Contact: Brad Hill

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s 2016-17 Lyceum Series opens Sept. 28 with the performance of Zac Harmon, an award-winning guitarist, organist, blues singer and songwriter.

The university concert featuring the Jackson native will begin at 7 p.m. in the Bettersworth Auditorium of historic Lee Hall. Doors open 30 minutes prior.

General admission tickets are $25 and may be purchased by visiting http://events.msstate.edu, calling the Center for Student Activities at 662-325-2930 or visiting Colvard Student Union, Suite 314.

A limited number of free student tickets are available with valid MSU identification.

Harmon has earned a devoted national following for a musical style that combines old-school blues with modern lyrics and themes.

After beginning a professional career at age 16, he worked in California as a studio musician before becoming a writer and producer. In 1994, he received a Grammy Award nomination for producing tracks for Black Uhuru’s album “The Mystical Truth.”

In 2002, Harmon recorded his first solo album, “Live at Babe and Ricky’s Inn.” Two years later, he and other members of the Mid-South Blues Revue won the Best Unsigned Blues Band Award at the International Blues Challenge.

Since then, he has been voted best new blues artist in XM Satellite Radio’s XM Nation Awards competition, and best new-artist debut for his album “The Blues According to Zacariah.”

In addition to performing at the 2010 Mississippi Celebrates Its Grammy Legacy celebration, he received a Peavey Award from Gov. Haley Barbour for helping further the state’s musical heritage. Additional biographical information is found at www.zacharmon.com.

For more information on this and other 2016-17 Lyceum Series artists, see www.lyceum.msstate.edu.

Lyceum programs are organized by MSU’s Performing Arts Committee, which accepts tax-deductible donations via the MSU Foundation. To contribute, contact Lynn Durr at 662-325-8918 or ldurr@advservices.msstate.edu.