MACON, GA

DUANE ALLMAN
MACON, GA	[ INDEX ]

(click to enlarge)

In April 1969 The Allman Brothers Band moved from Jacksonville, FL to Macon, GA.
They first rented a house at 309 College Street:

The building to the left (The Bell House, 315 College Street) is where the pictures for the cover of the first album were taken:
http://gallery.mercer.edu/Gallery/Buildings/Macon/Bell-House/i-NWr4Tkm
http://gallery.mercer.edu/Gallery/Buildings/Construction-Renovation-Projec/Bell-House-on-College-Street/i-5XjBVVp
http://gardenandgun.com/blog/sneak-peek-musical-legacy-restored

The 'Bond Tomb' at Rose Hill Cemetery, 1091 Riverside Drive:

This is where the pictures for the back cover of the first Allman Brothers Band album were taken:

Later in 1969 Duane Allman moved to his own apartment at 1125 Bond Street:

In January 1970 Berry & Linda Oakley with their daughter Brittany, Duane Allman & Donna Roosmann with their daughter Galadrielle
and Gregg Allman & Candace Oakley (Berry's sister) moved to 2321 Vineville Avenue ('The Big House'):

My friend Kees in front of 'The Big House' in 2005:

And inside 'The Big House' with the 'At Fillmore East' case:

In 1971 Duane Allman moved to 1160 Burton Avenue with his new girlfriend, Dixie Lee Meadows:

On May 2, 1969 The Allman Brothers Band played their first paid gig at The College Discotheque (now The Library Ballroom),
located at 652 Mulberry Street in Macon's First Public Library Building:

The band rented a cabin near Lizella, GA about 11 miles southwest of Macon, that they named 'Idlewild South'.
It was like a hunting cabin that they used as a rehearsal facility and hangout.
Scott Boyer (from the band 'Cowboy') and Chuck Leavell would later take up residence there.

photo by Twiggs Lynton

Duane Allman and the Allman Brothers Band were frequent visitors of the 'H & H Restaurant',
807 Forsyth Street:

'Mama Louise' Hudson of the 'H & H Restaurant':

Capricorn Records

Capricorn Records Offices at 535 D.T. Walton Sr. Way (formerly 535 Cotton Avenue):

In April 1968 Jim Hawkins began building a recording studio
in the back part of this storefront at 445 Broadway.
He called it the 'Otis Redding Memorial Studio'.
In 1969 it would become 'Capricorn Studio':

Capricorn Studio at 530-548 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (formerly Broadway):

video:

On December 3, 2019 the studio reopened as 'Mercer Music At Capricorn':

https://capricorn.mercer.edu/

In an alley near Capricorn Studios photographer Jim Marshall took the shots
for the album cover of 'The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East':

Grant’s Lounge, 576 Poplar Street.
In their early days members of The Allman Brothers Band played a lot of jam sessions at Grant's Lounge,
together with members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Charlie Daniels Band and other Southern rock acts.

The grave of Elizabeth Reed at Rose Hill Cemetery, 1091 Riverside Drive:

The song 'In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed' is named after this headstone Dickey Betts saw at the Rose Hill Cemetery,
a place frequented by band members in their early days for relaxing and writing songs.

Duane Allman played several concerts with The Allman Brothers Band in Macon:

May 2 & 3, 1969: College Discotheque, 652 Mulberry Street:

May 4, 1969: Central City Park

September 16, 1969: Willingham Chapel, Mercer University

November 1, 1969: Macon City Auditorium, 415 First Street:

February 27, 1970: Willingham Chapel, Mercer University:
(photo © Jim Wiggins, Macon, GA)

May 22, 1970: Grand Opera House, 651 Mulberry Street:

December 15, 1970: Mercer University

April 9, 1971: Macon Coliseum, 200 Coliseum Drive:

Duane Allman's fatal motorcycle accident took place on October 29, 1971
at the intersection of Hillcrest Avenue and Bartlett Street:

video:

Duane Allman memorial service on November 1, 1971
at Snow's Memorial Chapel, 746 Cherry Street:

The graves of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley at Rose Hill Cemetery, 1091 Riverside Drive:

Duane Allman's epitaph:
I love being alive and I will be the best man
I possibly can. I will take love wherever
I find it and offer it to everyone who will
take it... Seek knowledge from those wiser...
and teach those who wish to learn from me

videos:

In 1982 Duane Allman was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame and The Allman Brothers Band was inducted in 1998.
The Georgia Music Hall Of Fame, 200 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard:

(The Georgia Music Hall Of Fame was closed on June 12, 2011 due to lack of attendance)

On March 5, 1998 The Georgia State Senate passed a resolution designating
a portion of State Highway 19 in Macon from the intersection of Holt Avenue
to College Street as 'Duane Allman Boulevard'.

Senate Resolution 653:
http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/Archives/19971998/leg/fulltext/sr653.htm

On March 24, 2001, during the 'GABBAfest 2001', the dedication of the 'Duane Allman Boulevard'
took place at the 'Georgia Music Hall Of Fame'.
The 'Duane Allman Boulevard' runs from the intersection of Holt Avenue and Vineville Avenue
and follows State Highway 19 / Route 41 accross the 'Raymond Berry Oakley III Bridge',
through Forsyth Street until the intersection with College Street.
http://www.gabbafest.org/gabbafest-2001/

On September 27, 2014 the official announcement of naming a portion
of State Highway 19 / Route 41 in Macon 'Duane Allman Memorial Blvd'
took place at the Library Ballroom.

A sign with the new street name was presented to Duane's daughter Galadrielle Allman.

The 'Duane Allman Memorial Blvd' is the extended version of the
original 2001 'Duane Allman Boulevard'.
The 3-mile stretch runs from the intersection of Pio Nono Avenue
and Vineville Avenue, near The Big House Museum, and follows the same route
as the 2001 'Duane Allman Boulevard' accross the 'Raymond Berry Oakley III Bridge',
through Forsyth Street until the intersection with New Street,
near the H&H Restaurant.

Galadrielle Allman with the official sign:

On December 5, 2009 'The Allman Brothers Band Museum' opened its doors at 'The Big House', 2321 Vineville Avenue:

Duane's re-decorated room in 'The Big House':

On April 23, 2010 the grand opening of 'The Allman Brothers Band Museum' at 'The Big House', 2321 Vineville Avenue took place.
The ribbon cutting was done by Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe:

video:

Duane Allman's 1957 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop on display
at 'The Allman Brothers Band Museum':

video:

On May 4, 2014 a plaque, courtesy of The Georgia Allman Brothers Band Association (GABBA),
was unveiled to commemorate the location of The College Discotheque at 652 Mulberry Street
(now The Library Ballroom in Macon's First Public Library Building),
where The Allman Brothers Band performed their first paid gig in Macon on May 2, 1969:

After the unveiling "Mystery Road" played a set of Allman Brothers Band classics at the Library Ballroom,
the same place where the Allman Brothers Band played their first paid concert in Macon: