Mississippi John Hurt Foundation

The Mississippi John Hurt Foundation was established by John's granddaughter, Mary Frances Hurt Wright, in 1999. We are a non-profit organization devoted primarily to preserving the musical legacy and history of Mississippi John Hurt, while providing musical and educational opportunities to disadvantaged youth. Through the music of John Hurt, children and adult music fans alike are exposed to the rich oral, musical, and literary traditions of the Mississippi Delta and surrounding areas.

Mississippi John Hurt, with his gentle demeanor and unique finger-picked guitar style, is an ideal ambassador for early African-American music and culture. His work, amongst that of other blues pioneers, represents a profound contribution to American culture. 

 Education and outreach on behalf of Mississippi John Hurt and his family is the primary function of the Foundation. The Foundation achieves these goals through a variety of means, including but not limited to the operation of the Foundation’s web site, the Mississippi John Hurt Museum, and the Mississippi John Hurt Music Festival, held annually in Avalon, Mississippi.

To carry out our mission, we seek donations to support our goals of providing much needed repairs to the museum site and continuing the annual music festival held on Labor Day weekend.  

We are looking to assist potential donors in partnering with us to achieve these goals, as well as educate visitors about Mississippi John Hurt.