In addition to all of the festivities surrounding Elvis Presley’s 75th Birthday, you’ll also want to plan on seeing another one of Mississippi’s outstanding musicians, Marty Stuart.

On Friday, January 8, 2010, Marty Stuart will be in Tupelo for several special events, including the opening of an exceptional exhibit of music memorabilia that will be on display in Tupelo through June 30, 2010. In July, the exhibit will move to Meridian for a showing there through September 2010.

Sparkle & Twang: Marty Stuart’s American Musical Odyssey is Stuart’s own unique collection from an impressive list of celebrity performers. The exhibit represents more than 40 years of classic performers that made country, bluegrass, rock and southern gospel music famous.

In addition, the exhibit showcases costumes, instruments, lyrics and other one-of-a-kind pieces including Elvis Presley’s sweater, Patsy Cline’s makeup case, Johnny Cash’s “man in black” suit and the hand-written lyrics to Hank Williams’ hit “Your Cheatin’ Heart.”

This collection demonstrates how much fashion and music have influenced popular culture. It also tells the personal story of Mississippi’s native son, Marty Stuart and his rise to stardom. The exhibit is at the Tupelo Automobile Museum, 1 Otis Boulevard, Tupelo, Mississippi. For more information and exhibit hours, go to www.tupeloauto.com.

You are invited to meet Marty Stuart in person Friday, January 8, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. He’ll be at the Tupelo Automobile Museum and his Sparkle and Twang exhibit to sign copies of his book, Country Music: The Masters.

To complete his visit, don’t miss Marty Stuart in concert on Friday, January 8, at 8:00 p.m. Call (662) 690-4011 for tickets and details, and enjoy one of country music’s greatest performers in the intimate setting of the Link Centre.

And to make all of the arrangements for your trip here for the 75th Birthday of Elvis Presley, as well as Marty Stuart’s “Sparkle & Twang” exhibit, be sure to go to www.VisitMississippi.org for news, events and all kinds of helpful travel information designed to make your trip to Tupelo— or anywhere else in Mississippi—a great success and a fun way to start the New Year.