frustrated with his limited skills as a musician , met the devil at night at a Mississippi Delta road junction and traded his soul for blues mastery .
Johnson penned “ Cross Road Blues ” in 1932 , his performance reflecting the Mississippi Delta Blues style . Another blues artist , Elmore James , paid tribute to Johnson when he recorded “ Standing at the Crossroads ” in 1954 . Johnson , like B . B . King and Elvis , is featured in The MAX ’ s Hall of Fame , which features dozens of legends from various arts disciplines .
The MAX is a one-of-a-kind museum devoted to telling the story of Mississippi ’ s creative legacy while inspiring future creatives . The Threefoot Hotel , within a short walk of the museum , Visit Meridian , DC Guitar , and Buck and Barbara Thomas are among the sponsors of the guitar exhibit .
Kemp said the traveling exhibition will allow The MAX to showcase permanent exhibits at the museum .
“ It will also bring fresh attention to signature features of our museum , such as the Juke Joint gallery and guitar-playing legends ranging from B . B . King to Elvis , not to mention our own collection of famous and noteworthy guitars connected to King as well as Bo Diddley , Charley Pride , Jimmy Buffett , John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters .”
A variety of special events , including live performances , demonstrations and illustrated talks , are scheduled as part of “ The GUITAR and A Changing Nation ” exhibit :
Feb . 9 Feb . 10 Feb . 10 Feb . 15
Feb . 17 Feb . 22
March 8
March 15 April 20 April 26
May 10 May 11
Member Opening Reception CEU Program for Teachers Educators Night Out Illustrated Talk : Lee Harper , miniature artist , and Bill Steber , blues historian / photographer Cocktails with the Meridian Symphony Live at the MAX : Steve Azar and David Crews Blues Series : Benstrings and Par from Fer fect Pat Metheny at the MSU Riley Center Timothy Litchfield : Guitar Build Demo Family Escape Room : The Case of the Missing Guitar Blues Series : Super Chikan Super Chikan : Guitar Demo
Visit www . msarts . org / guitar for more details about the exhibit and programming . M
A cast aluminum Rickenbacher A-22 guitar , also known as the “ frying pan ,” is one of the guitars that will be part of the National GUITAR Museum exhibit . www . meridianstar . com
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