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Paul Wolf:

You've heard of the Grammy Awards. Of course you have. It's billed as "music's biggest night." For Jackson musicians, though, for the last 49 years music's biggest night happens here every summer, thanks to a half a decade worth of dedication of a man named Jesse Thompson. Hey, it's Paul Wolf with a front row seat to conversations on culture from Jackson, Mississippi. We call this podcast Soul Sessions. It's the people, places, and events that make the City With Soul shine. Today, Jesse Thompson shares with us his legacy - three award shows and even more to come, and he says he's ready to give it another 50 years. My colleague, Yolanda Clay-Moore, who is also a pretty good singer herself, sits down with Jesse for this musical conversation about a very special weekend.

Yolanda:

The Jackson Music Awards weekend, July 23 to 24. Tell us a little bit about that that's happening at the Jackson Convention Complex.

Jesse:

I'll tell you, the 45th annual Mississippi Gospel Music Awards, that is such a blessing for more than 45 years go, but that's how long we've been doing that. We're going to be celebrating the music we love. We are going to be honoring our pastors of the year. We have five pastors of the year that we are honoring. Pastor Jeff Powell, pastor JWT Spies, Pastor Jerry Young of New Hope, Pastor Bobby Stapleton, and Pastor Jennifer Biard. This is a great class of pastors. All of them have outstanding music ministries at their church and we want to celebrate them for their music ministry and how they have contributed throughout the years.

Also, we'll be honoring our friend Harvey Watkins Jr, for 50 years singing with The Canton Spirituals. Harvey has been such a blessing to the association. He's one of our main advisors for gospel. He's our host for Mississippi Gospel Music Awards and he's an ambassador for us all around the country. He talks about what we do and celebrate our music. Then we're going to have performances by so many outstanding gospel groups. Two groups that are going to be there, one's called the Hawkins Brothers, a new young group that is doing an outstanding job out there. And another young man, Semaje who has a record in gospel charts nationally right now, and he's doing outstanding. And along with Harvey Watkins will be Bishop Neal Roberson as the host on Sunday night.

Yolanda:

It's such a celebration of not just our legendary singers, but those that are up and coming, just giving them a platform to be recognized and honored. And that's one of our pillars in the city of Jackson and City With Soul is the foundation of music, the footprint of music that we have has such a rich history and culture here. So, we're really happy to have this kind of event in this city. I'm in the Mississippi Mass Choir and I see a couple of names that I recognize that are nominees and some that are being honored.

Jesse:

Okay.

Yolanda:

Ms. Emma Curry.

Jesse:

Emma Curry!

Yolanda:

Of course.

Jesse:

Yeah. Mamma Emma. Yes, that's right.

Yolanda:

And then you have the musician of the year. You have Christian Cohen is a nominee, Barry Bolden. Both are Mass musicians. Christian, he's taken his talents to national names. Not only in the Mississippi Mass Choir, but he also plays for Todd Delaney. So, just homegrown right here in Jackson, Mississippi. We know we saw him grow up here and now he's sharing his talents around the world, actually.

Jesse:

The musicians are just outstanding here. We've seen so many young musicians grow up and go on to play with nationally and internationally known groups. We generate and we grow and raise some of the best musicians in the country.

Yolanda:

Yes, we do.

Jesse:

And I'm telling you, it's outstanding. They don't get any better than the artists from Mississippi.

Yolanda:

Yes.

Jesse:

And Christian Cohen is one of those kids that we watched. Also, the Curry Boys, the Thigpen kids. We're just proud of what they have done. And there are so many of them. All of them that are in that category have just have done an outstanding job in gospel music.

Yolanda:

Yes, yes, absolutely. And to see them go from Murra High School or Calloway or whatever school they came from in Jackson to these new opportunities, it's just awesome to see. And then we move on Monday night to the Jackson Music Awards. That's 49th annual, right?

Jesse:

49 years.

Yolanda:

I mean, when you started this journey, did you ever think 49 years later it would still be going on?

Jesse:

Not really. When you were that young... I was 25 years old. We were doing something, I was a performer at that time, and the other musicians and groups in the city decided to get together on Monday nights and do what we call a jam session and we would host it. And one night we just sitting around and say, "Why don't we have an award show on Monday since we all here?" And we set it up from there. And I thought it would be something that we'd do for a while and once we all moved up or grew up or whatever, that it will just go somewhere.

But something happened after we started it that so many people saw the value of what we were doing in the arts community, and we received the feedback and encouragement that we needed to keep it going. And it took on a life of its own. One of the things that we're working on right now is the institutional knowledge and transferring this thing on to another group that we can make sure that it continues for another 50 years. And after that, I'll step aside. I'm only going to do it for 50 more years now.

Yolanda:

Only 50 more? Okay.

Jesse:

Just 50 more. Y'all can't hold me past that time now.

Yolanda:

Well, I think you'll have done your share if you do 50 more. And then you added in on nine years ago, the annual City with Soul Awards, and that touches some elements that even our office can't really touch where you're honoring the Beauty Shop of the Year, the Barbershop of the Year, Restaurant of the Year. All those different things. So, tell us about how you started on that journey, identifying those recipients.

Jesse:

It was weird how it started. My nephews were here around the house and they were talking. They just said, "Unc, you're missing a whole segment of people. What about the small businesses, the barbershops and the beauty shop?" Because it does tie into the soul of the city. It made sense to us and we started doing and this is the ninth year that we're doing this.

Yolanda:

Before we go, please tell us how people can get tickets so we can make sure that everyone attends.

Jesse:

Go to our website at www.jmaainc.com. - Jmaainc.com - and click on JMA tickets. And the tickets for all of our events that weekend are on there.

Now, this is something you don't want to miss too. Sunday and Monday, we didn't mention this, we're going to have the gospel red carpet starting at 4:45. This is the first time we're doing a gospel red carpet. Bishop Isaac Lindsey and Chel B are going to be the hosts for the red carpet on Sunday, and then from 5:00 to 5:45 on Monday, the Soul red carpet, it's going to be hosted by Chel B. A lot going on. Hey y'all, come on out.

Paul Wolf:

That's my colleague Yolanda Clay-Moore, in conversation with Jesse Thompson, the founder of the Jackson Gospel Music Awards, Jackson Music Awards, and the City with Soul Awards. Jesse had even more to share with us about additional events for the weekend, and we promised him we'd put links in our show notes and remind you to visit their website, jmaainc.com.

Soul Sessions is produced by Visit Jackson, the destination organization from Mississippi's capital city. Our executive producers are Jonathan Pettus and Dr. Rickey Thigpen, and I'm our managing editor. If you want to learn more about what we do as an organization, you can find us at visitjackson.com.

I'm Paul Wolf and you've been listening to Soul Sessions.

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