Contributions by Scott B. Bomar, Rick Bragg, Dayton Duncan, David
Fricke, Holly George-Warren, Peter Guralnick, and Michael Streissguth
In the late 1960s in Philadelphia, Mississippi, nine-year-old Marty
Stuart started his first band and began playing country music and
collecting treasures of the culture. More than a half century later, the
Mississippi Department of Archives and History has partnered with the
country musician and ambassador to share his story and collection with
the public in an exhibition and tandem publication.
Marty Stuart has worked with the legends of country music, from his
early days playing with Lester Flatt and Johnny Cash to his successful
collaboration with Travis Tritt and his celebrated return to American
roots music with his band, the Fabulous Superlatives. The World of
Marty Stuart traces the life and times of Marty Stuart through essays,
photographs, and reproductions of artifacts from his extensive
collection, highlights of which include Stuart's first guitar, Hank
Williams's original handwritten manuscripts, guitars from Carl Perkins
and Pops Staples, numerous costumes including Porter Wagoner's suit and
Dolly Parton's dress, personal items from Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and
Connie Smith, and much more.
The story unfolds in seven sections: Philadelphia (1958-1972); Nashville
Cat (1972-1979); Marty Stuart Meets the Man in Black (1980-1985);
Hillbilly Rock (1986-1996); The Pilgrim (1997-2001); "Ladies and
Gentlemen, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives" (2001-2022); and
Full Circle (Touching Home) (2001-2022). Photography by Marty's mother,
Hilda Stuart, and by Marty himself appears throughout the book,
illuminating moments from the past five decades. The World of Marty
Stuart examines this journey in a personal way, providing an up-close
glimpse at important moments in country music and reaffirming Stuart's
dedication to preserving the genre's rich history.
