‘An Orientation Toward the Infinite’: Dahlonega’s brilliant Grimm Family -- Antics in Candyland

‘An Orientation Toward the Infinite’: Dahlonega’s brilliant Grimm Family -- Antics in Candyland

Leesburg Native Inducted into Hall of Fame

A singer born in Leesburg back in 1929 is the latest inductee into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

Vocalist Roy Hamilton was a popular hit maker during his short career in the 1950's.

He was a Golden Gloves boxer before he was discovered singing in a New Jersey nightclub in 1953.

His first single 'You'll Never Walk Alone,' reached number one on the R&B chart in 1954.

He was also a singing coach for Elvis Presley.

Hamilton died of a stroke at the age of 40 in 1969.

http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=11739709

Performer Magazine : The Musician's Resource: News: Tree Sound Studios hosts Georgia’s largest green music event

From the site:

On Nov. 21, the legendary Tree Sound Studios hosted more than 300 guests and musicians as various artists recorded a “Mother Earth” anthem as the theme for the 2010 Pack the Park movement. The goal of Pack the Park is to provide, refurbish or build green-wise parks in various communities.

http://performermag.blogspot.com/2009/12/news-tree-sound-studios-hosts-georgias.html

Jazz Orchestra Atlanta: Concert and Repertory Big Band | Jazz Education

Jazz Orchestra Atlanta: Concert and Repertory Big Band | Jazz Education

Orchestra Atlanta, a 23-year-old, not-for-profit arts organization based in Atlanta, GA, today announces its official name change to "Jazz Orchestra Atlanta," reinforcing the organization's shift in commitment to the advancement of the best in jazz education and performance. The group continues to produce professional jazz performances by a resident repertory big band featuring high-caliber jazz musicians from Atlanta and the Southeast. Jazz Orchestra Atlanta also continues running its popular Summer Jazz Camps for metro Atlanta middle and high school students. The camp is held at Georgia State University, and in 2010 JOA will premier a Vocal Jazz Workshop featuring the internationally recognized vocal group The New York Voices, who will join JOA's big band in a special closing concert at the Rialto Theater.

"The decision to change the name officially was an easy one," says JOA Executive and Artistic Director, Dr. Brent Runnels. "Our focus really shifted over the past several years as audiences showed a great deal of enthusiasm for the jazz concerts we added to our programming. We recognized an important musical niche was not being filled in Atlanta, and our professional big band performances fill that nicely. We found we had already carved out a niche for advancing superior jazz education, so filing with the State to make the name change official was the logical next step to demonstrate our commitment to the new mission and vision for the organization. Our audience and everyone at JOA are very excited about it."

Jazz Orchestra Atlanta Strengthens Board of Directors and Fundraising Efforts

In addition, the Jazz Orchestra Atlanta recently added several new contributing members to their diverse Board of Directors. "Our board is a blend of professional men and women who represent a wonderful cross section of large and small Atlanta businesses, and local professional musicians," continued Runnels, "with common threads of enthusiasm for the art of jazz music, and the community stature we need to help us achieve our goals."

Recent additions to the board include Mark Williamson, a partner at Alston and Bird; Phil Williamson, a CPA and tax director of Mirant Corporation; Steve Brown, avid musician, pilot and project management consultant; Robert Scarr of Delta Airlines; Jerry McEver, musician , teacher and School Music Recruiting Specialist and Consultant; Greg Coile, a well-known Atlanta musician and teacher; and Joe Gransden, one of Atlanta's best known jazz musicians. "The addition of these members and their contributions further strengthen and diversify Jazz Orchestra Atlanta's board and proves the community commitment and interest in the art form of jazz and its ongoing proliferation in Metro Atlanta," said Mark Williamson, JOA Board Chair.

The JOA Board of Directors meets monthly to determine policy, programming, marketing, and resource development while encouraging awareness and interest in Jazz Orchestra Atlanta's programs.

The result of Jazz Orchestra Atlanta's work can be seen regularly at venues like Cafe 290 in Sandy Springs, where Joe Gransden and the JOA big band play shows twice monthly on the first and third Mondays, and in featured events at the Woodruff Arts Center and Spivey Hall, where Jazz Orchestra Atlanta will join with Joe Gransden to present a Big Band Christmas Show. More information is available at: www.orchestraatlanta.org

Tamara Conniff: Otis Redding's Widow Speaks About Respect

Tamara Conniff: Otis Redding's Widow Speaks About Respect

Remembering Johnny Mercer �| accessAtlanta

Remembering Johnny Mercer �| accessAtlanta

Retracing Blind Willie's blues | Atlanta | Music | Feature

Very nice article covering the new book by Michael Gray -- Hand Me My Travelin' Shoes: In Search of Blind Willie McTell.

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/retracing_blind_willie_s_blues/Content?oid=1095308

Gladys Knight 'I Can Do Bad All by Myself' Interview with Kam Williams

The great ones endure, and Gladys Knight is a testament to that sage maxim. Over the last half-century, this seven-time Grammy-winner has enjoyed #1 hits in pop, R&B and Adult Contemporary, and has triumphed in film, on television and in concert.

http://newsblaze.com/story/20090913125138kamw.nb/topstory.html

UGA Professor W. Fred Mills, a renowned trumpet player, killed in crash

University of Georgia music professor and internationally renowned trumpet player W. Fred Mills died following a single-car crash Monday night in Walton County.

Mills, 74, of Greystone Terrace, was driving from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport when his car ran off the road in Monroe.

Mills was taken to Athens Regional Medical Center where he later died.

Mills was returning from an engagement in Italy where he'd performed with the Pentabrass Quintet, according to friends who gathered at the hospital Monday night.

A professor of trumpet and brass chamber music in UGA's Hugh Hodgson School of Music, Mills also belonged to the renowned chamber music group Canadian Brass for 24 years.

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/090909/uga_491142438.shtml

GEORGIA FAMILY VACATIONS: Chief White Path’s Cabin - Brown's Guide to Georgia

Located to the Northeast Georgia History Center, the cabin where Cherokee Chief White Path was born and raised pays tribute to an Indian leader who was betrayed by his friend, President Andrew Jackson.

http://brownsguides.com/kids/chief-white-path%E2%80%99s-cabin/

VOA News - Savannah Celebrates Lyricist Johnny Mercer

Savannah, Georgia has named native son and prolific song writer Johnny Mercer its "Man of the Year." Throughout 2009, the historic city on the Atlantic coastline is hosting events to honor Mercer, who wrote lyrics to more than 1,000 songs from the 1930s into the 1960s.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-08-25-voa24.cfm

Metro Spirit: Music Features - Remembering Blind Willie McTell

AUGUSTA, GA - In the 50 years since his death, Thomson native Blind Willie McTell has become known as one of the country’s most influential bluesmen, inspiring famous musicians across the globe including Bob Dylan and the Allman Brothers.

