PRESS RELEASE

IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE

September 14, 2022 

Contact: National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Foundation 

Contact Number: (662) 485-1891 or (313) 669-8388

Web: www.rbhof.com 

Event Groundbreaking Ceremony: National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame 

Time: 10:00 am

Date: Friday, September 30th 

Address: 101 R&B Hall of Fame Blvd (Rogers Rd.) - Marks, Mississippi

Groundbreaking After Reception 12 Noon

History Groundbreaking Ceremony set to build

National R&B Hall of Fame

(Marks, MS)- After over 50 years after Bill Cosby announced in Billboard Magazine on August 17, 1968, that he and a group were going to build an R&B Hall of Fame for rhythm and blues music icons, the dream is one more step closer toward building the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame (NRBHOF). 

The City of Marks and Quitman County officials are inviting music fans, local and national media, and the music industry from around the world to participate in this historical history-making groundbreaking ceremony on September 30th, @ 10:00 am  @ 101 R&B Hall of Fame Blvd Marks, Mississippi.  

NRBHOF was founded in 2010 and hosted its inaugural induction ceremony in 2013, since then the NRBHOF has enshrined 10 classes and has inducted over 200 world-renowned from the likes of B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Motown legends and many, many more. The 11th Annual National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Weekend will be moving from the city of Detroit permanently to now to the Mississippi Delta starting in August 2023.   

Finally, rhythm and blues legends are getting their own hall of fame that once built should be one of the top entertainment tourist attractions in the world. Founder/CEO of the project LaMont "ShowBoat" Robinson a music historian and former professional basketball player from Cleveland, Ohio, said that this has been a long time coming for artists that had to endure so much racism while touring the Chitlin`Circuit during the Jim Crow era, and many of the rhythm and blues icons of the 40s '50s and 60s became famous in name but most of them died broke and homeless, but their music has influenced many artists of other genres of music, Robinson also stated that by building a permanent home in the Mississippi Delta were many of these artists and music come from will show honor and much respect to this great genre of music.  

Mayor Joe Shegog of the City of Marks stated, “he is very grateful to have Mr. Robinson come to Quitman County to bring the National R&B Hall of Fame, which will be a tribute to all the music legends that hailed from the Delta. He sees this project as bringing awareness to our musical roots and heritage and a means to create opportunities within our community”. 

Blues legend Bobby Rush said I'm so glad someone has designed to put a Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in Marks MS Quitman County one of the Birthplaces of the blues, being one of the oldest blues men standing and still lives in Mississippi I want to be a part of this great project, it's going to be a historic maker for this Delta town bringing, and people from  all over the world, bringing tourist to see it and bring in revenue to the city of marks MS.

The Quitman County stakeholders are to be commended for their hard work in coming together in solidarity to have Marks/Quitman, Mississippi selected as “the home” for the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame will be the catalyst to Delta tourism growth and opportunities, and a means to attract business and industry. I am grateful to the founder and CEO LaMont Robinson and his board for having the vision to select Quitman County, which will be the “official home” of the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame” says Congressman Bennie Thompson.

The goal is not to build the typical hall of fame museum, but to build a state-of-the-art 75,000 to 125,000 sq. ft. high-tech 21st-century complex that will be highly interactive, virtual reality that will give visitors a total musical experience that will feel like you are at Disneyland. The building plans call for a 1,500-seat theater, 150-seat juke joint with a stage, 100-room theme hotel, walk of fame, studio, youth music academy, plus a community mix-use banquet hall, etc... The target date is to be up and running by 2024.  

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