North Mississippi Allstars (NMA) was started by brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson in 1996 as a loose collective of musicians from their North Mississippi home. They were inspired by their father, Jim Dickinson, as well as neighbors and musical elders of their community: R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Otha Turner, and Fred McDowell.
Luther’s first national tour was the R.L. Burnside "Ass Pocket of Whiskey" tour in 1997, selling out shows in the U.S. and Canada. "Kenny Brown hired me to tour with R.L. and Cedric and showed me the ropes. That experience blew my mind. Cody and I have been on the road ever since."
NMA began touring in 1998, and over the years, the touring lineup has included Cedric, Duwayne, and Garry Burnside; Chris Chew; Berry Oakley Jr.; Oteil Burbridge; and currently Joey Williams of the Blind Boys of Alabama and Ray Ray Hollowman, a guitar player for Eminem and Ne-Yo.
Since their debut album in 2000 and hitting the never-ending road, they have shared the stage with countless legends: Phil Lesh, Mavis Staples, Robert Plant, John Hiatt, the Allman Brothers, The Black Crowes, Buddy Guy, Snoop Dogg, and Jon Spencer, to name a few. They have earned multiple Grammy nominations for their experimental albums of what they like to call "Modern Mississippi Music."