearers of Bentonia blues, cofounder of the Bentonia Blues Festival and proprietor of the famous Blue Front Café—the  oldest surviving juke joint in Mississippi.

 

The Jimmie Rodgers Music Festival offers three nights of free entertainment and a special live musical presentation by Vasti Jackson on Saturday at The MAX.

 

·       Monday, May 12 at 6 p.m. – Mississippi John Hurt Foundation presents “A Man Called Hurt” documentary and followed by a performance by Jimmy “Duck” Holmes upstairs at The MAX.

 

·       Tuesday, May 13 at 6 p.m. – Sponsored by The Bluegrass Standard, Grammy-nominated Sister Sadie and East Nash Grass perform in The MAX Courtyard.

 

·       Wednesday, May 14 at 6 pm – The Famous Jimmie Rodgers Talent Competition returns to The MAX Courtyard. Presented by Digio Strategies and 97okk.com.

 

·       Saturday, May 17 at 2 p.m – Vasti Jackson presents One Man, One Voice, One Guitar, a 45-min live performance exploring Jimmie Rodgers influence on Jackson’s Grammy-nominated album, “The Soul Of Jimmie Rodgers,” followed by Q&A. The event w.ill be held upstairs at The MAX and is free to MAX members, museum patrons and Jimmie Rodgers ticket holders.

 

The festival’s ticketed concert events at The MAX include:

 

·       Friday, May 16 | Gates at 5 p.m. | Show at 5:45 p.m. – St. Paul and the Broken Bones headlines a night of entertainment with opening acts by Mississippi’s own Vasti Jackson and up-and-coming Mississippi artist Cuffing Season. Food trucks and concessions available. Lawn chairs allowed.

 

·       Saturday, May 17 at 5 p.m. | Gates at 4:30 p.m. | Show at 5 p.m. – Ole 60 and Preston Cooper will take the stage with Mississippi artists American Blonde and Britt Gully & The Water Moccasins opening the show. Food trucks and concessions available. Lawn chairs allowed.

 

·       Sunday, May 18 at 1 p.m. – The NOLA Gospel Brunch returns with music by Joyful & The Spirit of New Orleans featuring special guest Eddie Domino. Limited tickets for seated event.

 

Learn more about the festival and purchase tickets as part of a package or individual shows at www.jimmierodgers.com.

 

About Jimmie Rodgers Music Festival

 

The Jimmie Rodgers Music Festival began in 1953 with Jimmie Rodgers’ Day, which attracted more than 50,000 attendees, and has provided live music entertainment by premier musicians throughout the years. Due to the Father of Country Music’s influence on all genres of American music and the rich legacy he left behind, the Jimmie Rodgers Music Festival has a unique opportunity to draw a wide regional – and even international – audience. Learn more about the 2025 festival that runs from May 12-18 at www.jimmierodgers.com.

 

About The MAX

 

The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience is an arts and cultural center in the heart of downtown Meridian that celebrates Mississippi’s creative legacy through exhibits, workshops, and live performances. The multipurpose facility contains a two-story Hall of Fame celebrating the state’s groundbreaking artists like Walter Anderson, William Faulkner, Morgan Freeman, Jim Henson, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, and Leontyne Price, to name a few, plus 20,000 square feet of interactive exhibits, art studios, a recording studio, and performance spaces. Every visit to The MAX is a unique experience that leaves visitors feeling inspired and in awe of Mississippi’s global impact on music, literature, art, and entertainment. Visit msarts.org to learn more.