- Celebrating the Father of Country Music, a Mississippi legend.
Every May, Meridian, Mississippi, pays tribute to its most famous son, the Father of Country Music, Jimmie Rodgers. For seven days, the town hums with Gospel, Bluegrass, Americana, and Country music as the Jimmie Rodgers Music Festival fills the air with a century-old legacy. More than a music festival, it’s a revival of roots, rhythm, and a relentless hunger for heritage.
Before Elvis swiveled a hip or Johnny Cash walked the line, Jimmie Rodgers was laying down tracks—musically and literally. Born in Meridian in 1897, his songs stretched across oceans, over mountains, and through fields and valleys.
Alana Broughton, the new executive director of the Jimmie Rodgers Foundation and Museum, says, “Jimmie was so well loved in his day. When he died, people lined the train tracks from New York to Meridian to see his body return home. His music was the first music that people related to in a personal way. The old country music greats, like Merle and Willie, came because they loved him. Thus, Jimmie Rodgers Music Fest became a staple.
“The music industry has changed so much since then, but the festival is too precious to our culture to let it fall by the wayside. Our community comes together year after year to make it happen.”
Alana Broughton leads the Jimmie Rodgers Foundation by embodying its mission. A musician, educator, and community volunteer, she sees music not just as entertainment, but as transformation, believing that music changes lives.
“I want to use this opportunity to foster musical ability in young people and see people work together for a common good. Music can make the world a better place.”
She adds that Jimmie’s genius wasn’t just about being the Father of Country music.
“Marty Stuart called me this week, and I confessed to him that I grew up a rock n’ roll heathen. He said I was on the right track because Jimmie was the world’s first Rock Star.”
Alana explained that over thirty Jimmie Rodgers’ songs are considered blues.
“He incorporated any new sound he was exposed to into his music,” including steel guitar, ukuleles, and even Louis Armstrong’s trumpet!
“He had one of the first interracial recordings in music history. That tells you everything about the kind of man he was.”
Rodgers made musical history by crossing genre lines, and this inclusive spirit is what the festival celebrates today.
READ MORE: See the Mississippi Legends feature in Magnolia Tribune for more on Jimmie Rodgers’s history.
Since 1953, the Jimmie Rodgers Music Festival has been a community institution.
“It’s the longest-running music festival in America,” says Alana. “People in Meridian grew up with it. They bring their kids, their grandkids …it’s part of who we are.”
Each year, while honoring the past, the festival spotlights future stars, booking talent just before they hit it big.
“All year, we watch artists who are trending. Our festival committee is constantly doing its homework. We study analytics. We watch for the rising stars and snatch them up. We discovered artists like the Red Clay Strays last year before they blew up. We did the same with Jason Isbell, Marcus King, and St Paul and the Broken Bones. We had them before most of America had heard of them. We’re known for that.”
This year’s 2025 Jimmie Rodgers Festival lineup is rich and varied, like dinner on the grounds after church.
Free Community Events
Monday, May 12 – History Night at The MAX
A Man Called Hurt, a powerful tribute to Mississippi legend John Hurt, fills the night with deep emotional storytelling that lingers long after the lights dim. Then, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes brings his haunting Bentonia blues to life.
Tuesday, May 13 – Bluegrass Night at The MAX
The courtyard becomes a front-porch pickin’ party with the high-lonesome sound of East Nash Grass and the rich harmonies of Grammy-nominated Sister Sadie. Sponsored by The Bluegrass Standard, this is the night strangers become family under the Southern sky.
Wednesday, May 14 – Talent Competition
This tradition helped launch stars like Faith Hill and Elvis Presley. As Alana puts it, “You don’t have to win. You just want to place—it’s good juju!”
Thursday, May 15 – Ellis Theatre, Philadelphia
The curtain rises on red-dirt country and heartland grit with Jake Worthington, Daniel Houze, and the Honest Thieves—raw and real Southern music.
Friday, May 16 – Main Stage at The MAX
Prepare for a genre-bending night with St. Paul and the Broken Bones’ sweat-soaked soul revival, blues legend Vasti Jackson, and the silky fusion of Cuffing Season.
Saturday, May 17 – Main Stage at The MAX
Packed with the gritty drawl of Ole 60 and the powerhouse vocals of Preston Cooper, the sibling harmonies of American Blonde. Add Britt Gully, and the Water Moccasins—and you’ve got a night of boots, barbecue, and back-porch dancing.
Sunday, May 18 – NOLA Gospel Brunch Showcase
Close the week with joy and jambalaya vibes. Joyful and The Spirit of New Orleans, joined by Eddie Domino—yes, Fats Domino’s nephew—deliver a brass-filled, tambourine-shaking brunch that “shakes the heaviness off.”
But you can’t leave Meridian without experiencing the Jimmie Rodgers Museum, the sanctuary of his sound, memory, and American identity. Tourists worldwide seek his story here.
