The Great American Playlist | Featuring the FestivalSouth Orchestra with Jay Dean, conductor and Robert St. John emcee

This electrifying night of music brings together a large powerhouse cast of professional performers, including internationally-known Mississippi artist Vasti Jackson and the FestivalSouth Orchestra. Premiering bold new symphonic arrangements, this concert reimagines America’s most iconic popular music with unforgettable energy, passion, and style. From blues and Motown to R&B, soul, rock, pop, and country, the sounds that built our nation’s soundtrack are reborn for full orchestra, singers, and more.
Feel the grit and groove of James Brown, Robert Johnson, and B.B. King, then ride the rhythms of Stevie Wonder’s timeless soul and Bruno Mars’ unstoppable funk. Relive the sparkle of Motown queens The Supremes and The Pointer Sisters, before the stage explodes into rock anthems like Jump, Hotel California, Don’t Stop Believin’, and Sweet Child O’ Mine. Pop lovers can revel in Jimmy Buffett’s island escape, Lady Gaga’s fierce fire, the nostalgic fun of the Backstreet Boys, and the dramatic punch of Evanescence and John Legend. And of course, no American playlist would be complete without country legends—Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, and more.
The Great American Playlist is more than a concert—it’s a joyride through America’s greatest hits, where past, present, and future collide on one unforgettable stage. Come celebrate the soundtrack of a nation and experience the ultimate night of music that moves, inspires, and unites us all.
Presented by Forrest General with support from the City of Hattiesburg and Cadence Bank