Peavey Celebrates Mississippi's 50-Year GRAMMY Legacy
(Peavey | Posted 2007-05-07)
The State of Mississippi’s ongoing “Birthplace of America’s Music” campaign got a huge boost when Governor Haley Barbour hosted "Mississippi: Celebrating A 50 Year GRAMMY Legacy" on April 26 in Jackson.
Sponsored by Peavey Electronics and the Mississippi Development Authority, the event featured performances by rock & roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis, gospel greats The Williams Brothers, country music icon Marty Stuart and jam-band rock sensations The North Mississippi Allstars.
The many styles and genres of these artists reflect the diversity of music that Mississippi has spawned. Proceeds from the evening are benefiting the Mississippi Blues Foundation, whose Blues Trail project places interpretive markers at notable historical sites related to the history and growth of the blues throughout the state.
The event offers a salute to the numerous GRAMMY Award winners and nominees from the state that gave the world Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Faith Hill, John Lee Hooker, Tammy Wynette, Charlie Pride, Van Dyke Parks, Conway Twitty, Jimmie Lunceford and so many others. Since the inception of The Recording Academy’s GRAMMY Award in 1958, a disproportionate number of winners — more than forty — and a vast number of nominees have been Mississippians.
Governor Barbour noted, “Mississippi GRAMMY Night is a powerful and entertaining way to recognize our state's heritage as the 'Birthplace of America's Music.' This special event showcases Mississippi artists with phenomenal talents and launches a new level of recognition for our distinct and unique musical culture."
Jon Hornyak, Senior Executive Director of The Recording Academy's Memphis Chapter commented, “The Recording Academy is very supportive of this celebration of GRAMMY winners and nominees from Mississippi. With over forty GRAMMY Award winners in a variety of genres, the state’s incredible influence is undeniable.”
Event co-sponsor Peavey Electronics was founded in 1965 by Hartley Peavey who, the year prior to the first GRAMMY Award, built his first amplifier in the basement of his family’s home in Meridian, Miss. Today, Peavey is still based in Meridian but does business in 136 countries and leads the industry in patents and innovations.
Just as Mississippi bluesmen and early rock and rollers inspired Hartley Peavey to pursue his music dreams, so do his musical instruments and sound equipment continue to inspire musicians around the world. It is safe to suggest that virtually every GRAMMY nominee and winner has used Peavey products on stages and in studios over the course of the past fifty years.
Luther Dickinson of the three-time GRAMMY nominated North Mississippi Allstars says, "Peavey is the sound of the Mississippi juke joint. That's our sound and we take it around the world.”
