A Nashville singer-songwriter with a Grammy Award to his name is headed to Downtown Greenville this month, opening for reunited country hitmakers The Band Perry at the city's signature food-and-music festival. Matt Rogers, who co-wrote Cody Johnson's chart-topping “'Til You Can't,” will take the Main Stage presented by Regions Bank at the Delta Hot Tamale Festival, running October 15 through 17.
Rogers co-wrote “'Til You Can't” with Ben Stennis, and the song won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2023, according to Whiskey Riff. The track also picked up CMA Single and Video of the Year honors in 2022, cementing Rogers as one of Nashville's more decorated songwriting talents before he ever steps onstage in the Delta. As Magnolia Tribune reports, the Georgia-born and raised artist has built a touring résumé that includes stages shared with Chris Stapleton, Walker Hayes, Clint Black, Clay Walker, Cole Swindell and Brothers Osborne, along with an opening slot for Brooks & Dunn at We Fest and an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry's Summer Plaza Stage.
From Medical Imaging to Music City
Rogers' path to the stage wasn't a straight line through Nashville. Before relocating there in 2015 to chase music full-time, he earned a degree in medical imaging and served as Director of Imaging for a neurosurgery practice in Macon, Georgia, according to a report from Connect Savannah. He played in bands throughout high school and college before ultimately committing to songwriting as a career.
That background hasn't slowed his output. Per the same Magnolia Tribune report, Rogers has toured Switzerland and Denmark and recently released the single “Ain't Ever Been a Cowboy,” which has drawn attention from Whiskey Riff, NBC's Today in Nashville, Saving Country Music and WSM Grand Ole Opry Radio. He's also earned recognition from the Nashville Songwriters Association International, CMT, American Songwriter, Music City Songstar, Songwriting University and the USA Songwriting Competition, drawing on musical influences that span country, Southern rock, Motown, classic rock and oldies.
Songs That Range From Heartbreak to Humor
Rogers' catalog swings between weighty and lighthearted material. He wrote “Camouflage” after a friend died by suicide following military service, while songs like “Grandma's House” have become fan favorites for their comic touch, the Magnolia Tribune article notes. Rogers has said he's drawn to songwriters who can turn everyday life into something worth singing about, a philosophy that shapes both his serious and funny material alike.
A Festival Built on Delta Tradition
Rogers will open for The Band Perry, which is performing at the 2026 festival as part of a 19-show tour marking the group's return after a multi-year hiatus, according to Backstage Country. The Delta Hot Tamale Festival itself, presented by Main Street Greenville, celebrates Mississippi Delta culture and traditions through music, food and Southern hospitality, taking place across Downtown Greenville.
The event has grown considerably since three local women, Valerie Rankin, Anne Martin Vetrano and Betty Lynn Cameron, known around town as “The 3 Hot Ta'Mamas,” founded it in 2012, according to Magnolia Tribune. What began as a grassroots gathering now generates more than $6 million in annual economic impact for Greenville and the surrounding Delta communities. USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards named it the nation's #1 Specialty Food Festival in 2024.
Why Greenville Claims the Tamale Crown
Greenville's culinary identity runs deep. Then-Mayor Chuck Jordan officially proclaimed the city the “Hot Tamale Capital of the World” in July 2012, and officials secured a U.S. trademark for the title the following year, according to Main Street Greenville. Southern Foodways Alliance research traces the Delta's hot tamale tradition back to early 20th-century Mexican migrant laborers who shared recipes with African American agricultural workers during cotton harvests.
The result is a dish distinct from its Latin American namesake. Delta-style hot tamales are smaller, filled with heavily seasoned beef, wrapped in cornmeal or parchment paper, and simmered in a spiced broth rather than steamed, as the LA Times has reported. The Delta Hot Tamale Festival will offer attendees a taste of those authentic tamales alongside the music lineup.
The 2026 festival runs free all day Friday, with daytime music and vendors open to the public before paid armbands are required for Saturday's main stage concerts, according to a Main Street Greenville post. That's when Rogers takes the stage ahead of The Band Perry, giving festivalgoers a chance to catch a Grammy-winning songwriter before the headline act closes out the night in Downtown Greenville.
