Macon Article Archives
The Paintings of Georgia Artist Steve Penley
The Paintings of Georgia Artist Steve Penley By James Calemine Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1964, Steve Penley was raised in Macon, Georgia. By the time he attended the University of Georgia, he'd been painting and drawing for as long as read more...
Swampland's Top 25 Albums of 2011
As March fades and the first quarter of 2012 comes to a close, Swampland has used this moment to look back on 2011 putting together our list of last year's best music releases from the South. Although we've named 25 records on our Top 25 Albums of 2011, each one serves as read more...
Walking with Zambi: The Colonel Bruce Hampton Interview
Walking with Zambi: The Colonel Bruce Hampton Interview By James Calemine "I do not come to you as a reality. I come to you as read more...
A Georgia Son in the Big Apple: The Brit Whittle Interview
A Georgia Son in the Big Apple The Brit Whittle Interview By James Calemine Acting is a rough trade. Few attain moments on the silver screen. The streets of Hollywood and New York are paved with bones of dead aspirant thespians. Georgia read more...
Jimmy Hall: Still Smiling, With Plenty of Horsepower
Jimmy Hall Still Smiling, With Plenty of Horsepower By Jerry Grillo Jimmy Hall might write a book some day, and the whole thing will be about that one song, the one that got read more...
Essence of Light: The Adam Smith Interview
Essence of Light The Adam Smith Interview By James Calemine Born in Macon, Georgia, in 1975, Adam Smith's photography transcends his age. Smith attended college read more...
Sage & Spirit From Widespread Panic’s John Bell…25 Years of Music & Musings...
Sage & Spirit From Widespread Panic’s John Bell…25 Years of Music & Musings (PART ONE) By James read more...
Widespread Panic's Michael Houser: Eight Years Gone
Michael Houser: The Quiet Genius: Eight Years Gone By James Calemine Eight years ago Widespread Panic’s founding guitarist died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 40. It doesn’t seem like eight years since he’s been read more...
Remembering Capricorn's Frank Fenter: The Push To Get Him Into The Georgia Music Hall of Fame
by Michael Buffalo Smith Frank Fenter is truly an unsung hero of the music world, especially in the world of Southern Rock. Today there is a movement afoot set into motion by Fenter’s step[son Robin to get Fenter into The Georgia Music Hall of Fame. His work read more...
The Big House - America's Finest new Rock'n'Roll Museum
by John Charles Griffin Macon Music Ambassador The much anticipated Allman Brothers Band Big House Museum in Macon, read more...
Capricorn Records - A Tribute
Swampland's Tribute To Capricorn Records When Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records gave Phil Walden and Frank Fenter the read more...
Lisa Love's Soulful Mission for The Georgia Music Hall of Fame
Lisa Love’s Mission To Preserve The Georgia Music Hall of Fame By James Calemine My old friend
November 2009 Chuck Leavell Interview
Mystery And Manners' November 2009 Chuck Leavell Interview
Chuck Leavell Fall 08 Interview (Part One)
The Chuck Leavell Interview Fall 08 (Part One) "The cultivation of trees is the cultivation of the good, the beautiful and the read more...
The 2009 Allman Brothers Band Beacon Run in Review
Swampland Reviews The Entire 2009 Beacon Run Be Sure read more...
Devon Allman: The GRITZ Interview
by Michael Buffalo Smith Devon Allman is bearing his soul at last. After years of running from his heritage, he is happy and healthy and proud to be the son of Southern Rock legend Gregg Allman. It might not read more...
Macon GABBAFEST Soars to 101 Degrees
Thunder On The Mountain: Interview with Widespread Panic's Dave Schools
Dave Schools Interview: Thunder On The Mountain By James Calemine "Will power. With strength of will you can do anything. With read more...
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 19, Memorials
Memorials, continued. Allman Brothers Band and Marshall Tucker Band. Duane Allman and Berry Oakley read more...
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 15, 1971, Skynyrd, MTB, EQT
Ronnie Van Zant playing in the park in Jacksonville, 1971.