Metro Spirit: Music Features - Remembering Blind Willie McTell:

Lokal Loudness

Check out Lokal Loudness's Augusta Music History 101 feature here:

http://lokalloudness.org/

Clint Eastwood Presents JOHNNY MERCER: THE DREAM’S ON ME | Daemon's Movies

This November, commemorating the 100th anniversary of his birth, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate the extraordinary music of this legendary personality with JOHNNY MERCER: THE DREAM'S ON ME, executive-produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker Clint Eastwood.

http://www.daemonsmovies.com/2009/08/18/clint-eastwood-presents-johnny-mercer-the-dreams-on-me/

Atlanta Official Makes Pitch for Music Hall | 13WMAZ.com | Macon, GA

Atlanta Official Makes Pitch for Music Hall | 13WMAZ.com | Macon, GA

A Fulton County commissioner says it's time to move the Georgia Music Hall of Fame from Macon to Atlanta.

In a news release, Robb Pitts says he visited the hall of fame this week and decided that 'this jewel's best chance for survival' is a move to the state capital.

Winner of the Georgia Music Legend Award

Newton Collier, the second winner of the Georgia Music Legend Award at the BBQ & Blues Fest here, will be honored with a benefit birthday bash tomorrow, August 15.

http://www.barnesville.com/archives/1116-A-soulful-celebration.html

The Song Remembers When

Music executive Mike Bone returns to Macon, Georgia and reminisces about his life in music.

http://www.macon.com/194/story/796597.html

Georgia Museums and Galleries

Wow! Here's a very nice list of Georgia museums and galleries in the state of Georgia...

http://www.gamg.org/museumlinks.html

The photo is from the Augusta Museum of History...

Exploring Georgia History

This is a very nice site -- the page linked below features Georgia-based historical sites:

http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/Georgia1.html

Photo from the site is of St. Simons Lighthouse, constructed in 1872. Here's another link from the Coastal Georgia Historical Society that gives some history of the lighthouse:

http://www.saintsimonslighthouse.org/lighthouse.html

Crawfordville, Georgia

The AJC reports that Crawfordville will be the setting for Get Low, a movie starring Robert Duvall. From the 1/1/09 article:

CRAWFORDVILLE — The east Georgia city of Crawfordville will provide a backdrop for an upcoming Robert Duvall movie, a 1930s drama called “Get Low.”

The seat of Taliaferro County was chosen because its appearance has changed little in 70 years, with no fast-food chains marring the landscape. Bob Kendrick, president of the Crawfordville Historial Society and the town’s Hollywood liaison, says he was born there in 1930, “and things are pretty much like they’ve always been.”

Here's a slideshow from Flickr.com -- see for yourself:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstephenconn/sets/72157609626296284/show/with/3047327819/

Great Gospel Music Performance

This is great - Pastor E. Dewey Smith leads the congregation of Macon's Beulahland Bible Church in the hymn Near the Cross. This is a must see/hear!

Augusta.com Picture Story

Although apparently a dormant region of the Augusta.com web site, this slide show is very informative -- it contains photos and short bios of famous Augustans. I learned a lot from this site!

http://www.augusta.com/leaders/slideshow_national/slide1.html

GPB State of the Arts

Links to Georgia Public Television's State of the Arts. The blog features information on Georgia artists and musicians:

http://gpbarts.blogspot.com/

The show's main web site is here:

http://www.gpb.org/stateofthearts

Highway 27 Courthouse Tour

Click on the link below to take a tour of Georgia courthouses along US Route 27, also known as the Martha Berry highway, which extends from north to south across the entire state:

http://hwy27.com/tour.html

From the site:

Georgia Governor M.E. Thompson described Martha Berry as an inspiration to all who believe in education. Berry, a native of Rome. Georgia, dedicated her life to helping young men and women attain an education. And in 1947, Governor Thompson told the thousands of students and faculty of Berry College that he would see to it that U.S.27 would be called The Martha Berry Highway through his state.

The Georgia U.S. highway 27 Association was formed in 1994 to promote economic development along the road which runs the full length of the western portion of the state. The group has worked closely with the Georgia Department Of Transportation on their plans to four-lane the highway.

NOTE: The photo above is of the Cuthbert (GA) courthouse, which was completed in 1887.

Atlanta's Lost Soul

From the December 08 issue of Atlanta's Stomp and Stammer magazine:

From the perspective of an ATL that rules the 21st century R&B and hip hop charts, it seems odd that no ’60s era soul label thrived in a civil rights center like the City Too Busy To Hate. Just don’t blame Jesse Jones for not laying it all on the line.

The helmsman for the Tragar and Note labels pumped out at least 40 sides between 1968 and 1978. At best, they made regional ripples and eventually landed in dusty obscurity. That is, until Atlanta DJ Brian Proust – creator of georgiasoul.com – discovered the labels and, with help from Chicago's Numero Group, compiled them into a double-CD set, the most recent release in Numero’s Eccentric Soul series.

http://stompandstammer.com/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=1629&Itemid=51

Here's a downloadable print view of the article:

Stomp_And_Stammer_20Dec.08.pdf

Georgia Organics

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgia-Organics/9157806781


Georgia Organics is the state’s nonprofit leader in advancing sustainable foods and farms. Offering classes, farm and garden tours, talks and other events, it educates consumers as well as farmers, gardeners, and agricultural professionals. Georgia Organics produces a highly-regarded local food guide and offers a mentoring program that links successful organic farmers with producers new to organics. It helps existing growers improve production and marketing and has supported efforts to improve farm-to-school programs in Georgia. A recent collaboration with Emory’s Sustainable Food Initiative is providing a “farmer liaison” to help expand the supply of sustainable and organic production in the state. Georgia Organics annual meeting is a highlight of the agricultural year, and the organization has played an increasing role with institutions of policy, research, outreach and education to improve and increase organics in Georgia.

Environmental Education (EE) in Georgia:

http://www.eeingeorgia.org/


The goal of EEinGeorgia.org is to build statewide capacity for environmental education by providing: EE lesson plans based on Georgia’s curriculum standards, a searchable directory of Georgia's EE organizations and the resources they offer, a statewide calendar of EE events, EE news, and easy-to-access facts about Georgia's environment.

Georgia racks up the Grammy nominations

Last night (12/3/08), the Grammy nominations were announced on CBS, and Georgia-related singers, rappers, bands, and acts made out like bandits.

