The City of Kings Mountain, NC, Kings Mountain Tourism Development Authority and Kings Mountain Little Theatre Board of Directors Commission Mural of Hometown Hero Jimmy Wayne

The City of Kings Mountain, NC, in partnership with the Tourism Development Authority and the Kings Mountain Little Theatre Board of Directors, have commissioned artist Scott Nurkin, founder of the North Carolina Musician Murals Project, to create a mural honoring hometown hero — author, singer, songwriter, musician — Jimmy Wayne as part of an art installment celebrating art and artists from North Carolina.

Wayne, who was born in Kings Mountain (Cleveland County), is a former foster kid turned award-winning country recording artist and “New York Times” bestselling author, whose songs and story highlight his mission to raise awareness for children in foster care.


Rendering of what the mural will look like.

Scott Neisler, Mayor of Kings Mountain, says, “The City of Kings Mountain is proud to honor Jimmy Wayne with this special mural at the Joy Performance Center. Jimmy’s story, from his birth here in Kings Mountain, to his path to country stardom is remarkable. He deserves to be recognized in his hometown.”

Wayne shares, “When Mayor Neisler called to share this news with me, I was deeply honored. I hope the mural is a reminder to anyone who sees it, ‘no matter who you are, your dreams can come true — and it’s okay to give God all the credit for your success.”

“Jimmy is a shining example of the power of music; but more than that, he’s never forgotten where he came from and is always giving back,” says Angela Padgett, Special Events Coordinator for the City of Kings Mountain. “It’s part of why we’re honored to have his profile grace the Joy Performance Center. As soon as you top the hill on your way into Kings Mountain, you’ll see Scott Nurkin’s rendering of Jimmy. We can’t wait to see it completed.”

Scott Nurkin is no stranger to creating murals to honor North Carolina musicians. In collaboration with Backdrop, a Raleigh-based consultancy, Nurkin has created nine murals from John Coltrane on the historic Opera House in Hamlet to Earl Scruggs on Newgrass Brewing Co. in Shelby. Wayne’s mural will be the 10th stop on the North Carolina Musician Murals Trail.

“When I first heard about Jimmy Wayne, I’ll admit I was not very familiar with his work,” says Nurkin. “After doing a little digging I found out that he is an incredibly accomplished singer-songwriter with several Top Ten hits. But what impressed me most was learning about his dedication to raising awareness for children in foster care. As a foster kid himself, Wayne walked halfway across America (from Nashville to Phoenix) to raise awareness for kids aging out of the foster care system. He wrote a movie and a best-selling book dealing with the subject of children in foster care. This is a guy who deserves recognition not for just being an amazing musician but for also being an amazing human being and humanitarian. I’m honored to paint his picture.”

Nurkin will begin work on the mural on May 15, 2021, and, weather permitting hopes to have it completed by May 21.

For more information on Scott Nurkin and his work, visit his website at (musicianmuralsproject.com).

About Jimmy Wayne:

Having recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of finishing his walk halfway across America — Project Meet Me Halfway — to raise awareness of the plight of more than 30,000 children in foster care, Wayne, a Cleveland County native, is a former foster kid turned award-winning country recording artist and “New York Times” bestselling author of “Walk To Beautiful”. Wayne’s songs and story highlight his mission to raise awareness for these forgotten youth.

Wayne’s hits include “Stay Gone,” “Paper Angels,” “I Love You This Much” and “Do You Believe Me Now,” which earned BMI’s prestigious Million-Air Award for receiving more than one million radio spins in America. In 2009, Wayne toured with Brad Paisley and recorded “Sara Smile” with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo Daryl Hall and John Oates.

In 2005, Wayne became the youngest recipient of The William Booth Award, one of the highest honors that may be conferred upon an individual by The Salvation Army.

In 2012, Wayne lobbied to pass legislative bills extending the age of foster care from 18 to 21 in California and Tennessee.

In 2013, Wayne’s first film, “Paper Angels” (UPtv) became an instant holiday classic and in 2014 he released “Walk to Beautiful: The Power of Love” and a “Homeless Kid Who Found the Way” (Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins) which became a three-time “New York Times” bestseller, crossing the 170,000 sales milestone in early 2019, and becoming a #1 Bestseller at Amazon.

In 2016 Wayne received the prestigious Points of Light award from President George W. Bush (41), while simultaneously contributing to the extension of foster care services from age 18 to 21 in North Carolina and Ohio.

In 2017, Wayne was honored with the inaugural Community Maker award by Verizon and received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from William Woods University. In 2018 he received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Cal State University San Marcos and most recently, (May 2019) he was honored by the National Council for Adoption with the Warren and Mary Alice Babineaux Award in recognition of his continued commitment to creating positive change in the lives of children in foster care who need permanent families.

Wayne has shared his story — “The Power of One” — around the world as a keynote speaker and has performed on the Grand Ole Opry stage 224 times. He lives in Nashville and continues to give back through his non-profit awareness campaign, Project Meet Me Halfway. For more about Jimmy Wayne, visit (www.jimmywayne.com).

For further information about Jimmy Wayne, or to set up interviews, please contact Jackie Marushka by e-mail at (Jackie@MarushkaMedia.com).