7/15/2009 6:00:00 PM
EDITORIAL/The boy from Rt. 8, Philadelphia
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One of Marty Stuart's first guitars is part of a museum exhibit that illustrates the story of the country music star's early years in Neshoba County before he left in 1972 at age 12 to eventually start touring with bluegrass pioneer Lester Flatt.
Last Thursday was Marty Stuart Day in Philadelphia and a road marker was dedicated, the museum exhibit was opened and the festivities were topped off with separate stellar performances by he and his wife, Connie Smith, the legendary country music singer, at the Choctaw Indian Fair.
Before Stuart turned 20 he had joined Johnny Cash's band. He would go on to have one platinum and five gold albums to his name, win four Grammy awards, and become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
The suit he wore when he left town for Nashville is part of the exhibit, but home has always been near and dear.
The shirt he wore for his first public performance as a child during Moonlight Madness in downtown Philadelphia didn't make the cut.
The Choctaw Fair is significant because in 1970 a young Stuart saw Smith in concert there and told his mother on the way home he was going to marry her some day.
Twenty-five years later, he did.
"I was raised in the place that was known as Rt. 8, Philadelphia, Miss.," he said in a 2008 interview. "It is what I heard for years before I stepped out onto a stage. I'm fond of that introduction because I am proud of where I come from."
Stuart, at least in spirit, has remained close to his Neshoba roots.
In 1982 he recorded an album entitled Busy Bee Cafe, an establishment which used to be on Church Avenue downtown.
He attributes the rhythm influence in his music to the sounds he heard outside the Busy Bee, having heard the song "High Heel Sneakers" there for the first time.
"It's a wonderful thing to know where you come from and it's a wonderful thing to know when it's all over where you are going," Stuart said in remarks here Thursday. "Both ends of that are covered in my life. So many times in my life, if it hadn't been for the families and the land to walk on this road, this community and what was instilled in me before I ever left home, I would have been gone a long time ago. I appreciate God's hand on my life. I appreciate everything he has blessed me with. It has been like living a dream many, many times."
The road marker at Marty Stuart Drive off Mississippi 19 north is more than just a road sign and more akin to a monument, which is fitting.
The marker, designed by Philadelphia artist Kyle Stribling, is beautifully done with much symbolism representing Stuart's life, like three horizontal railroad ties representing Stuart's fascination with trains, or the focal point, three vertical granite forms representing the neck of each stringed instrument he has played.
Within the stone base is a bronze cross representing Stuart's foundation of Faith.
At the marker dedication, attendees were treated to a performance of a few numbers, including "Old Hat," one of his late grandfather's favorites, and "Have a Little Talk With Jesus."
Stuart owns property there at Arlington, a place he calls Three White Horses, and says he may build a home there one day.
Marty Stuart is a Mississippi treasure and has already made an indelible mark on the country music industry, and we're proud to claim him as one of our own.
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