Let’s take a look at who and what got nominated from the Peach State:

http://www.atlantamagazine.com/blogs/blog_post.aspx?id=26098&blogid=258

Georgia Tech Launches Center for Music Technology

http://www.gatech.edu/newsroom/release.html?id=2264

Atlanta (November 7, 2008) —Georgia Tech today launches the new Center for Music Technology with more than 20 researchers from the arts, sciences and engineering. Several interdisciplinary projects already in progress will be demonstrated today at an exclusive launch event for potential collaborators

“Our goal is to build an international center for creative and technological research in music that will redefine the way we create, perform, listen to and consume music,” says Dr. Gil Weinberg, co-founder and director of the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology. “To that end, we brought together top researchers from across campus who together can address current challenges in the field and develop new solutions that cannot be achieved in the framework of a single discipline.”

Unlike much current research in music, the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology is committed to bringing new ideas to the market, with applied solutions for businesses and consumers. Researchers are already working on ways to improve existing acoustical instruments, as well as defining new approaches for music making. “One of our new projects, called ZooZ Beat, for example, allows anyone with a cell phone to use expressive gestures to create and share music in a group,” explains Weinberg. “Other projects explore concepts like wearable devices for music therapy, audience participation in live performance, robotic musicianship, music as an assistive medium for the visually impaired and computational analysis of music at the signal level.” Other research areas include composition, machine listening, materials science, music information retrieval, digital signal processing, design and manufacturing, networked music, music perception, music theory, multimedia development and acoustics.

“It is important to note that the students who work with our faculty members bring with them a wide range of skills and experiences, from the technical to the artistic,” stresses Weinberg. “More than half of our students are pursuing a Master of Science in Music Technology degree in a relatively new program at Georgia Tech that encourages students to explore their creativity both technically and musically. We are currently in the process of proposing a PhD degree in Music Technology, which will allow our students to deepen their education in these areas and help develop a strong intellectual backbone for research activities in the Center.”

The Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology is a unit of the College of Architecture at Georgia Tech, and jointly funded by the Office of the Provost and the Colleges of Architecture, Computing and Engineering.

Interesting Web Site

This is a fascinating site. Enter your Georgia zip code and find all kinds of local landmarks of interest.

http://www.waymarking.com/

From the site:

Waymarking is a way to mark unique locations on the planet and give them a voice. While GPS technology allows us to pinpoint any location on the planet, mark the location, and share it with others, Waymarking is the toolset for categorizing and adding unique information for that location. Groundspeak's slogan is "The Language of Location" and our goal is to give people the tools to help others share and discover unique and interesting locations on the planet. We invite you to share your part of the world with us through Waymarking.com.

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database Debuts at Emory

http://www.slavevoyages.org/tast/index.faces

A group of international scholars will gather at Emory Dec. 5-6 to celebrate the debut of "Voyages: The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database" as it begins its own maiden expedition.

Two years in the making at Emory, the free and interactive Web-based resource documents the slave trade from Africa to the New World between the 16th and 19th centuries, says David Eltis, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of History and one of the scholars who originally published "The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade" as a CD-ROM in 1999. He and Martin Halbert, director of digital innovations for Emory Libraries, directed the work that made the online "Voyages" project expandable, interactive and publicly accessible.

"'Voyages' provides searchable information on almost 35,000 trans-Atlantic voyages hauling human cargo, as well as maps, images and data on some individual Africans transported," says Eltis.

Blues Chronicler George Mitchell

George Mitchell was born in Coral Gables, Florida in 1944. He was raised in Atlanta, Georgia and in 1958 discovered by accident the two radio stations in Atlanta that played black music, WAOK, and WERD, the first black-owned station in the US. Mitchell was drawn to black music, and as a teenager listened intently to Samuel B. Charters’ anthology The Country Blues. He also went to blues and R&B shows and saw Bo Diddley, Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, and the Staple Singers with his grandmother in tow; they were the only white people at that performance.

http://www.libs.uga.edu/media/collections/georgiafolklore/georgemitchell.html

Georgia Civil War Heritage Trails

The Civil War, or War Between the States, changed Georgia forever. Its impact on Georgia was greater than any other event, hurricane, or sporting spectacular. Approximately 11,000 Georgians were killed between 1861 and 1865, while 460,000 others were emancipated by the War’s outcome. Georgia Civil War Heritage Trails® (“GCWHT”) interprets Georgia’s Civil War era along its historic routes, while leading visitors on an experience back in time. Indeed the drives themselves, along many of the same roads once used by soldiers wearing blue or gray, are as significant to understanding Georgia’s importance during the War as are the “interpretive markers.” GCWHT also highlights various preservation opportunities, with many scenic and cultural benefits.

http://www.gcwht.org/aboutgcwht.htm

Margaret Mitchell House

http://www.gwtw.org/

The Margaret Mitchell House:
Its Historical Significance

1899

Built by Cornelius J. Sheehan as a two-story, single-family home with a fashionable address of 806 Peachtree Street. The neighborhood was known as the "tight squeeze," referring to the turn-of-the-century when Peachtree looped around a 30-foot ravine.

1919

The house was converted into a 10-unit apartment building called the Crescent Apartments. During this time, families were selling their homes to make way for commercial development. The owner pushed the house back 40 feet toward Crescent Avenue, propped it up, added a ground floor, tore off the front porches, added porches to the back of the house and turned it into a three-story apartment building. The new address became 17 Crescent Avenue. In 1926, the address changed to 979 Crescent Avenue.

1925-1932

Margaret Mitchell and her husband, John Marsh, lived in Apartment #1, where she wrote the majority of her classic novel, Gone With The Wind.

1920's & 1930's

Margaret Mitchell's apartment became an a literary salon for bohemian Atlanta and a central meeting place for aspiring writers and journalists.

1936

Gone With The Wind published on June 10.

1989

Margaret Mitchell House declared a city landmark under the administration of Mayor Andrew Young. The house was the first building in the city to achieve this status.

1994

In September 1994, an arsonist set fire to the house and caused serious damage to the property. No one was arrested, and no motive was established.

1995

Daimler-Benz, the German industrial group, committed $5 million to purchase the property and to restore the house and the apartment.

1996

In May 1996, an arsonist struck again just 40 days before the house would open for the Olympic Games.

1997

Dedicated on May 16 and opens to the public as a historic site.

Margaret Mitchell House listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C.

