ATLANTA, Georgia (Atlanta News First) – Celebrations of Jimmy Carter’s upcoming 100th birthday begin Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. with a performance of “Delta Air Lines Presents: Jimmy Carter 100: A Celebration in Song” at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.

Carter will turn 100 on October 1, 2024, marking another milestone in the life of America’s longest-living former president in history.

Tuesday’s event will feature artists spanning pop, rock, gospel, country, jazz, hip-hop and classical music. Performers include Athens-based singer-songwriter Duane Betts, son of legendary Allman Brothers Band co-founder Dickey Betts; singer-songwriter Carlene Carter, daughter of June Carter Cash; Angélique Kidjo, BeBe Winans, India Arie; Lalah Hathaway; Chuck Leavell; D-Nice; Drive-By Truckers; Eric Church; GROUPLOVE; Maren Morris; The War And Treaty; and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus.

Mary Wharton, director of the documentary “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President,” will also present a short film that examines Carter’s relationships with popular musicians.

The show’s musical director is Emmy Award winner Rickey Minor. Other celebrity guests include Dale Murphy, Killer Mike, Sean Penn and Oscar winner Renée Zellweger.

“I think he understood how important music is, and so you find the songs and the material and the artists that can pay tribute to him through music, and I think it’s going to be a great celebration. We looked around and tried to choose the right song and the right tones and include artists of all genres,” Minor said. “The artists performing chose material that they believe will uplift not only the president, but this country and the world,” he said.

Hours before the show, Atlanta News First also spoke with the president and CEO of the Fox Theater.

“From what I understand, he had very eclectic taste in music and loved all kinds of music. He believed that music brings people together. And that’s exactly what The Fox does,” said Allan Vella, president and CEO of The Fox Theatre. “The Fox brings people together and we are very honored to host this very special event tonight,” he said.

“As a citizen of Georgia, he is definitely special to us. He has done such good work as a humanitarian all over the world and also here in Atlanta, Georgia,” Vella said. “Whether it was at Habitat of Humanity or at the Carter Center, he has just dedicated his life to serving others and you just have to love and appreciate that,” he said.

On Saturday, September 28, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta will host the JC100 Film Festival from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The library said it will screen some of Carter’s favorite films shown at the White House during his tenure. Admission to the museum and the event is free.

As governor of Georgia, Carter founded the state’s film office following the success of The Peach State’s First Movie, one of the first films shot in the Peach State. The film was released in 1972 and was based on the first novel of the same name by writer James Dickey. It starred Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox and Jon Voight. The film was shot in the communities of Clayton and Rabun in northeast Georgia. The film was a huge commercial success.

Carter has been in hospice care for over a year. On March 21, 2019, he officially became America’s oldest living ex-president, surpassing George HW Bush, who died in November 2018 at the age of 94 years, 171 days. Before Bush, record holders were Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Herbert Hoover and John Adams.

Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump are the country’s only living former presidents.

Carter’s last public appearance was in November at the funeral of Rosalynn Carter – the former First Lady died at the age of 96, just days after she herself was admitted to a hospice.

Carter was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, a small farming town about 150 miles south of downtown Atlanta. He grew up in the nearby community of Archery.

Carter attended Georgia Southwestern College and the Georgia Institute of Technology before entering the U.S. Naval Academy, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1946. While serving in the Navy, he became a submariner and rose to the rank of lieutenant.

On July 7, 1946, Carter married Rosalynn Smith. Seven years later, he retired from the Navy and returned to Georgia. Carter was an active member of the community and eventually entered the political world in 1962 when he was elected to the Georgia Senate.

Four years later, he ran for governor, but lost in a primary to eventual winner Lester Maddox. Carter tried again four years later, this time easily defeating Republican Hal Suit. On January 12, 1971, he was sworn in as the 76th governor of Georgia.

Carter’s rise to the White House is considered one of the most unlikely political victories in US history. He was virtually unknown in the country and promised during the election campaign that he would never lie.

Exactly three years after his inauguration at the Governor’s Mansion, Carter announced his candidacy for President of the United States. He won the Democratic nomination in 1976 and was elected on November 2, narrowly defeating incumbent Republican Gerald Ford.

The first – and still only – President and First Lady of Georgia crowned the day by marching in the inauguration parade along Pennsylvania Avenue – something never before seen from a newly sworn-in US head of government.

Carter was sworn in on January 20, 1977, but only served one term. In the 1980 election, he was clearly defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan.

While some presidents ride off into the sunset after their term in office, Carter was just getting started. In 1982, Carter became a University Distinguished Professor at Emory University in Atlanta and founded the Carter Center.

The Carters later became the public face of Habitat for Humanity. They both volunteered for the organization for 35 years, helping to build homes alongside thousands of volunteers over the years.

In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize “for his decades of tireless efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”

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