Content Produced in Partnership with Visit Mississippi
Long before rock ‘n’ roll, gospel, and country music captured the attention of audiences around the world, the blueprint of American music was taking shape in Mississippi. Mississippi’s status as “The Birthplace of America’s Music” is celebrated at five must-see museums.
The Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale was Mississippi’s first music museum, and it remains a perfect starting point for a music tour of the state. Their collections include guitars owned by John Lee Hooker and Big Joe Williams and even a wooden shack that was once the home of blues legend Muddy Waters.
In Indianola, The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center is dedicated to the “King of the Blues.” The museum displays King’s famous guitar “Lucille,” a replica of his home recording studio, and a motorcoach that took him to concerts across North America.
Tupelo native, Elvis Presley, adapted the sounds of his youth and rocketed to new heights of fame. The Elvis Presley Birthplace offers visitors opportunity to walk through both the Presley family’s humble two-room home and the church where he first heard Southern gospel music.
In downtown Meridian, the Jimmie Rodgers Museum celebrates the life of “the Singing Brakeman.” Although Rodgers died young at the age of 35, his influence earned him recognition as “the Father of Country Music.
For more information, visit visitmississippi.org