Georgia Historical Markers

Here's a Georgia-based site with a listing of historical markers by county:

http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/gahistmarkers/gamarkerscontents.htm

Here's another site that has a searchable database of historical markers. The link below lists 921 historical markers in Georgia -- sorted by county.

http://www.hmdb.org/Results.asp?State=Georgia

Roland Hayes

http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=13916

Roland Hayes, the first internationally renowned African - American classical singer was born in Gordon County and performed at this site, the former Calhoun High Auditorium. Hayes opened doors for African - American concert and opera performers and elevated Negro spirituals to the classical level, singing them in concert with operatic arias. He sang in seven languages. Hayes studied at Nashville´s Fisk University and toured the United States, performing at Carnegie Hall and Boston Symphony Hall. His foreign tour included a command performance for King George V and Queen Mary at Buckingham Palace. At the height of his half - century career. Hayes was one of the world´s highest paid singers. He made a number of recordings and published his music in the book My Songs. In 1991, Roland Hayes was named to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. On his 80th birthday, Hayes was honored with this tribute. "He is and ever was at once one voice, one race, one citizen, one triumph in belief, one compromise with nothing … he is a country to himself that borders not on nations whole or sundered, but on art, on life - on people prizing now and then nobility in man.

Collard Greens Online

This site originates out of Fitzgerald, Georgia. Featuring "King Louie's Famous Collard Green Seasoning." Good stuff!

http://kinglouiespecialblends.com/collard_greens.html

Vanishing South Georgia

Here's a wonderful blog entitled Vanishing South Georgia:

http://vanishingsouthgeorgia.wordpress.com/

From the site:

The purpose of this photographic archive, for those of you who may be interested, is to preserve what is left of the culture of rural South Georgia. Each day, modernization threatens the very fabric of life that has persisted in South Georgia for the better part of two centuries. Tobacco barns, country stores and farmhouses are disappearing at an alarming rate. As there is no real effort to preserve these structures and the culture they represent, especially by government agencies, I feel the only way to make them relevant is to share these photographs. I’m not a professional photographer, by any means, but I hope that you enjoy what you see here, and I’m always open to suggestions. Those of you who reside in South Georgia may notice a central geographical focus. That’s because I’m a native of Ben Hill County, the exact center of the southern half of the state, and most of my work is done in my spare time, and not too far from my home. I hope this site will encourage those with similar interests to do the same in their regions. For those of you confused by the random nature of the posts on this blog, I have used “tags” and “categories” to do the organization for me. This simply means you may click on any of the themes to the right and will be able to view these in more logical order. I hope you’ll share this blog with as many people as you can–Brian Brown

Mr. Hutchins' Georgia History

Mr. Hutchins teaches 8th grade history in Georgia. His blog is actually for his students, but he has some nice links on his site:

http://hutchinshistory.blogspot.com/

Georgia Music on My Mind

From the Georgia Department of Economic Development, this press release provides a nice summary of Georgia music events and attractions.

http://www.georgia.org/PressCenter/NewsItems/Travel/Georgia+Music+On+My+Mind.htm

This is Really Cool!

This is cool -- get a summary of all headlines from Georgia-based media:

http://www.newsbystate.com/georgia.htm

My Mind is on Georgia

Great blog featuring posts related to Georgia History:

http://mymindisongeorgia.blogspot.com/

Lucille Hegamin -- The Georgia Peach

Macon native Lucille Hegamin, born in 1894, was a pioneering blues recording artist. Here's her bio from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucille_Hegamin

Randy Howard Songwriter's Festival

http://www.myspace.com/rhsf2008

From the site:

Born and raised in Macon, GA, Randy Howard got off to a great start being centered around and influenced by all the great sounds created from this part of Georgia. During his thousands of performances all around the country over the last 40+years, Randy has aquired a lifetime of rich musical experiences. Along his journey, Randy has bonded with some of the greatest musical genius's of our time. With all that to his claim...The All American Redneck has decided to host an annual event to showcase this talent. Hosted by The Tavery at The New Perry Hotel in historical Perry, Georgia this event plans to offer a special time of sharing talent and fellowship with old and new musical friends. The whole idea for this festival started when Randy's friendship grew with Mr. Kim Mullins and Mr. Kelly Waters...owners of The New Perry Hotel. They over time have expressed their honest love and great appreciation for ORIGINAL music that is so hard to find these days. Together we want to join efforts and offer you... a TRUE LISTENER a TRUE LISTENING experience. Please come join us for a magical weekend. November 28-30, 2008 The New Perry Hotel 800 Main Street Perry, GA 31069

Slave Life in Georgia

Slave Life in Georgia: A Narrative of the Life, Sufferings, and Escape of John Brown, a Fugitive Slave, Now in England. London: [W. M. Watts], 1855.

http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/jbrown/menu.html

Great Savannah Search Engine

Check out this search engine:

http://www.thecreativecoast.org/

I entered the search term "music" and got 658 hits!

Here's a blurb from the site:

The Creative Coast Alliance (TCCa) is a non-profit organization that attracts, nurtures, and promotes brain-based business in Savannah. Our job is to make it easy for you to get in, get setup, get connected and be successful in this cool coastal city.

Music Interviews and Reviews

Music interviews and reviews from Atlanta's weekly Sunday Paper.

http://www.sundaypaper.com/More/Archives/tabid/98/articleType/CategoryView/categoryId/11/Music.aspx

Savannah Music Festival 2009

The Savannah Music Festival (SMF) announces its most artistically diverse lineup to date for the upcoming 2009 festival, including several commissioned works and a wealth of original productions showcasing a wide variety of American and international musical traditions. Committed to enhancing the cultural landscape of Savannah, SMF programs combine elegance and soul in a way that mirrors the history and culture of the remarkable city. The unique musical arts event is one of the highlights of springtime on the southeastern U.S. coast and a distinctive destination for cultural travelers.

The 2009 festival takes place between March 19 and April 5 in historic downtown Savannah and features more than 100 musical performances in intimate settings. Tickets go on sale at 9 am EST on November 13 and are available online or by phone at 912-525-5050.

http://www.savannahmusicfestival.org/

MIC: Music in Columbus

Music in Columbus (MIC) exists to foster and promote traditional, contemporary and multicultural music in Columbus, Georgia. MIC seeks to strengthen and advance organizational and individual initiatives in all forms of music through education, networking, advocacy and professional and field development.

http://www.musicincolumbus.org/

Okefenokee musical traditions

Article from the New Georgia Encyclopedia describing musical traditions in the Okefenokee swamp area:

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-550

Here's an excerpt:

Sacred Harp sings date back to at least the 1860s in the Okefenokee. The "shape-note" singing tradition in Georgia began during the antebellum period as a way to teach congregations to sing. Traveling teachers used "four-shape" tune books with religious lyrics in which different-shaped note heads were assigned to the European musical scale of fa, sol, la, and mi.

