Gamblin to receive star at MAX

Gamblin to receive star at MAX

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The late Marty Gamblin, a Philadelphia native and influential figure in the music industry, will be remembered with a star on The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (The MAX) Walk of Fame. 

The unveiling will take place on Thursday, Jan. 23, at noon, in front of The MAX, located at 2155 Front St. in Meridian.

Gamblin was the founding director of The MAX and later served as a consultant for its Hall of Fame and Walk of Fame. In December 2019, he became a consultant for Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music. 

Gamblin, who passed away in October, was instrumental in coordinating the selection process for Hall of Fame inductees, which began with a list of prominent Mississippi artists and entertainers who are vetted by advisory panels and a public vote.

The event will also unveil stars for folklorist William “Bill” Ferris, novelist and self-taught historian Shelby Foote, singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry, and poet Natasha Trethewey. 

The star unveiling will be followed by The MAX Hall of Fame Ceremony, which will take place at the MSU Riley Center. 

During the ceremony, the fifth class of Hall of Fame inductees will be honored, including Ferris, Foote, Trethewey, Gentry, and singer-songwriter Mac McAnally, whose Walk of Fame star was unveiled in 2012.

The free awards ceremony, open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. and will feature tributes to the inductees, along with musical performances by McAnally, the Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band, and Tricia Walker. 

Robert St. John, restaurateur, writer, and co-founder of the Institute for Southern Storytelling at Mississippi College, will serve as the master of ceremonies.

After the ceremony, guests are invited to a cocktail reception just two blocks away at The MAX, where Mississippi School of the Arts students will showcase their talents in dance, visual art, music, theater, and film.

The Hall of Fame is the centerpiece of The MAX, a 50,000-square-foot cultural center dedicated to celebrating Mississippi’s artistic and entertainment heritage while inspiring future creatives. The newest inductees bring the Hall of Fame’s total to 38 members. 

“From writings about Civil War history and social change to chart-topping songs and blues documentation, the works of these trailblazing individuals warrant celebration,” said MAX President and CEO Penny Kemp. “We invite Mississippians as well as visitors to the state to learn about these and other Hall of Fame members. Their stories are especially inspiring to young people, and we share them with great pride.”

The awards ceremony is sponsored by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi and Visit Meridian. While admission is free, advance registration is encouraged at www.msarts.org/hof. 






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