Singer Allison Faulkner will represent Greenwood in a musical tribute to Mississippi’s Country Music Trail on Saturday at the historic Elkin Theatre in Aberdeen.
The event will recognize the state’s 30 markers, which represent 26 people and four locations or events that had a direct impact on country music. The 30 markers also include one in Nashville, Tennessee.
The eight-piece Silver Eagle Band will perform as 10 cloggers and about a dozen singers from across the state take the stage, re-creating the songs and sharing the stories of Mississippi’s country music legends.
Jack Harper, a country musician who performs with the Silver Eagle Band and is organizing the event, requested that Faulkner represent the Greenwood marker. He had heard her sing when her band, The Firm, played for the unveiling of a marker honoring singer Bobbie Gentry.
Faulkner, accompanied by fellow band member and guitarist Glen Nail, will perform two Bobbie Gentry songs in honor of Country Music Trail marker No. 24, located at the end of Grand Boulevard near the bridge over the Tallahatchie River.
The marker was placed at its Greenwood location to celebrate Gentry’s “Ode to Billy Joe,” which is one of the songs Faulkner will sing. She will also perform “Son of a Preacher Man,” a song most associated with Dusty Springfield but also recorded by Gentry. As Faulkner sings, photos of Gentry throughout her career will be displayed on a screen in the background.
“I’ve always been a big fan of Bobbie Gentry,” she said.
Faulkner grew up on French Bend Plantation in Sidon, which is near the bridge where scenes for the movie “Ode to Billy Joe” — inspired by Gentry’s song, which Faulkner often performs with The Firm — were filmed in the 1970s.
Then, the bridge was made of wood and overlooked the Yazoo River. Faulkner remembers as a girl traveling over the bridge to get to Greenwood from her home in Sidon and the filming of “Ode to Billy Joe.”
To honor marker No. 29 in Nashville, Faulkner has been asked to perform “16th Avenue.”
“I love that song,” said Faulkner. “It’s the definition of a struggling musician living in Nashville.”
The marker was placed on the lawn of Big Loud Shirt Music on 16th Avenue in the Music City, which is the home of Hattiesburg native Craig Wiseman’s publishing company. Wiseman is an award-winning songwriter. In 2009, he was named Songwriter of the Decade by the Nashville Songwriters Association International. Wiseman has written hits for country music talents such as Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes and Kenny Chesney.
Faulkner said she and Nail have been practicing a lot as the event nears.
“It’s an honor to get asked to do something like this, and it’s an honor to get to represent the Bobbie Gentry Country Music Trail marker,” said Faulkner.
Also represented in the show will be Carroll County, which has a trail marker for Willie Narmour and “Shel” Smith.
Markers across the Delta area will also be recognized, including one in Holmes County for Hank Cochran, one in Moorhead for Johnny Russell and one in Hollandale for Ben Peters.
“Mississippi has had a huge impact on country music,” said Faulkner. “We’ve got great musicians, especially in our area. It’s amazing how many markers are just in the Delta. I think blues and country have a real strong connection.”
The historic Elkin Theatre, located at 110 E. Commerce Blvd. in Aberdeen, is a climate-controlled building with comfortable seating. Concessions will be available on site. The doors of the auditorium will open at 5 p.m., and the show begins at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited, and general admission on the day of the show will be $15. Advance tickets are available by calling the Aberdeen Visitors Bureau at 369-9440.
“We know that people here play music, but every community has a group of musicians who play music together, and it’s cool to know that people on the other side of the state enjoy music and playing music just as much as we do,” said Faulkner.
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7233 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