Within southeast Georgia, conservative Primitive Baptist beliefs combined with the relative cultural isolation of the Okefenokee to foster a distinctive stylistic variant of Sacred Harp. Characteristics included walking time in a counterclockwise fashion according to the meter of the tune, and the same slow tempos and melodic ornamentation found in the Primitive Baptist meetinghouse. Primitive Baptist churches, with their unaccompanied, lined hymn traditions, exist in much smaller numbers today, but they have been a major force influencing local culture. The simple wooden meetinghouses of the Crawfordite subsect of Primitive Baptists are a distinctive feature of Okefenokee traditional architecture. Missionary Baptist, Pentecostal, and Methodist churches now dominate the region, however, and tent meetings, revivals, and gospel sings have superseded the Sacred Harp tradition.

Collector Francis Harper documented swamper secular music such as locally composed songs and variants of "Barbara Allen," "The Little Mohee" (or "Lassie Mohee"), and other widely disseminated ballads, a few of which are still sung. Harper also documented hollering or yodeling, a distinctive alternation of head and chest tones sometimes interspersed with song fragments, which was used to call hogs and cattle, to signal that an individual was returning home, or simply to have fun. This tradition is no longer widespread, although a few families maintain the practice. Country western and bluegrass bands have largely replaced old-time frolics and square dances.

-- Laurie Kay Sommers, Valdosta State University

Augusta's Metro Spirit

Music coverage from Augusta's news and arts weekly Metro Spirit:

http://www.metrospirit.com/index.php?cat=121304064626532

Dahlonega Celtic Music Festival

The Dahlonega Celtic Music Festival is a yearly event featuring great Celtic music. Next year the festival will be held March 27-29, 2009. Here's some information from the site:

Last year's festival highlights included performances by the traditional Irish bands Altan, Highland Way, Emerald Rose, Shamrock, John Maschinot and Katie Baughman of the Buddy O'Reilly Band and Celtic Fire, the Atlanta Junior Ceili Band and the Appalachian St. Andrews Pipes and Drums.

Once again, Festival goers will also be entertained with Celtic-themed workshops, bagpipers, and storytellers. In addition, Celtic arts and craft vendors will set up throughout downtown Dahlonega and around the historic town square.

http://www.dahlonegacelticmusicfestival.com/index.html

Flickr's History of Georgia

Here's a link to a collection of Georgia history-related photos hosted on Flickr:

http://flickr.com/groups/ahistoryofgeorgia/

Tip: Use the slideshow view but hit the pause key and then manually step through the photos. Also, don't forget to click on 'show info' to read captions that have been provided. Some really nice photos here!

Civil War Diary -- Cyrus F. Jenkins

The Cyrus F. Jenkins Civil War Diary, 1861 - 1862, held at the Troup County Archives, chronicles Cyrus Franklin Jenkins' experiences as an enlisted man in the Meriwether Volunteers, Company B, 13th Georgia Infantry Regiment, during the first year of the war, June 1861 to March 1862. Jenkins vividly describes the early euphoria of the war and the regiment's campaigns in western Virginia (now West Virginia) as part of Floyd's Brigade and in Savannah in Lawton's Brigade. The regiment took part in skirmishes at Sewell Mountain, Laurel Hill, and Whitemarsh Island. While traveling, Jenkins also remarks on the changing scenery he encounters. Additionally, his account of camp life highlights the medical care available to Confederate soldiers at this stage in the war. Jenkins was killed at Spotsylvania, Virginia, on May 12, 1864.

http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/jenkins/cfj.php

Albany, Georgia Visitor's Guide

Visitor's Guide for Albany, Georgia -- home of Paula Deen and the GREAT Ray Charles!

http://www.albanygeorgia.biz/

And while we're in southwest Georgia, let's check out this site -- for good measure!

http://www.southwestgeorgia.net/

LaGrange Native Chips Moman Talks About His Life in Music

Legendary producer Chips Moman's credits read like a "Who's Who" of American music. Consider just a few of his accomplishments:

* Founded the renowned Stax McLemore Avenue studio where artists like Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and Booker T. and the MGs created innumerable R&B classics.

* Played lead guitar on Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved A Man" and co - wrote (with Dan Penn) Aretha's "Do Right Woman."

* Formed American Sound Studios and with the '827 Thomas Street Band' (American's rhythm section) produced over 120 R&B, pop, and country hit records.

* Wrote "Luckenbach, Texas" for Waylon Jennings and subsequently produced hit recordings for (among others) Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison.

Having achieved all this, you'd think he'd have earned the right to brag! But that's not his nature - he's more comfortable talking about (and praising) the musicians and artists he's worked with. Here's the interview:

GaRhythm: You hitchhiked to Memphis at age 14. What made you go to Memphis?

Moman: I had an aunt living there at the time and her son was in the painting business. I went there in hopes of getting a job painting.

GaRhythm: But it didn't turn out that way!

Moman: Well, I went to work painting! [laughs]

GaRhythm: When did you start playing guitar?

Moman: I played guitar ever since I could remember really. I was playing guitar before I ever left here [Georgia]. It seems like I always had played guitar. I had two cousins that played guitar and all my mom's sisters played piano.

GaRhythm: You were working in the painting business and you got more and more into music and wanting to be a professional...

Moman: I never did think in terms of being professional. There were some boys that I hung around with in the neighborhood in Memphis. We all got together and started picking a little bit together. I didn't even own a guitar. I was using another boy's guitar - one of my friends. And we played a couple of the little teenage dances at that time. None of us knew what we were doing - we just got together and kind of played a little bit. And I ended up getting up a job with [Sun recording artist] Warren Smith. He walked into Smart's Drug Store where I was sitting there playing this boy's guitar. And he asked me if I wanted a job and I said "doing what?" That's how it started. It was just something that kind of fell in my lap. It's not something I planned. I never had an idea that I'd ever play music for a living or anything. It was just something that was a hobby. It was entertainment at home, you know?

GaRhythm: Then you went out to California?

Moman: Yeah, with Johnny and Dorsey Burnett.

GaRhythm: You were around 20 or 21?

Moman: I was probably 20 at that time. Johnny and Dorsey had won the Ted Mack Amateur Hour and they were starting to record. And so I played with them and then I started getting hired by other people to play on different sessions out there. A lot of demos and things. That's where I really started getting around recording studios. I'd never been in recording studios at that point.

GaRhythm: Somehow you got back to Memphis, because it wasn't too long after that you got into the Stax and Satellite thing. How did that come about?

Moman: I had gotten in a car wreck on the road with Gene Vincent and Gary Stites. And I was back in Memphis trying to recuperate. Wearing a cast and stuff. Anyway, I played on a record or two for Jim Stewart [owner of Stax Records] who had a little place out in Brunswick [Tennessee]. He had one tape machine and four microphones. We got to talking, and since I had a little experience out there at Gold Star [California recording studio] I said "why don't we find a bigger place?" And a guy named Paul Ritchey and I were riding around and we found this old theater over on McLemore. So we got together here and pooled our money and rented that place and started building that studio.

