3-Day Macon Rock n' Soul Music Getaway
The roots of American music run deep in Macon. Native son Little Richard helped birth rock n' roll, and Otis Redding, who grew up and started his career here, took soul music to unsurpassed heights. James Brown and the Famous Flames recorded their first demo, “Please, Please, Please,” at Macon radio station WIBB in 1955. In the 1970s, the city became ground zero for Southern Rock when Phil Walden co-founded Capricorn Records in his hometown and assembled a label roster including the Allman Brothers Band, Marshall Tucker Band and Wet Willie. Other music-makers who grew up in Macon include Mike Mills and Bill Berry of R.E.M., country superstar Jason Aldean, rapper Young Jeezy and violin maestro Robert McDuffie.
Use your weekend to experience Macon's incredible impact on American music. As you go back to where it all began, listen to music by local artists in the "Our Macon Picks" Spotify playlist.
Friday
Go Behind the Music with a Music History Tour
Rock, roll and stroll with Rock Candy Tours, owned by Jessica Walden, niece of Capricorn Records impresario Phil Walden and daughter of “Freebird” publisher Alan Walden, and her husband Jamie Weatherford, two history buffs and music lovers who have the inside scoop on local landmarks. The anecdote-rich, music history tours feature the Free Birds and Night Owls walking tour on Friday nights and the Rock n’ Soul Stroll van tour, in partnership with Visit Macon, on Saturday mornings. They also offer special edition food and beer tours.
Tours include stops at the Douglass Theatre, the Tic Toc Room, the Capricorn Records studio and Grant’s Lounge, where the Friday night tour ends and the bar is open. Macon also allows open containers on Friday nights, so pit stops are made along the way to refill beverages.
Rock Candy Tours requests that reservations are made in advance. They also offer private individual and group tours.
Grab Dinner and Drinks Where Gregg Proposed to Cher
The Downtown Grill is a historic dining spot tucked away in a friendly alleyway and marked with a music history plaque that touts its claim to fame. Once called Le Bistro, and owned by Capricorn Records Vice President Frank Fenter and his wife Kiki, a Swedish Baroness, it was the Southern steakhouse (by way of Europe) to the stars. As Capricorn Records’ fame grew, so did the restaurant’s guest list; Andy Warhol, Jimmy Carter, Bette Midler, all of the Allman Brothers and more dined at the local establishment. It was here that a starry-eyed Gregg Allman popped the question to Cher. The marriage didn’t last long, but the tale will never grow old.
Downtown Grill offers a full bar with cigars. You can also sit away from the smoke in the old world dining area, where you can peruse a hearty steak and seafood menu or sample martinis and apps.
Saturday
Go All Out Allman Brothers
For a trip back in rock-and-roll time, visit The Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House, the historic three-story Tudor mansion where members of the Allman Brothers Band, wives, children and roadies lived from 1970 to 1973. Explore the exhibits in the Fillmore East Room, where the band’s instruments, outfits and memorabilia are on display; or in the living room, where Dickey Betts wrote “Blue Sky.” Step into Duane Allman’s carefully recreated bedroom, or catch the vibes in the Casbah, the band’s former hangout space. Programming includes performances, book signings and live music outdoors.
Pit Stop for Storied Soul Food
H&H Soul Food is open for breakfast, weekend brunch and lunch. You can choose your own adventure in legendary soul food. Try a traditional bacon and eggs breakfast, or sample the biscuit menu that features the “Midnight Rider” stuffed with fried chicken, bacon jam and pimento cheese. Lunch includes all the meat-and-threes that nourished the Allman Brothers Band during their lean years. Founder “Mama Louise” Hudson is credited on the liner notes for Idlewild South with the succinct citation “Vittles: Louise.” The H&H has been a destination for musicians and music fans for more than four decades.
Ramble at Rose Hill Cemetery
Founded in 1840, scenic Rose Hill Cemetery, bordered by railroad tracks on the banks of the Ocmulgee River, provided artistic inspiration for the Allman Brothers Band in their early years, as immortalized in their songs “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and “Little Martha.” You can also recreate their self-titled debut album art with a visit to the iconic wall behind the Bond Memorial. Today, ABB founding members Duane Allman, Berry Oakley and Gregg Allman are interred side-by-side in the beautiful resting place, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Other Georgia Music Hall of Famers interred there are Phil Walden and Joe Galkin.
Catch Live Music in the Act
You never know who is coming through Macon on a Saturday night, but you can always guarantee a worthy live music show at the historic Hargray Capitol Theatre. Part of the Moonhanger Group network of food and music, the theatre is the ideal place for national touring acts and local favorites. Just around the corner is Moonhanger’s anchor restaurants, The Rookery, Macon’s own version of the Hard Rock Cafe with burgers, beer and the upstairs, farm-sourced fine dining and cocktails at Dovetail.
Sunday
Self-Guide Your Way Around Town
Hear those church bells ringing everywhere? Find out some of their significance with the Historic Macon Music Registry. Historic Macon created the plaque project in partnership with Rock Candy Tours, NewTown Macon and the Georgia Allman Brothers Band Association (GABBA).
The Historic Macon Music Registry is an ongoing documentation project that interprets and celebrates Macon's rich and diverse music heritage. Plaques are placed at influential sites that represent the diversity of music's role in shaping the character of soul of Macon. Sites are unique to the various artists, who range from Otis Redding to James Brown, Buddy Greene to Jason Aldean.
Wander to the Otis Redding Statue
A life-size statue immortalizes the iconic American soul singer at Gateway Park on the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail at the corner of Riverside Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The bronze likeness sits overlooking the Ocmulgee River adjacent to the Otis Redding Memorial Bridge and Phil Walden Interchange. Redding’s music can be heard on loop from the outdoor speaker system, where there are benches to sit and vision your own “Dock of the Bay.”
Stay for a Sunset Encore
With a breathtaking view and free live music, open to all, the Second Sunday Concert Series is a monthly community tradition that takes place spring through fall. Pack a picnic or buy one on site and take in the outdoor concert from one of the highest points in the city at Coleman Hill park. The free concert series is run by the Bragg Jam Festival organization and includes emerging touring and local acts, who often play the summer music festival. The schedule varies with the seasons and weather conditions. Check Bragg Jam’s Facebook page for the most recent updates.
