With his home-grown good looks and familiar Southern twang, Charlie Worsham has all the makings of a country music superstar with the humility of the boy next door. 

Since he first strummed a guitar in his hometown of Grenada, Miss., Worsham’s charming drive captivates audiences from the southeast to listeners around the country. Worsham brings his modern country sounds to Starkville when he makes a stop at Rick’s Cafe Saturday.

Jan Walton, Mississippi State University Extension Services employee, said she has known Worsham since he was a boy, and she has watched his love for music grow from a young age. 

“I just know that when he was a little boy, he was always carrying around a guitar. He had a microphone and a guitar even when he was four or five years old,” she said. “His mother played the piano, and his dad played the drums. I think he just grew up in a home where music was important.”

Walton said she also remembers Worsham as goal-oriented and passionate, with a clear-eyed determination to fulfill his ambitions.

“He had his goals and his focus. He never lost sight of where he wanted to go,” she said. “He stayed focused and took advantage of every opportunity he had from a very young age.”

Walton said country music came onto Worsham’s radar through classic  country music programs.

“I think the first thing that really intrigued him was the Grand Ole Opry,” Walton said.  

Worsham cites artists such as Keith Urban, Tom Petty and George Jones as inspirations, all of whom are veterans of the Grand Ole Opry. 

Walton said though Worsham has moved on to play in cities larger than his hometown, he holds a steadfast  devotion to his Grenada roots.

“He donated to our local charity bowl. He has always come back and played and been a part of Grenada,” she said. “He has never forgotten where he’s from. If anything Charlie Worsham comes up, we all rush to support him.”

Ana Katelyn Habig, junior secondary education major, said Worsham’s popularity in Grenada includes both pride in his music and his local heritage.

“He’s a hometown hero, to say the least,” she said.

Worsham’s performance at Rick’s provides a change of pace for Worsham from past tours. Rick’s boasts a smaller stage than those Worsham frequented while on tour with country superstar Taylor Swift, so the crowd can expect an intimate show.

Worsham is not the only Mississippian performing  at Rick’s Saturday. Starkville natives Hannah and Caroline Melby form HanaLena, who will open for Worsham. Formerly known as Nash Street, the street on which the two sisters grew up, Hannah and Caroline boast a sound that is a medley of country, bluegrass and blues. 

Alan Cackett, editor of “Maverick” magazine, said the sisters are “a gifted and exciting ensemble, among the better playing and singing units to emerge in the contemporary end of the genre.” 

Tickets to the show are $10 in advance and $15 the day of the show. They are available at Rick’s Café and online at rickscafe.net.

Mississippians Charlie Worsham, HanaLena bring melodic country to Rick’s Saturday