Brewer Honored for Celebrating Mississippi Musicians
Wed, 03/06/2024 - 08:40am | By: Mike Lopinto
Photo by Paul Lijewski
The University of 草榴社区 Mississippi (草榴社区) band program celebrated Mississippi Musicians鈥� Month by honoring a chief promoter of musicians statewide, 草榴社区 alum Dr. James (Jim) Brewer.
Founder of the Mississippi Musician鈥檚 Hall of Fame and the man who coined the phrase, 鈥淭he Birthplace of America鈥檚 Music,鈥� Brewer was presented a commemorative plaque from the School of Music by Dr. Chris Winstead, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and a proclamation from the City of Hattiesburg by Mayor Toby Barker.
Mississippi鈥檚 musicians occupy a special place in the world of music. From writers to performers, the state鈥檚 musicians have made a global impact. Great and timeless music is one of Mississippi鈥檚 chief exports.
Brewer received his BMEd., MEd., and EdD degrees from 草榴社区 and spent many years as a band director, administrator, and special projects director in the public schools of Mississippi before joining the faculty at Mississippi College. In 1980, he opened a consulting firm, Associated Consultants in Education, from which he retired in 1998.
Never straying far from his musical roots, Brewer always had a heart for those who helped make Mississippi famous for its music while receiving little or no recognition for their work. In 1994 at age 61, he founded the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. Since its inception, the organization has inducted more than 140 musicians into its ranks, and induction ceremonies continue throughout the state.
With the founding of the Hall of Fame, the next logical step was to have a venue where music lovers could see for themselves the development of Mississippi鈥檚 music history. Thus, two music museums were founded at the Medgar Evers International Airport and the Iron Horse Grill in downtown Jackson.
Photo by Paul Lijewski
With the establishment of the Hall of Fame and the two museums, Brewer wanted to paint on a larger canvas; so he coined the phrase, 鈥淢ississippi, Birthplace of America鈥檚 Music.鈥� The slogan has been on all Mississippi car tags and on signs placed at every major highway intersection leading into the state. Governors Haley Barbour and Phil Bryant, along with tourism departments, use it frequently when promoting the state.
In 2001, he moved to Hazlehurst, and immediately set out to promote the city鈥檚 rich musical heritage. Another museum was built inside the historic train depot in downtown Hazlehurst. Hundreds of tourists from around the nation and world visit to view the exhibits, attracted by signs along I-55.
On August 4, 2017, the Mississippi Musicians Walk of Fame was dedicated outside the museum and is the only such display in the state. April was celebrated as Fine Arts Month in Hazlehurst with talent competitions and a walking tour of 18 stops along the main streets to showcase works by local artists. Since then, a small, store-front art gallery offers an opportunity for local artists to display their work.
Brewer has invested much of his time and financial resources to make these dreams become reality. Along with a host of volunteers and financial support from the citizens and businesses of Hazlehurst, he has worked tirelessly for this cause. Each weekday morning, he voluntarily opens the museum and stays until noon, at which time volunteer docents come to greet the visitors. Brewer has never received any remuneration for any of his work, and he doesn鈥檛 feel that he should.
In Brewer鈥檚 鈥渟pare time鈥� he serves on the music and personnel committees of First Baptist Church and on the boards of directors for the Hazlehurst Chamber of Commerce and the Institute for Learning in Retirement at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
about the Mississippi Musicians鈥� Hall of Fame and the School of Music.