Country and Americana music legend Marty Stuart will headline the Governor’s Concert at the Mississippi Bicentennial Celebration North in Oxford on June 24. The free event is part of celebrations around the state during 2017.
“In a state known for master storytellers, Oxford is a literary capital,” said Gov. Phil Bryant. “There is no better backdrop for a celebration featuring some of Mississippi’s greatest songwriters than the land of William Faulkner, where our literary tradition thrives.”
Marty Stuart will lead the Governor’s Concert lineup on June 24 at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, located on the University of Mississippi campus. The Philadelphia native began his career as a sideman for country legends Lester Flatt and Johnny Cash before striking Gold and Platinum in his solo career, which now spans more than three decades.
The Governor’s Concert also will feature singer-songwriter Mac McAnally, a hit maker for Kenny Chesney and Alabama and a longtime member of Jimmy Buffett’s backing band, plus Mississippi’s Music and Culture Ambassador Steve Azar and Shannon McNally.
“We Are Mississippi,” a salute to the state’s musical heritage conducted by Dr. Jay Dean, Executive Director of the Arts Institute of Mississippi, will kick off the concert. Additional acts in the showcase include Vasti Jackson, the Roots Gospel Voices of Mississippi, 2015 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Contest winner David Lee, the Mississippi Bicentennial Symphony Orchestra, the Mississippi Bicentennial Singers.
“Evidenced by our more than 200 Blues Trail and Country Music Trail markers, Mississippi is blessed to have generations of talented musicians to lead us in celebration during the bicentennial year,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough, Jr.
Friday, June 23 events kick off with a live taping of Thacker Mountain Radio in the Grove at 7 p.m., followed by fireworks at Swayze Field.
“The state’s bicentennial celebration is a great opportunity to showcase the wonderful Lafayette-Oxford-University community and all of the north region,” said Ole Miss Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter. “We appreciate all the hard work by the Mississippi Bicentennial Celebration Commission and partner organizations to mark the 200th anniversary of Mississippi’s statehood.”
All events during the Mississippi Bicentennial Celebration are free and open to the public. Due to limited seating, the Governor’s Concert is free with ticketed admission. Attendees must reserve tickets online at www.visitmississippi.org/200 to attend the concert. Visitors are limited to two tickets each.
“By hosting these bicentennial events in three major regions of the state, we are able to celebrate with our towns and communities and showcase what makes Mississippi truly great,” said Visit Mississippi Director Craig Ray.
Mississippi Bicentennial Celebration events are also planned for Jackson on Dec. 9 during the grand opening of the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. For more information on the Mississippi Bicentennial Celebration, please visit www.visitmississippi.org/200.