The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience – better known as The Max – has announced its 2026-27 Hall of Fame class.
The MAX, located in Meridian, is an interactive museum that highlights Mississippi artists and celebrates their contributions to every aspect of the arts.
The first of the 2026-2027 Hall of Fame class is Mississippi John Hurt. Born in Avalon in 1893, Hurt was a skillful acoustic guitar player who played a vital role in the 1960s folk blues revival.
He spent most of his career performing locally – where he was widely regarded as a master of the guitar for his inventive fingerpicking – before continuing to perform blues at a larger level.
The Mississippi Mass Choir is next up on the list of Hall of Fame inductees, and the only music group to make the cut. Founded in 1988 by Frank Williams, the large gospel choir is made up of over 150 members of all ages who aim to spread the gospel.
The choir’s debut album hit No. 1 on Billboard’s gospel charts and stayed there for 45 straight weeks, a record across all genres. Since its inception, the Mississippi Mass Choir has recorded 11 albums, earned four Grammy nominations, five Stellar Awards, and was inducted into the Gospel Hall of Fame.
Born in 1891 in Hinds County, Charley Patton is the next addition to The MAX’s Hall of Fame. During his lifetime, Patton was the most important recording artist when it came to the blues, according to the Mississippi Blues Trail.
Best known for his singing and songwriting, Patton was believed to be the Delta’s leading figure in the development of the musical genre now called the blues. He was often called the “Father of Delta Blues.”
Yet another blues artist joins the ranks of The MAX Hall of Fame: Bobby Rush. The blues composer, producer, and singer was born in Louisiana in 1933 and has been based in Jackson since the 1980s. Rush is known for his incorporation of elements of rap and funk into his blues music.
Rush has won three Grammy Awards across six nominations, won 18 Blues Music Awards, and was named to the Blues Hall of Fame.
Rounding out the class is Conway Twitty. Born in Friars Point in 1933, Twitty was a country music artist who used rock elements in his music before he passed away in 1993.
During his career, Twitty had 55 No. 1 singles, driving more than 50 million record sales. On top of his music success, he was also a talented baseball player in his younger years, getting drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies before being drafted into the U.S. Army.
The MAX museum has five permanent galleries of exhibits and two spaces for changing exhibits. The museum uses audio and video stories to communicate how Mississippians have influenced every area of the arts and the creative economy across the world. Other features include a recording studio, both 2D painting and drawing and 3D art studios ceramics, a multipurpose gallery, an outdoor amphitheater, a museum store, and the centerpiece Hall of Fame rotunda.
The MAX Hall of Fame rotunda is two stories high and displays all past and recent additions to the elite group of Mississippians who have greatly impacted the arts.
“We are excited to announce the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Hall of Fame class of 2026-2027, which features five legendary artists who reinforce a truth known around the world: Mississippi is the Birthplace of America’s Music,” The MAX wrote in their announcement. “Stay tuned for more details ahead of an induction ceremony on Thursday, January 28, 2027, at the MSU Riley Center, followed by a reception at The MAX.”
