About
Future Home To The Largest Private Collection Of Country Music Artifacts In The World
When it opens in 2022, The Marty Stuart Congress of Country Music (MSCCM) in Philadelphia, Mississippi will celebrate the rich cultural heritage of country music through live musical performance and educational programming. This tribute to the culture and rural ethics of America will be presented in a world-class country music museum and performing arts center. Through a lifelong awareness to protect and preserve country music’s legacy: Marty Stuart has assembled a collection that spans over 20,000 pieces to tell a rich, emotional and personal story of the lives of our common heritage.
The $30 million project will create a 50,000+ square foot campus featuring the historic and recently renovated Ellis Theater, a newly constructed museum, classrooms, a community hall, meeting and event space, and a rooftop performance venue. MSCCM will embrace the roots of country music in its educational curriculum and programming. Changing displays will include internationally travelled artifacts and memorabilia, photography, outsider/folk art and Native American crafts. These art forms represent country music’s history and foreshadow it future. Musical programming will feature both legendary stars and the emerging artists of tomorrow.
Thank you for your interest in the Marty Stuart Congress of Country Music. We hope to welcome you soon to our center, to enjoy one of the finest, privately-owned collections in country music and to embrace the history of country music.
Mission
Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music is the spiritual home of country music - A cathedral where the spirits of country music legends, and the fires of today’s creative souls, converge.
About Marty Stuart
John Marty Stuart was born September 30, 1958, in Philadelphia, Mississippi. A child prodigy on guitar and mandolin, Marty made his first professional appearance at the age of 12 performing with country legends Carl and Pearl Butler. A few months later, he joined bluegrass group, the Sullivan Family Gospel Singers. A year later, he was touring with Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass, making his debut on the Grand Ole Opry at just 13. By the age of 21, he was a member of Johnny Cash’s band. Since leaving his mentor’s band, Stuart has become one of the most respected country music artists of our time. The young rebel, who set out to shake Nashville up, is now regarded as a rogue statesman. Ace musician, distinctive vocalist, skilled songwriter, poet, inspired band-leader, photographer, knowledgeable historian and exciting entertainer, Marty Stuart occupies a space all his own in the world of country music. Though he is a staunch traditionalist, the five-time GRAMMY winner encourages the expansion of all boundaries in taking country music to a global audience. Special thanks to Alan Cackett.
"If country music had a President, it would be Marty Stuart. He is the embodiment of the culture. His Congress of Country Music is to be his Presidential Library. It’s a place where all generations will come to study and be inspired. There’s no doubt that the Congress of Country Music will be a jewel among the nation’s cultural centers." – Ken Burns
Advisory Board
John Troutman
Washington, DC
Rob Stone
Culpeper, VA
Ken Burns
Walpole, NH
Craig Ray
State of Mississippi
Jackson, MS
Kyle Young
Nashville, TN
Matt Glaser
Berklee College of Music
Boston, MA
Marty Stuart
Nashville, TN
Connie Smith
Nashville, TN
Brian Downes
Winterset, IA
Manuel
Nashville, TN
Dan Rodgers
Nashville, TN