Jackson, Miss. (June 19, 2019) – Gov. Phil Bryant joined GRAMMY® Award-winning country musician Marty Stuart and the Mississippi Country Music Trail Commission on Wednesday to announce five new trail marker recipients at a special ceremony in Philadelphia.
The ceremony marked the revitalization of the cultural music trail, which placed its last marker in 2016. The five new markers will honor Steve Azar, Jerry Lee Lewis, Marty Gamblin, Johnny Cash’s “Starkville City Jail” track and the Jimmie Rodgers’ Bristol, Tenn., music sessions. Stuart and Gov. Bryant were joined by Gamblin, Jerry Lee Lewis’ son, Lee Lewis, Birthplace of Country Music Executive Director Leah Ross and Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill at the announcement. Each recipient will have a special marker dedication in the coming months.
“Mississippi’s unparalleled musical legacy lives on as we make plans to dedicate five new markers on the Mississippi Country Music Trail,” Gov. Bryant said. “From past to present, Mississippi has remained instrumental in molding and inspiring country music icons, and these new markers will celebrate their contributions to the genre.”
Founded in 2010 and conceptualized by Stuart, the Mississippi Country Music Trail recognizes the state’s contributions to country music.
Stuart will further honor Mississippi’s country music legacy with the future Marty Stuart Congress of Country Music, a state-of-the-art country music museum and performing arts center in Philadelphia. The facility will house more than 20,000 country music artifacts Stuart has collected over the years while also offering space for live musical performances and educational programming.
To learn more about the Mississippi Country Music Trail, visit mscountrymusictrail.org. For additional information about the Congress of Country Music, visit congressofcountrymusic.org. For inquiries about Stuart, please contact Mary Moyer at [email protected] or Emilio Herce at [email protected] or call 212.302.9790.
