Marty Stuart has long been known as collector of country music artifacts. In 2008, he debuted the exhibit Sparkle and Twang: Marty Stuart's American Musical Odyssey, which followed his career and experiences with some of music's biggest icons. Now, the Mississippi native is on his way to having his very own museum built in his hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi.

"I had a dream of going to Nashville and being a part of that family called country music, and that happened when I was about 13 years old," Marty says (quote via WTOK-TV/Meridian, Miss.). "I've been around the world a few times now, and I got my point across. It's great to be able to come back and bring a lot of that back to Mississippi and re-share it with the people."

According to WTOK, local and state leaders recently met to form a board taxed with maintaining the project. The next step is to complete a feasibility study to determine whether or not the project will benefit the local economy.

"Country music, in my opinion, is a culture," Marty maintains. "The same way that jazz had to fight to become a culture, or ballet ... It's a part of the arts that I have fought for and I believe in. Country music is the voice of America. It is a big part of the American picture."

The singer has more than 20,000 pieces in his collection, ranging from unpublished photographs of Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Porter Wagoner and Bob Dylan to a sweater owned by Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash's white tuxedo.

Until a decision is made in regards to the museum, you can see Marty on tour.

By Erin Duvall