Two Mississippians honored with The Recording Academy® Lifetime Achievement Awards

JACKSON, MISS.––Dec. 21, 2016–– The Recording Academy^® announced native Mississippians Charley Pride and Jimmie Rodgers will be honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards.
“It’s credit to the talent of our state that two Mississippians are receiving Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Awards this year,” says Gov. Phil Bryant. “There aren’t two bigger pioneers of country music than Charley Pride and Jimmie Rodgers. We all should be honored they’ll forever be remembered for their lifetime of work.”
Born in Sledge, Miss., three time GRAMMY^® winner Charley Pride played in the Negro American Baseball League before he was signed by RCA. Pride was the first African-American singer to perform at the Grand Ole Opry and is considered the first African-American superstar in country music.
Meridian, Miss., native Jimmie Rodgers is widely regarded as the Father of Country Music. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll of Fame and has three recordings in the GRAMMY Hall of Fame.
“Mississippi’s bicentennial year is proving to be a powerhouse for our native musicians as five of our most celebrated artists are being honored by the GRAMMYs in 2017,” adds Craig Ray, Visit Mississippi Director.  “We invite everyone to visit Mississippi and experience for themselves the communities and traditions that shaped artists like Charley Pride, and continue to shape our rich musical legacy today.”
Other inductees include: Shirley Caesar, Ahmad Jamal, Nina Simone, Sly Stone and the Velvet Underground. The Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates performers who have made outstanding contributions of artistic significance to the field of recording. Recipients were determined by vote of the Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees.
Mississippi will be well represented during the annual GRAMMY Awards, with four nominees in the following categories: Luther Dickinson for Traditional Blues Album; Vasti Jackson for Traditional Blues Album, Tig Notaro for Comedy Album and Bobby Rush for Traditional Blues Album.
The GRAMMY Awards will take place on Feb. 12, 2017. For more information on the GRAMMY Awards, visit www.GRAMMY.org.
For more information explore the state’s official tourism website at www.VisitMississippi.org.