GaRhythm: And that was the Stax studio, right?

Moman: Right.

GaRhythm: Jim Stewart's direction in those days was more country-oriented?

Moman: He was a country fiddle player. But he had studied music and could read music. To me that was big time if you could read music!

GaRhythm: He worked in a bank or an insurance company?

Moman: He worked in a bank.

GaRhythm: He must have liked you or trusted you because you steered the company in the rhythm and blues direction...

Moman: That's true. Living in California changed a lot of my music. California was light years ahead of Georgia and Tennessee.

GaRhythm: At Stax, were you just doing things on your own? How did you start?

Moman: I would spend the day just figuring out what I was going to do. Usually it was just someone that would walk in. There was a lot of curiosity in those days. People would just walk into a recording studio, you know? And that's how David Porter came in. And William Bell. These people would just come into the studio and while they were in there we'd just start recording. So that's how those records came about. When Jim would get off in the evenings, he'd come in and I'd play him what I did that day.

GaRhythm: And this was in the McLemore theater, right?

Moman: Yeah.

GaRhythm: Now, the first band you had was the Triumphs. You had Booker T. in there. Was that your session band - how did that work?

Moman: They would come in usually in the afternoon after school was out.

GaRhythm: Booker was in high school, I guess.

Moman: Yeah, he would come in wearing an ROTC uniform - him and David Porter.

GaRhythm: Then you had Howard Grimes [on drums]. Was he the Hi Records session drummer?

Moman: That's the same guy. But the guy who played on "Last Nite" by the Mar-Keys, I believe his name was Curtis Green. I remember he came in and I don't think I ever saw him again. I don't know that he ever came back to the studio after that.

GaRhythm: You came up with the name for the Triumphs and then Booker T. credited you with naming the MGs. So you had the MGs and the Triumphs. Were you a car nut at that time?

Moman: The first new car I'd ever gotten was a TR3 Triumph. That was in '61. So I named the band the Triumphs. When I left Stax, they kept those musicians and I guess added to them. But Booker T. was still part of it and they named his group after the other little red sports car, which was an MG. Booker T. was always one of my favorite people in the whole wide world. I always thought a lot of him and he was really a great musician.

GaRhythm: You've been asked about the Memphis sound and the use of horns. What's your take on that?

Moman: We were using horn [sections] over there on the Mar-Keys. Other people were using one horn. They'd use saxophone because saxophone seemed to be the instrument in early rock and roll. They weren't using horn sections. The horn players were guys who'd drop by the studio. So, if somebody who played an instrument dropped by the studio and we were working we'd use them - it didn't matter what they played.

GaRhythm: You'd say "let's do a harmony part here" - is that how it came about?

Moman: That's exactly how - it was just a head arrangement. And different guys would drop in. Gilbert Caples - great saxophone player. Floyd Newman played baritone saxophone. Wayne Jackson on trumpet. Bowlegs Miller played on a lot of stuff. Fred Ford. [Jazz pianist] Phineas Newborn used to drop in. We never really recorded with Phineas, but he always came by and would sit down and play piano and knock everybody out.

GaRhythm: Would you say the Memphis sound is defined by the use of horns?

Moman: I think the horns had a great part but not any more than the bass. The bass and the drums always laid down some kind of groove that everybody could play to. We were doing something that really and truly was new to us. It was the white and black musicians together, and it just turned out to be a little bit different. This wasn't planned. It was just something that happened. A lot of great things have happened that way.

GaRhythm: How did the American studio band evolve?

Moman: One at a time. Just one at a time. I played guitar on a lot of the early things. But you get down to a point where you can't engineer and make records and go out and play [guitar] too. There wasn't a lot of overdubbing because we didn't have stereo. I knew most of the good musicians in town. So when I'd get up enough money to cut a session I would hire the best musician I could hire. As it went along I could afford to hire them every time. That's how that house band was put together.

GaRhythm: You started with Tommy Cogbill and Bobby Emmons?

Moman: Right. Tommy and Bobby. Actually Stan Kessler was among that bunch too. Stan had been a musician around Memphis a lot and engineered a lot of records and produced a lot of records.

GaRhythm: Did he play an instrument?

Moman: Yeah, he was a bass player. At one time we had three bass players. Mike Leech, Tommy Cogbill, and Stan Kessler.

GaRhythm: What about [drummer] Gene Chrisman? How did you find him?

Moman: I had played a job or two with Gene. But Gene had also been on the road with Jerry Lee. He was just known as a good drummer so I called him for sessions. He's probably got the best collection of records, and he even kept all the charts that were made from the early days. He would always write down what he had to play.

GaRhythm: He used number charts? He thought really structured, is that what you're saying?

Moman: Absolutely. Gene's always been a stickler for knowing where he's at in a song. He's always been like that.

GaRhythm: What about Bobby Emmons? He was normally the organ player?

Moman: Yeah, but he played piano too. He played piano on a lot of records - some of the Joe Tex records and a lot of other records. He played back and forth on piano and organ.

GaRhythm: Then Bobby Wood did the same thing - they switched around a lot?

Moman: Yes.

GaRhythm: And they both wrote songs?

Moman: I don't think they started seriously writing songs until the 70s.

GaRhythm: How about Reggie Young? You met him through the Bill Black Combo?

Moman: Yeah, actually Reggie Young was the original guitarist on the first Bill Black record that I know of ["Smokie"]. And it was kind of a partnership deal with him and Bill. I think there was a question of whether it would be the Reggie Young Combo or the Bill Black Combo. Anyway, Reggie got drafted. So, he did his stint in the Army. Right after that he came to American.

GaRhythm: And then Mike Leech?

Moman: Mike was another musician who could read music and write music because he came out of college to play with American.

GaRhythm: What about Bobby Womack?

Moman: He became one of our group. He was there on most sessions and during that time we recorded him too. He was there playing for a lot of people.

GaRhythm: You had said elsewhere that, from about 1967 to 1971, you were often working seven days a week at the studio -- almost sleeping there...

Moman: Well, we were really. When we would get through with something we'd say "let's call home sick." Nobody wanted to leave!

GaRhythm: When you recorded, were the sessions pretty quick?

Moman: I guess we were quick for the times. But those sessions didn't happen instantly. It was nothing unusual for us to cut a song in three or four hours. But it was not unusual for us to spend 2 or 3 days on one song. We just did it until we liked it.