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 20, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rossington Collins Band
Mr. Cool, Ronnie Van Zant. Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Dixie Lullaby
An excerpt from DIXIE LULLABY: A Story of Music, Race, and New Beginnings in a New South By Mark Kemp University of Georgia Press
Pete Kowalke of Cowboy: The GRITZ Interview
by Michael Buffalo Smith Pete Kowalke is one of the founding members of Cowboy, the country rock flavored band who were among the earliest and best of the Southern Rockers to come out read more...
Legends of Southern Rock: Cowboy
Eric Quincy Tate's Dave Cantonwine: The GRITZ Interview
by Michael Buffalo Smith Eric Quincy Tate was one of the greatest Southern Rock bands of all time, but they just never got the recognition they so richly deserved. The Texas based band was compared by many to fellow
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Ten; Winters Bros. Band, Charlie Daniels, Marshall Tucker Band
An ad from Rolling Stone.
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Fourteen
Gregg Allman with The Allman Joys.
The Top 40 Moments From The Allman Brothers Band's 2009 Beacon Run
The 2009 Beacon Run was one for the books. Never have The Allman Brothers welcomed so many diverse guests onto their stage during a single run. And the results were read more...
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Eight, Capricorn Days
Frank Fenter, Phil Walden, Dick Wooley and Don Schmitzerly do the Marx Brothers.
The Allman Brothers Band: An Essential Link Through America's Music Generations
by James Calemine “You don’t need no gypsy to tell you why/You can’t let one precious day slip by…” --Gregg read more...
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Seven
Phil Walden and Frank Fenter lakeside.
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Six; Capricorn Days
Frank Fenter in his office at Capricorn Records, Macon.
Tom Wynn of Cowboy: The GRITZ Interview
by Michael Buffalo Smith One of my very favorite bands to come out of the Capricorn Records era was the band called Cowboy, a group that originated a sound that other bands like The Eagles and Poco would later utilize. Scott Boyer, Tommy Talton and the band recorded read more...
Six Degrees of Swampland: Widespread Panic
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook, Part Five: Cowboy, Capricorn & MTB
The Cowboy House in Cochran, GA. Actually called "The Shedd House" at the time, it was where read more...
Butch Trucks of The Allman Brothers Band: The Gritz Interview
by Michael Buffalo Smith There's major excitement in the air surrounding The Allman Brothers Band camp this week. Monday will find them starting out on their read more...
Recruiting Never Ends in the South
When it comes to college football, just ‘Google’ the phrase “recruiting is the lifeblood” and you’ll see a ton of results. The fact that quality recruiting is the number one key for long-term success in the big-time world of college football has never read more...
2008 Georgia Music Hall of Fame Inductions
2008 Georgia Music Hall of Fame
The 25 Best Songs: The Allman Brothers Band
by Michael Buffalo Smith They were the the first, and many consider them the best, band of the Southern Rock era. The fiery slide guitar of Duane Allman, the country meets Django guitar and decidedly country vocals of
Elvin Bishop: The GRITZ Interview
by Michael Buffalo Smith "Elvin Bisop's sittin' on a bale of hay He ain't good lookin' but he sure can play." - Charlie Daniels
What It Is--Is Swamp Music--Is What It Is
What It Is—Swamp Music—Is What It Is
Chuck Leavell: Rolling Stone & Tree Farmer
read more...
A Southern Strategy For The NBA
Now that we welcome another NBA team to our Footprint (three cheers for OKC), it's time for the NBA to start making some other changes that will help this league's popularity continue to grow in our read more...
The Ten Greatest Southern Rock Cities
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Jacksonville, Florida The birthplace of
The Top Ten Guitarists of the Southern Rock Era
The Greatest Guitar Slingers of The Southern Rock Era by Michael Buffalo Smith
Capricorn Records Discography 1969 - 1979
CAPRICORN LABEL ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY Number - Title - Artist [Release Date] (Chart) read more...
