Library of Hattiesburg, Petal and Forrest County MS Rocks in 2017

The Library of Hattiesburg, Petal and Forrest County in Mississippi is rocking in the new year with a set list of events featuring The Beatles. The Legendary Fab Four made a splash heard round the world in the 1960s, and their music has lived on in the decades since.

"You always know about them, but you don't always think about them," said Sean Farrell, director at Library of Hattiesburg, Petal and Forrest County.

The library's programs will offer Pine Belt residents the opportunity to get to know The Beatles better. Their music played a major role in the shaping of popular music in the second half of the 20th century and continues to have an influence on today's music.

The Beatlemania seed was planted last summer when noted Beatles music scholar Aaron Krerowicz contacted Farrell to offer one of his programs because he would be in Louisiana this month.

Farrell took him up on his offer and thought why not create a series of events around The Beatles.

"The Beatles are amazing, interesting and fun, so let's do them up big," he said.

Farrell applied for and received a $2,000 Mississippi Humanities Council grant to help fund the Beatlemania program, and things began to take shape.