2020 Hall of Fame Induction Video
On September 3, The MAX inducted five artists into The MAX Hall of Fame in a COVID-19-restricted private ceremony hosted by Country Music Hall of Fame legend Marty Stuart. Musicians Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Tammy Wynette, and writer Margaret Walker were honored at the event that featured live entertainment, guest artists, and unforgettable performances by the families of the inductees.
Help inspire the next generation of Mississippi legends.
2020 Hall of Fame Honorees
Tammy Wynette (Tremont, MS) was a country singer and songwriter. Called the “First Lady of Country Music,” she is among country music’s best-known and best-selling female singer-songwriters. Her iconic hit “Stand By Your Man” is one of the best-selling singles in the history of country music. She was named by CMT as one of the three Greatest Women of Country Music (with Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn). For nearly two decades, Wynette held the record for winning consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year awards from the Country Music Association (CMA). She was the first female country artist to sell a million albums and is in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Tammy Wynette
Singer-Songwriter
Tremont
2020
Bo Diddley (McComb, MS) was a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. His signature rhythms became a cornerstone of modern hip-hop, rock, and pop music. Many artists have named him as a musical inspiration including Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. He is a Grammy winner, and a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and Blues Hall of Fame. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. One of Diddley’s musical inspirations was John Lee Hooker, also a 2019 honoree.
Bo Diddley
Singer-Songwriter-Guitarist-Producer
McComb
2020
Jerry Lee Lewis (Nesbit, MS) is a singer-songwriter and pianist and known as a pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music. He developed his signature musical style during his younger years in Mississippi as part of the new and emerging rock and roll movement. His most iconic hits include “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire.” Lewis began his career at Sun Records (Memphis) and became one of Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He is a Grammy winner and recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
Jerry Lee Lewis
Singer-Songwriter-Pianist
Nesbit
2020
Margaret Walker Alexander (Jackson, MS) was a poet and author. She is best known for her 1966 novel Jubilee and her award-winning poem “For My People,” written as part of her involvement in the Chicago Black Renaissance, an African-American literary movement. For 30 years, she served as a literature professor at Jackson State University, where she founded the Institute for the Study of the History, Life, and Culture of Black People (now the Margaret Walker Center) and served as the institute’s director. She is also the namesake for the Jackson Hinds Libray System’s Margaret Walker Alexander Library. Her works are considered among the most influential and important in African-American literature. She received a Candace Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women in 1989.
Margaret Walker Alexander
Poet-Author
Jackson
2020
John Lee Hooker (Clarksdale, MS) was a blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a Delta sharecropper, Hooker developed a unique style of guitar playing prominently featured in some of his best-known songs such as “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” and “Boom Boom.” Hooker is a five-time Grammy Award winner and an inductee in both the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.
John Lee Hooker
Blues Singer-Songwriter-Guitarist
Clarksdale
2020