Southern Sporting "Events"
by Patrick Snow As I attended a Kentucky Derby function this past Saturday, it was never more evident that Southerners must throw a pretty good party. We are probably more known
Gritz Legends of Southern Rock
A handful of bands from the Southern Rock Era have earned the title of "Legend." These are the bands that defined the genre and set the bar for all other bands in their wake. These are the few, the originals, the Legends of Southern read more...
Chris Hicks: Walking With The Dinosaurs
by Michael Buffalo Smith Chris Hicks is a force to be reckoned with. A Macon, Georgia native, he grew up in the shadows of giants during the hey day of Capricorn Records, listening to read more...
Big House Benefit a Major Success
Article & Photos by John Charles Griffin The annual Allman Brother's Big House Museum Benefit was a rock'n'roll home run with near-capacity crowd at Macon's Armory Ballroom on Saturday, January 19th despite weather forecasts earlier that day for potential snow with ice read more...
SEC: Conference King Once Again
By Patrick Snow It’s an argument that will never end-whose Conference is better? Fans will debate this topic vociferously every season, and the answer always tends to lie close to your address. I’m not sure that the Bowl games are the best way to evaluate read more...
Macon Holiday Jam Was a Major Success
by John Charles Griffin Macon, Georgia's 2007 Holiday Benefit Jam was held on on December 21st at Cox Capitol Theatre. The event was a major success that featured music by Randall Bramblett,
Cosmic Art Show in Georgia: A Photographic Retrospective
Buena Vista, Georgia's St. EOM is a Mecca for Cosmic Art Pasaquan's second annual Arts for Pasaquan Day on November 3rd, 2007 featured some of America's best visionary artists including Miz Thang, Robert Seven, Chris (Chubb) Hubbard's Heaven & read more...
Legends of Southern Rock: The Allman Brothers Band
by Michael Buffalo Smith
The Allman and Oakley Fence Fund Seeks to Protect Grave Sites
by Michael Buffalo Smith There has been an ongoing battle in Macon, Georgia for several years now concerning the grave sites of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley at Rose Hill Cemetery. Over the course of the years, the grave sites have attracted thousands of visitors, and while read more...
Bragg Jam 2007 in Macon: A Photo Retrospective
Macon's annual Bragg Jam, held on July 28, 2007, was again a stellar success. Bragg Jam always draws a lot of Middle Georgia acts, many who were friends with Brax and Taylor "Tate" Bragg, the brothers the event commemorates. The Bragg brothers were read more...
Tommy Talton and the Cowboy Reunion
by Michael Buffalo Smith One of Capricorn Records' finest bands during the 1970's was Cowboy, an outstanding country-rock band headed up by Tommy Talton and Scott Boyer. During the past few read more...
Kirk West
Kirk West Swampland Interview James Calemine @jamescalemine April, 2007 KIRK WEST’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES Kirk West plays an integral part in The Allman read more...
GABBAFEST 2006
AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT Article and Photos by Bill Thames November 2006 The Georgia Allman Brothers Band Association read more...
Mama Louise's Most Excellent Birthday Jam
Story & Photos by by Bill Thames September 2006 A pessimist might say, “a good deed never goes unpunished,” but last weekend, in a room full of smiling optimists, Gregg Allman told the crowd that, “one shared read more...
Phil Walden Memorial
Phil Was a Capricorn By Michael Buffalo Smith May 2006 Phil Walden, 66, the Capricorn Records founder who launched the careers of Otis Redding and the Allman Brothers Band, died on Sunday, April 23, 2006 after a long read more...
The Jam for Duane: 2005
THE JAM FOR DUANE: 2005 by Mitch Lopate November 2005 Jam For Duane October 27-29 2nd Street Music Hall Gadsden, AL I’m tellin’ ya read more...
Delbert McClinton
DELBERT McCLINTON KEEPS IT REAL by Michael Buffalo Smith November 2005 Delbert McClinton’s formative years were spent as a member of The Straitjackets, the house band at a blues/rhythm and blues club on the outskirts of read more...
