The city of McComb is being gifted a $50,000 check by T-Mobile to help establish the McComb Museum of Music.
The check, which will be presented to officials through the T-Mobile Hometown Grant on Friday, will transform an existing building on Main Street into a museum highlighting the community’s local artists and musical history with interactive displays and graphics.
As a primary stop on the “chitlin circuit” between Jackson and New Orleans, McComb drew talents such as B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and more. Some artists that are from McComb are Bo Diddley, Britney Spears, Mr. Sipp, and La’Porsha Renae.
“I am excited about the opportunity for the city of McComb to showcase its rich history in the music industry,” McComb Mayor Quordiniah Lockley said. “Being a part of the ‘chitlin circuit’ from Chicago to New Orleans, outstanding musicians born and made this city their home, but many also performed in McComb.”
Lockley and other city leaders are hopeful the new museum will not only bring further tourism to the area but also serve as a source of inspiration to young musicians.
“Our museum will give people, residents and visitors, an opportunity to learn how blessed we are,” Vickie Webb of the McComb Main Street Association Board said. “It will give our young people hope for a bright future and instill a sense of pride that they come from an area that produced so many starts.”
The T-Mobile Hometown Grant check presentation will be open to the public and held at 211 Main Street at 5 p.m. Two other Mississippi cities, Laurel and Hattiesburg, are also receiving checks for local restoration projects.