GaRhythm: So you started with the rhythm section and then added a scratch vocal and then came back and did the horns. Is that how you liked to do it?

Moman: Yeah, but sometimes we did it all at once. After we got stereo machines and the extra tracks we'd bring in people afterwards. But until then we'd do it with everybody at once.

GaRhythm: James Carr did the first version of the song you and Dan Penn wrote called "Dark End of the Street." Can you remember how long it took to record that song?

Moman: It probably took 4-5 hours to cut that song.

GaRhythm: I noticed a reissue album on Joe Tex that you had written the liner notes on. What are your memories of him?

Moman: Joe Tex was an unbelievable talent. He was a great songwriter but he couldn't play an instrument. He'd have all these songs that he knew the words to but no one knew the chords! He would just stand there and sing a cappella. Usually Bobby Emmons would sit there for an hour or so on every song and put some chord changes to what Joe had. And then we'd just make it from there. Cause Joe would have all these things in his head but he didn't exactly know how to get them out. But he was brilliant. He was one of the most brilliant recording artists I've ever known.

GaRhythm: Tell me about the James Carr and Oscar Toney sessions.

Moman: Well most of the time they'd come in and we'd have no idea at all in the world of what we were going to cut and we'd just start hunting songs. Sometimes I'd have a song or two but most of the time I didn't. We'd just start fiddling around till we came up with something.

GaRhythm: I really liked the Dusty Springfield album. She was really hard on herself from what I understand.

Moman: I would like to say on Dusty Springfield that I was there for a lot of that session but I did not produce that session. I forget whether it was Jerry Wexler, or Tom Dowd, or Arif Mardin who came down from Atlantic to produce that session. People keep giving me credit as a producer on Dusty Springfield and I was not the producer! That's one of the reasons I haven't pursued any publicity because no matter how many times I tell it right it comes out another way.

GaRhythm: On the Aretha sessions you and Dan Penn wrote "Do Right Woman." And Dan Penn has described you as nearly breaking your neck getting to your guitar when you heard her sing on that session. Is that accurate?

Moman: That's about right. That was an exciting moment for us.

GaRhythm: Was that when she was singing that song ["Do Right Woman"]?

Moman: Well, she first did "I Never Loved a Man."

GaRhythm: You played the lead guitar on that ["I Never Loved A Man"]?

Moman: Yeah. Anyway, there was kind of a fiasco there at the session. And Aretha and I and Dan and Spooner were the only ones left at the studio. Wexler and Rick Hall and all the other musicians were gone. So, we went in and we cut "Do Right Woman." So when they all returned back to the studio we had that track done and there were no more sessions. So Wexler took the tracks to New York and overdubbed the background voices and a piano part from that track.

GaRhythm: And so this incident about you breaking your neck - what Dan meant was that everybody felt that way in hearing her - how good she was?

Moman: Oh yeah. We loved her. I was crazy about Aretha Franklin when she wasn't selling any records. When she was with the Ray Bryant Trio on Columbia.

GaRhythm: So Tommy Cogbill played guitar on the Aretha sessions?

Moman: Tommy Cogbill played bass on the Aretha records. He started out playing rhythm guitar. At one session, I asked Wexler to put Tommy on bass because Tommy was an incredible musician. So he put Tommy on bass and when he did that the session really started coming together. And that's how he started playing bass. And since he did that that day he became THE bass player - period. He was incredible.

GaRhythm: You guys were supposed to be the touring band behind Elvis when he did his Las Vegas tour?

Moman: People talked about it but that never came about because we couldn't afford the cut in pay! None of us could go for what they paid.

GaRhythm: It was interesting on those [American] sessions that Elvis wasn't used to people telling him that he could do better. He was used to having the whole thing done and he just sings over it.

Moman: Well, he and I didn't have any problem recording. More of the problems came from the entourage around him. Whenever I got ready to talk to him about how he was singing a song or something I would turn all the monitors off and I would walk out into the room and go into the booth with him personally and just stand there and talk with him. And it was no problem. I think it would have been a problem had you been on a talkback trying to tell him things or help him because it would be an embarrassment to him with that entourage around you know. So it was handled a little bit differently than I did other sessions but not very much different.

GaRhythm: To you guys it was another day.

Moman: Just another day - that was what it was.

GaRhythm: In 1973 you guys [American rhythm section] came to Atlanta. But you stayed a very short time - about six months?

Moman: Something like that. Then I sold the studio to Ilene Burns [Bang Records]. I went on up to Nashville because that's where all my friends were going to be.

GaRhythm: And you resisted going there a little bit?

Moman: Yeah.

GaRhythm: Did you all go up from Atlanta at the same time? Were you still together then?

Moman: Yeah, we were still together. I was the last one to go but then I had a studio to sell and things to close up. But I was really quitting at that time - I had had enough. And I only went there just because that was where my friends were. We'd been friends and worked together so long that it was kind of hard to separate.

GaRhythm: There was a clique up there [in Nashville] and you busted up the clique...

Moman: Yeah, they weren't very friendly towards us going there. They had a clique and outsiders weren't welcomed. But it wasn't just Nashville. It was that way in LA. It was like at American [Studios] - I didn't want to take a vacation because I was afraid someone would come in and get my job!

GaRhythm: So this was just like the competition anybody feels on the job?

Moman: That's right. Exactly.

GaRhythm: And your first big record was with BJ Thomas?

Moman: Yeah. That was right after I first got to Nashville. Course I had had all the early BJ Thomas records - "Hooked on a Feeling" and "Eyes of a New York Woman."

GaRhythm: So that was a reunion of sorts?

Moman: Yeah, they might have even named that album "Reunion." I don't know. But I hadn't worked with him in a great while.

GaRhythm: Tell me about your association with Willie Nelson. I understand you were a big fan of his.

Moman: I loved Willie Nelson when he first came to Nashville. He and I and Roger Miller all signed to Tree Music about the same time. And I was really into a lot of the demos that I was playing on and hearing up there. I really loved Willie Nelson from the first time I ever heard him.

GaRhythm: So that's how you wound up working with Waylon and Willie both? You kind of went way back?

Moman: Yeah I did but that's not what got me to working with them. Actually, I didn't work with Willie until "Luckenbach" with Waylon. That's what brought him in on the session because he and Waylon had done some duets. And so that's the first time I really worked with Willie. Other than I was always cutting a song or two of his here and there.

GaRhythm: Then you left Nashville for Memphis?

Moman: I went to Memphis in 1985. I got involved with the city and a bunch of political people. It didn't work and I left there in turmoil. And I went back to Nashville and didn't do anything except just piddle around. Then I decided to come back to Georgia, which was originally my home. And I did.

