Paula Deen, the oh-so-Southern cook on the Food channel, is coming to Vicksburg.

Deen, an Albany, Ga., native, and her two sons, Jamie and Bobby, will be at the Vicksburg Convention Center Jan. 13 for two shows.

Launched into fame with their Savannah restaurant, The Lady and Sons, the Deen family has taken the food-loving world by storm.

Paula Deen has two shows on the Food Network, &#8220Paula’s Home Cooking” and &#8220Paula’s Party,” which have both brought attention to her &#8220comfort food” creations. She also has released six best-selling cookbooks.

If food isn’t top priority for Deen, it’s family. &#8220It’s about mamas and meals,” Deen has said on her show.

The success of her sons is not far behind. They, too, have managed to develop a fan base with the Food Network favorite, &#8220Road Tasted,” for which they both are hosts. Bobby and Jamie Deen travel the country, looking for rare food products on the market. They both have also appeared on &#8220Paula’s Home Cooking” and co-authored Deen’s best-seller, &#8220Just Desserts.”

It all began in 1989 when Deen, with $200 and the help of her sons, started a lunch-delivery service. When The Bag Lady outgrew her home kitchen in 1966, she decided to open her own restaurant. Within a few years, the restaurant had to move into a larger building.

Janna Hughes of B&J Productions, the company presenting the show, said the live show was originally scheduled to feature only the Deen sons. But, after a whopping success at Paula Deen’s first Mississippi show, in Jackson in July, the Southern chef had a taste of Vicksburg.

&#8220We talked about it on the way back to the airport – about how she loves the older river towns,” Hughes said. Some Vicksburg tourism professionals &#8220had an opportunity to meet her, and they told her she should do a show in Vicksburg. She told me ‘You know, I really would like to do that.’ I thought that was really neat – that that was something she would like to do.”

It wasn’t until a few days ago that Hughes and her partner, Bill Bissell, received word that Deen would join her sons here.

&#8220Adding Paula Deen is like adding Aerosmith to a rock concert,” said Vicksburg Convention Center executive director Larry Gawronski. &#8220She’s an A-list talent. The boys’ reputation is already great, but with Paula Deen alone, tickets sky-rocket.”

Hughes said the 2,000-seat convention center will more than likely fill to capacity for both shows, judging by the success of the Jackson show, which brought people from all over Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Texas.

&#8220In Jackson, we had over 8,000 people,” she said. &#8220We were very pleased. It was a wonderful response. We expect the same type of response with the two shows here.”

Hughes said Deen, who followed in the footsteps of fellow Food Networkers and launched her own magazine, &#8220Cooking with Paula Deen,” in January, was impressed with the way her show went in July.

&#8220She said she felt like she was taking so much more away from Mississippi than she brought to it,” she said.

Gawronski said a regional event like the Deen family show will bring tourists to Vicksburg.

&#8220Some people will make it a whole weekend,” he said. &#8220That’s great news for Vicksburg.”

IF YOU GO.

Paula Deen and sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen, will present two cooking shows in Vicksburg Jan. 13 at the Vicksburg Convention Center. The shows will be at 1 and 7 p.m. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or 601-355-5252. Doors will open two hours before each show for sponsor shopping. Mississippi businesses will also display products for browsing and shopping from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. the day of the show. Ticket prices are $39.50, $49.50 and $59.50. For information, call Janna Hughes of B&G Productions at 601-573-0221.