John D. Wyker's Cat Tales - Macon & Capricorn Records
Macon & Capricorn Records Cat Tale The year 1969 was a wild and strange and crazy time for me.When the editor of GRITZ asked me to write a Cat Tale about the time I spent in Macon,Georgia I was honored to be asked and to be able to say read more...
Capricorn Records
By Russell Hall April 2004 In a business where executives often achieve legendary status, Capricorn Records founder Phil Walden has always been something of an anomaly. Unlike say, Jerry Wexler or Ahmet read more...
Doug Gray
Searchin’ for a Rainbow Doug Gray of The Marshall Tucker Band by Michael Buffalo Smith March 2004 The Marshall Tucker Band has never stopped rocking since their inception in the early 1970s; there has always read more...
Johnny Sandlin
Johnny Sandlin Southern Producer, Engineer and Musician by Michael Buffalo Smith Spring 2004 You can find his name in the credits of most any Capricorn read more...
Ace Moreland: A Remembrance
Ace Moreland: A Remembrance by Paul Doell February 2003 Ace Moreland’s most recent album (Give It To Get It, released on the King Snake-Icehouse label in 2000) includes a 1998 photo of the lean, lanky read more...
Tom Dowd
From The Manhattan Project to the Allman Brothers Band An Interview with Tom Dowd by Michael Buffalo Smith Fall 2002 Okay. We know that he has produced some of the greatest records in the read more...
Tom Dowd (Part 2)
The last name on my name list is someone that has become kind of a legend in our Southern rock genre. What can you say about Ronnie Van Zant? Ronnie was a gem. Ronnie was a brilliant writer. We spent most of our time together traveling on the road for a day read more...
Tom Dowd Memorial
TOM DOWD The Legendary Producer Dies on October 27, 2002 By Derek Halsey Last May I was invited to be backstage at the Grand Ole Opry as the guest of the excellent country and western singer, Joni Harms, whom I had interviewed read more...
Jupiter Coyote
Deep Inside The Cosmos Factory Jupiter Coyote Jams by Scott Greene Summer 2002 In our neverending quest to bring you the best the music world has to offer, we are always looking for new and fresh acts to read more...
Charlie Hayward (The Charlie Daniels Band)
CHARLIE HAYWARD Playing in The Charlie Daniels Band by Michael Buffalo Smith June 2002 Since 1975, Charlie Hayward has held down the bottom for the Charlie read more...
George Lindsey
GEORGE LINDSEY A Chat with Mayberry’s Goober Pyle by Michael Buffalo Smith June 2002 There’s no doubt about it. George Lindsey will read more...
Dickey Betts 2002
BLUE SKIES AND TOMBSTONE EYES Dickey Betts and The Great Southern Reunion by Michael Buffalo Smith June, 2002
Alan Walden
Skynyrd, The Allmans and Otis Alan Walden's Career in Rock and Soul by Michael Buffalo Smith January 2002 Anyone who has read anything at all about the history of Southern Music is familiar with read more...
Red Dog Campbell
The Original Road Dog Red Dog Campbell’s Thirty-Three Years with The Allman Brothers Band by Michael Buffalo Smith August 2001 He’s the most famous “roadie” on the planet, no read more...
Dru Lombar
Dru Lombar Recalls Grinderswitch, Joe Dan and Southern Rock of the Seventies by Michael Buffalo Smith June 2001 (prior to the reformation of Grinderswitch, the death of Joe Dan Petty and ultimately the death of read more...
Travis Wammack
"SCRATCHY" WAS JUST THE BEGINNING Travis Wammack is Still Rocking May, 2001 by Michael B. Smith We can think of no better introduction to our exclusive interview than the following article from ROLLING read more...
George McCorkle 2001
Checking Back in with George McCorkle Rockin’ Blues on an American Street by Michael Buffalo Smith April 2001 George McCorkle was a founding member of The Marshall Tucker Band and, for the past read more...
