Get ready for an exciting evening as Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives perform in concert at the Old State House Museum on August 23. One of country music’s most flamboyant icons with his flashy costumes and distinctive hair, Marty Stuart is also one of its most accomplished musicians.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Mississippi, he taught himself the guitar at the age of six and later mastered the mandolin. By the age of 12 he was playing professionally, and at 14 left school to play full-time for Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass.

Stuart continued to hone his skills and broaden his knowledge of music by playing with some of country and rock music’s biggest stars, including Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, and Billy Joel.

A lifelong dream was realized when he joined Johnny Cash’s band. Stuart played with Cash for six years and developed a close friendship with him. He embarked on a solo career in 1986, and achieved stardom on his own in 1989, with the album Hillbilly Rock. Over the next three years he recorded six top-10 singles and placed three more in the top 20. Two of his biggest hits, "The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’ " and "This One’s Gonna Hurt You," were duets with another rising young country star, Travis Tritt.

See the Exhibit Sparkle & Twang:

Marty Stuart’s American Musical Odyssey, a showcase of country and popular music, opened at the Old State House Museum in April, on loan from the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville. It features hundreds of items from the personal collection of country music icon Marty Stuart. His affinity for collecting memorabilia began at an early age. Playing at the Grand Ole Opry as a teenager and meeting many of country music’s greatest stars, Stuart developed a keen awareness of its traditions and trappings and the need to rescue and save such items as set lists, old instruments, original lyric sheets, stage suits by designers Nudie and Manuel, and other items that were being discarded in a rush to keep up with changing tastes and styles. Visit the Old State House Museum before October 5, 2008, to see Porter Wagoner’s stage suit adorned with embroidered wagon wheels and cacti; Hank Williams, Sr.’s handwritten lyrics to Your Cheatin’ Heart; Dolly Parton’s emerald chiffon performance dress; Marty Stuart’s colorful boot collection; and Johnny Cash’s first “Man in Black” suit.