Peavey Display Takes off at Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame

40-year music industry pioneer honored with new exhibit

Jackson, Miss.—Travelers who trek through Jackson International Airport can now get a music history lesson with their sweet potato pie and iced sweet tea.

The Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, nestled inside OnStage Mississippi, a three-restaurant enterprise in the airport's main hub, is a nice place to relax and grab a bite of southern fare. As founder Jim Brewer explains, it's also prime real estate for a museum.

"More than 2 million people travel through Jackson International Airport each year, and if only 10% of them come through here, that's 200,000 people," he muses. "The traffic is better than we could expect in any kind of stand-alone museum."

The Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame celebrates the far-reaching influence of Mississippi-born musicians, producers and manufacturers, including Hartley Peavey, founder and sole owner of the globally successful musical instrument and sound equipment company that bears his surname. But while the hall inducted Peavey—a Rock Walk of Fame member now in his fortieth year of business—back in 2001, it didn’t unveil his official display until recently.

That's because Brewer didn’t find a physical home for the hall he founded in 1997 until OnStage Mississippi opened in September 2004. Now, the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame Music Heritage Restaurant, bookended by a Starbucks and the OnStage Express deli, houses Brewer's memorabilia and exhibits on famous Mississippi musicians. He says people like Hartley Peavey exemplify the impact Mississippians have had on music history.

"Hartley is a story unto himself," he says. "The patience and tenacity he's had to stick with it and grow a company that is world famous is tremendous, and I think it ought to be told all over the world. Out of our nearly 70 inductees, Hartley was one of the first given the honor. He was one of the first people to recognize the musical heritage that we have in Mississippi."

"It is the best kind of recognition to be saluted by home folks," says Peavey. "Mississippi’s heritage of music and musicians is truly unbelievable, and it's an honor to be associated with these fellow Mississippians."

Hartley Peavey stands among the ranks of Elvis Presley, Faith Hill, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Conway Twitty, Ike Turner, Jimmy Buffett, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, producer Glenn Ballard and fellow Meridian native Jimmie Rodgers, among many others. The Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame is online at www.msmusic.org.