February 5th we continued touring Macon, which has a rich and varied music heritage. Phil Walden founded the South’s premier R&B booking and talent agency and Capricorn Records in the 60s. Macon is the home of Little Richard Penniman, Otis Redding and where James Brown, The Allman Brothers and many others congregated to make some wonderful music and showcase their talents.
Historical areas to visit include: The Tic Toc Room, Douglass Theater, Red Lamp Lounge, The Rookery, Elizabeth Reed Music Hall, Hippie Crash Pad, and the “At Filmore East.” So much history, so much music, and so much love in this city.
We visited the Otis Redding Foundation, which is run by his wife, kids, and grands. We spoke at length with Justin Andrews, Otis’ grandson and learned a lot about how they are helping youth realize their potential. The mission of the foundation is: “Empower, enrich and motivate youth through education in music and the arts.” They are doing a good job. I bought the Collectors CD of his music and Justin threw in a Dream CD as a gift. I invite you to check out their works at https://www.otisreddingfoundation.org/, you will be glad you did. Mr. Redding’s legacy carries on!
We also grabbed a bite to eat at The Rookery on Cherry Street. The Rookery was founded in 1976 and is a local favorite. They have signature sandwiches (you get a choice of meat) with names like “the Jimmy Carter Burger,” with peanut butter and jelly, “the Allman Burger,” with Swiss cheese and mushrooms. It was a very good experience and the food, service and atmosphere was worth the walk. More information here: https://www.rookerymacon.com/
To close out our day we visited Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church. It is a Neo-Gothic design built in 1841. The towers are the tallest twin towers in Macon and measure 200 ft to the tip. The architecture is exquisite. If you love architecture and church history this is a must see.
This was our last day in Macon, the next morning we moved on to Montezuma, Georgia. The weather and the travel have been good and I can’t say enough about the people of Macon, who made us feel so welcome. I highly recommend a trip to Macon to visit the sights, meet the people, and enjoy the richness of it’s history. You will be glad that you did.
Gallivanting with Sandi 