Larry Howard
The Southern Rock of Ages Former Grinderswitch guitarist Larry Howard talks about his old band, his friends like The Allman Brothers and Marshall Tucker Band and his journey toward a higher calling. by Michael Buffalo read more...
Paul Hornsby
An Ear for Southern Rock Paul Hornsby On Hourglass, Capricorn Records and A Life in Music by Michael Buffalo Smith January, 2001 Paul Hornsby's name is synonymous with Southern Rock, as both musician and producer. The following read more...
Stanley Booth: Can I Get A Witness
Can I Get A Witness The True Adventures of Stanley Booth By James Calemine Winter 2000 Jack Kerouac was a writer. That is, he wrote. Many people who call themselves writers and have their names on books aren’t read more...
Dickey Betts 2000
BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGINS An Exclusive with Dickey Betts by Michael Buffalo Smith November, 2000 The words, "no introduction is necessary" come immediately to mind as I sit down to write a foreword for the following read more...
Charlie Daniels 2000
Back to Tennessee: Catching Up with Charlie Daniels by Michael Buffalo Smith October 2000 What inspired you to record the songs you recorded for your new album Tailgate Party?
Jimmy Nalls
The Bionic Blues Man Jimmy Nalls Battles Disease and Keeps On Rockin’ by Michael Buffalo Smith Fall 2000 Jimmy Nalls is read more...
Bobby Whitlock
Layla, and Many Other Songs of Love Bobby Whitlock Talks About Derek & The Dominos, Duane Allman, Gram Parsons, Eric Clapton and more... by Mitch Lopate Winter 2000 I see you released a new album on the read more...
Eddie Stone
Like a Rolling Stone A Visit with Former Doc Holliday Member, and Current Solo Star, Eddie Stone by Michael Buffalo Smith January 2000 Eddie Stone spent many years playing keyboard and read more...
Chuck Leavell
POUNDING KEYS & HUGGING TREES A Conversation with Chuck Leavell By Michael B. Smith June 2000 What can you say about Chuck Leavell? He is and has been one of the most sought-after keyboard players in rock and roll, read more...
Ace Moreland
KINGSNAKE HAS AN ACE UP THEIR SLEEVE Ace Moreland Remembers Steve Gaines, Talks About The Blues, Recording with Edgar Winter, and His Friend Derek Trucks by Michael Buffalo Smith June 2000 When read more...
Dennis Winters
Checking in with Dennis Winters of The Winters Brothers Band by Michael Buffalo Smith March 2000 One question we here at Gritz have been asked time and time again over the past year is read more...
John D. Wyker
Hallucination Verification John Wyker and Mighty Field of Vision by Mitch Lopate 2000 Hallucination verification, John D. "WildCat" Wyker's back on the loose! Actually, it's hard to read more...
Moon Mullins
THE LIFE OF A ROADIE Arthur Mullins Recalls His Days with The Marshall Tucker Band by Michael Buffalo Smith June, 1999 Spartanburg’s Arthur “Moon” Mullins was almost as read more...
Gregg Allman
Midnight Rider An Audience with Gregg Allman by Michael Buffalo Smith Spring 1999 Warren Haynes and Allen Woody had just left The Allman Brothers Band to pursue Gov’t Mule full time, and Jack Pearson read more...
Chris Hicks
Checking in with Chris Hicks by Michael Buffalo Smith February, 1999 To be so young, Macon, Georgia’s Chris Hicks has been around the Southern Rock block a few times -- and in a big way. As guitarist and read more...
George McCorkle 1998
Lightning in the Air An Interview with George McCorkle by Michael Buffalo Smith June 1998 There truly was “fire on the mountain and lightning in the air” on June 4, 1998 when I caught up with read more...
Jimmy Hall
JUST AS WET AS EVER WET WILLIE FRONTMAN JIMMY HALL by Michael Buffalo Smith Summer 1998 When the stage is his, Jimmy Hall, the dynamic, Mobile, Alabama -born singer transforms himself into one righteous medium who melds read more...