Class of 2026-2027
The Class of 2026-2027 will join an incredible group of Mississippians already enshrined in the Hall of Fame, which serves as the centerpiece of The MAX. As designated by the state legislature, the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Hall of Fame recognizes icons of arts and entertainment with significant ties to the state. Past inductees include William Faulkner, Morgan Freeman, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Leontyne Price, and Oprah Winfrey.
This year's outstanding class features five legendary artists who reinforce a truth known around the world: Mississippi is the Birthplace of America’s Music.
The induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, January 28, 2027, at the historic MSU Riley Center in downtown Meridian. Following the ceremony, an elegant reception will be held just down the street at The MAX.
Mississippi John Hurt
The Heart of America’s Folk Revival
Teoc, Mississippi
March 8, 1892-November 2, 1966
Mississippi John Hurt (born John Smith Hurt) became world famous in 1963. By then, the soft-spoken, 70-year-old bluesman had been playing for decades in and around his hometown of Avalon, Mississippi, mainly for neighbors and at local gatherings. A central figure in the early 1960s folk and blues revival, Hurt went from obscurity to fame within a few dizzying months. He performed on college campuses and festival stages across America, signed a recording contract, and even appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Hurt's influence would reach far beyond the blues, inspiring musicians in folk, country, bluegrass, gospel, and rock. His performances at the Newport Folk Festival and Library of Congress recordings anchor his legacy in American folk and blues heritage, while his gentle spirit made him “The Heart of America’s Folk Revival” and helped inspire national reverence for traditional Southern blues.
The Mississippi Mass Choir
The Sound of the Spirit
Founded in 1988
The Mississippi Mass Choir has reached millions through its stirring performances and catalog of chart-topping, award-winning albums. The world-renowned, three-time Grammy-nominated gospel choir was the dream of Frank Williams, an executive at the famed Malaco Records and member of the Jackson Southernaires. Working with music minister David Curry Sr. and pianist Jerry Smith, Williams brought together 150 of the finest vocalists from church choirs across Mississippi to produce a powerful wall of sound. The choir was an immediate success, with its historic 1988 debut album spending 45 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Gospel charts and shattering industry records. A winner of 12 Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Billboard's Gospel Artist of the Year, and multiple Dove Awards, the choir continues to be recognized as one of gospel music's most celebrated ensembles. Now under the leadership of Pastor Jerry Mannery, the Mississippi Mass Choir continues to minister through song as “The Sound of the Spirit,” performing in churches across Mississippi and concert halls throughout the United States and Europe.
Charley Patton
The Father of the Delta Blues
Hinds County, Mississippi
c. April 1891-April 28, 1934
Charley Patton is widely regarded as the "Father of the Delta Blues." Absorbing the work songs, field hollers, spirituals, and dance tunes of the Mississippi Delta, Patton created music deeply rooted in those traditions, yet entirely his own. One of the indisputable pioneers of American music, Patton's influence is still felt today, extending far beyond the blues to rock, country, folk, and other genres. His raw intensity and rhythmic innovations were studied closely by younger musicians, including the legendary Robert Johnson, Son House, Tommy Johnson, and Chester Burnett, who would later become Howlin' Wolf, as well as Roebuck "Pops" Staples, who said Patton, "was one of my great persons that inspired me to play guitar." Posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, Patton was also honored with the first historical marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail, placed at his gravesite.
Bobby Rush
The King of the Chitlin’ Circuit
Homer, LA
November 10, 1933
Bobby Rush (born Emmett Ellis Jr.) has captivated audiences around the world with his self-defined "folk-funk," seamlessly blending the blues with soul-funk grooves. The recipient of three Grammy Awards and 12 Blues Music Awards, Rush is also a member of the Blues Hall of Fame, the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, and the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. With a legacy spanning more than 400 recordings, he continues to maintain a relentless touring schedule of more than 200 performances each year. Now in his eighth decade as a performer, Bobby Rush has become an elder statesman and ambassador for the blues in all its forms. With the release of Mississippi Public Broadcasting's documentary King of the Chitlin' Circuit: Bobby Rush and the biographical play Slippin' Through the Cracks: The Bobby Rush Musical—both in 2026—the living legend continues to expand his audience and influence, proving he is not done yet.
Conway Twitty
The High Priest of Country Music
Friars Point, Mississippi
September 1, 1933-June 5, 1993
Conway Twitty (born Harold Lloyd Jenkins) remains one of country music's most decorated artists, selling more than 50 million records worldwide and defining the sound of the genre for a generation. His early releases drew little attention, but everything changed in 1958 when an Ohio radio station began playing one of his B-sides in heavy rotation. "It's Only Make Believe" eventually reached number one on the Billboard chart and topped the charts in 21 other countries, becoming the first of an astonishing 55 number-one singles during his career. Dubbed "The High Priest of Country Music" by fellow Mississippian Jerry Clower, who remarked that Twitty's concerts drew adoring crowds with the fervor of religious revivals, Twitty embraced the moniker as the title of an album. His signature song, "Hello Darlin'," reached number one in 1970 and became one of the defining country songs of its era.
This year’s inductees were selected through a rigorous process managed by an external committee of The MAX Board of Directors that balanced scholarly expertise and grassroots enthusiasm. Votes cast by a prestigious Panel of Electors—comprising authorities in the diverse disciplines of Mississippi's arts and cultural heritage—were weighed alongside thousands of ballots submitted by the public, with the final tally independently calculated and verified by an accounting firm. To learn more about the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Hall of Fame selection process, click here.