EXHIBIT 99.1


                               BANCORPSOUTH, INC.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE
April 28, 2005                                 For Further Information Contact:
                                               L. Nash Allen, Jr. (662) 680-2330


                          BANCORPSOUTH, INC. ANNOUNCES
             REPURCHASE OF UP TO 3.0 MILLION SHARES OF COMMON STOCK

TUPELO, Miss., April 28 -- BancorpSouth, Inc. (NYSE: BXS) announced today that
it is commencing a common stock repurchase program whereby BancorpSouth may
acquire up to 3.0 million shares of its common stock. This repurchase program is
in addition to the 1,661,892 shares that BancorpSouth has yet to purchase
pursuant to the common stock repurchase program authorized on April 23, 2003,
which will expire on April 30, 2005.

The shares may be purchased from time to time in the open market at prevailing
market prices or in privately negotiated transactions during the period between
May 1, 2005 and April 30, 2007. The extent and timing of any repurchases will
depend on market conditions and other corporate considerations. Repurchased
shares will either be canceled or held as authorized but unissued shares. These
authorized but unissued shares will be available for use in connection with
BancorpSouth's stock option plans, other compensation programs, other
transactions or for other corporate purposes as determined by BancorpSouth's
Board of Directors.

BancorpSouth, Inc. is a bank holding company headquartered in Tupelo,
Mississippi with approximately $10.8 billion in assets. BancorpSouth operates
approximately 250 commercial banking, insurance, trust, broker/dealer and
consumer finance locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Tennessee and Texas.

Statements contained in this news release which are not historical in nature are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without
limitation, those relating to the repurchase by BancorpSouth of up to 3,000,000
shares of its common stock. Such forward-looking statements involve certain
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the
forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include changing
market conditions, changes in the market price of BancorpSouth's common stock,
lack of adequate funding for stock repurchases, regulatory constraints and other
factors as may be identified from time to time in BancorpSouth's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission or in BancorpSouth's press releases. We
undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect
events or circumstances that occur after the date on which such statements were
made.