GaRhythm: So for about five years you didn't listen to music? Were you just trying to get reacquainted with Georgia?

Moman: That and just trying to get a better feeling about myself and the music and everything. It was a difficult time really.

GaRhythm: Now you've built a studio and you've started ChipsMoman.com Records. And you've hooked up with [producer / writer] Buddy Buie and J.R. Cobb.

Moman: Well, they were old friends of mine. My secretary [at American] was Sandy Posey. And Buddy Buie got his first hit - "I Take It Back" - that I recorded by Sandy Posey. So, Buddy Buie and I had been friends for a number of years - since the 60s. So we just renewed our friendship when I came back. We hang out, play golf and poker together. We sit up all night and mess up the house!

GaRhythm: Now you're in the Internet era and you're launching an Internet record label. As far as artists, you've got Billy Lee Riley, Billy Joe Royal, and Carl Perkins. Is that who you're starting out with?

Moman: Yeah, these were the first tapes I came to in a vault full of tapes. I cut all new stuff on Billy Joe. I only used a couple of old sides. And I'm really proud of the album. My son and I produced that together and my daughter sings background.

GaRhythm: It's a lot more relaxing to do it that way...

Moman: Yeah, it's a family affair.

GaRhythm: You have said that there's really nothing new in music. What needs to happen in the music industry?

Moman: I think labels right now are starting to have a problem. I think they've got some serious problems. There are some good records out but also a lot of bad records. It's just different. I think we're probably on the verge of something breaking through that's new or some kind of exciting new artist. You can kind of tell when music gets stale. In country music a lot of the sales have dropped off. I think it's time that something new happens. I don't know if I'll come up with it. But I do know that I don't want to continue being involved in records the way that I have been and with the companies running things the way they have.

What I'm going to do is stick with this Internet thing and see if I break through to have a hit record on the Internet. I'm going to be devoted to trying to make it happen. I think it's a great tool. I don't think we have to put up with the record companies dominating everything. Using the artist and writers and producers. Giving our money away while they don't spend any of theirs. So I'm going to stick with this and see if it can possibly happen cause that's what's interesting to me. I'm just going to hang in there and see if I can develop a company that can work on the Internet.

GaRhythm: That's cool! Can I tell people what else is in the vaults? Is there anything that you might want to hint about?

Moman: Well, there's no way I could name you what's in the vaults. I'm just going by years and what kind of heads are on the machines. I have a lot of 3, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 32-track tapes. Right now I'm working with a lot of 24-track stuff. And I'll be going back to the 16 and on back to the 8. And I might get out some of the mono stuff since that's easy. But that's kind of the way I'm doing it because it'd be hard to do it any other way.

* * *

[Postscript: This interview with Chips was conducted by telephone in the summer of 2001. Chips apparently has dropped the idea of an internet record label, but he still records and produces occasionally. He now lives in West Point, Georgia.]

Online Books and Articles about Georgia

From the Georgia Info site a list of online books and articles related to Georgia. Very comprehensive list...lots of history here...

http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/onlinebooks.htm

Georgia's Virtual Vault

This is your portal to some of Georgia's most important historical documents, from 1733 to the present. The Virtual Vault provides virtual access to historic Georgia manuscripts, photographs, maps, and government records housed in the state archives.

http://content.sos.state.ga.us/

Digital Library of Georgia

The Digital Library of Georgia is a gateway to Georgia's history and culture found in digitized books, manuscripts, photographs, government documents, newspapers, maps, audio, video, and other resources.

The Digital Library of Georgia connects users to 500,000 digital objects in 105 collections from 60 institutions and 100 government agencies. Though this represents only a fraction of Georgia's cultural treasures, the Digital Library of Georgia continues to grow through its partnerships with libraries, archives, museums, government agencies, and allied organizations across the state.

Based at the University of Georgia Libraries, the Digital Library of Georgia is an initiative of GALILEO, the state's virtual library.

http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/?Welcome

Bernice Johnson Reagon

For over four decades, Bernice Johnson Reagon has been a major cultural voice for freedom and justice. An African American woman's voice, a child of Southwest Georgia, a voice raised in song, born in the struggle against racism in America during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, she is a composer, songleader, scholar and producer.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/reflect/r03_music.html

Georgia Historical Organizations & Resources

This is great -- extensive information here on Georgia historical organizations and resources. Web site links are provided (where they exist).

http://sos.georgia.gov/cgi-bin/ghor.asp

Georgia Gazette Web site

Internet home of GPB radio show "Georgia Gazette"...you can download the weekly radio shows or listen online...often features profiles of Georgia music...

http://georgiagazette.blogspot.com/

GPB Midday Music

Midday Music Blog about Georgia Public Broadcasting's daily radio show:

http://gpbmiddaymusic.blogspot.com/

Interview with Piano Red

Interview with Hampton native Willie Lee "Piano Red" Perryman (aka Dr. Feelgood!):

http://www.bluesrevue.com/PianoRed.html

Georgia State Song Web Page

On April 24, 1979, "Georgia On My Mind," with music by Hoagy Carmichael and lyrics by Stuart Gorrell, was designated Georgia's official state song. It was performed on March 7, 1979 before a joint meeting of the Georgia Senate and House of Representatives by Georgia-born recording artist Ray Charles.

http://sos.georgia.gov/archives/state_symbols/state_song.html

Wikipedia article about "Georgia On My Mind"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_on_My_Mind

Check this site...

This site has great information about Athens, GA....

http://www.visitathensga.com/

They've got a great tour of Georgia Music sites called the "Georgia Rhythm Road Trip"...

TheGeorgiaRhythmRoadtrip.pdf

VDT View

Keep up with what's going on in Valdosta -- the VDT View is an entertainment and events site sponsored by the Valdosta Daily Times.

http://www.vdtview.com/

Savannah celebrates yearlong spotlight on Johnny Mercer

http://www.thecreativecoast.org/savannahnews/view/
1434-savannah-celebrates-a-yearlong-spotlight-on-johnny-mercer-too-marvelous-for-words-

Songs with Georgia in the Title

Here is a list of songs with Georgia in the title. Can you think of more?

http://ngeorgia.com/facts/songs.html

GSU Holdings -- Atlanta Country Music

Holding of Georgia State University on the subject of Atlanta Country Music.

http://www.library.gsu.edu/spcoll/pages/pages.asp?ldID=105&guideID=499&ID=3032

WSB Barn Dance

Article about the WSB Barn Dance -- a highly successful radio program in the 1940s.

http://www.hillbilly-music.com/programs/story/index.php?prog=530

Georgia Sea Island Singers

Here's the web site of the Georgia Sea Island Singers:

http://www.georgiaseaislandsingers.com/

DISCOVERD BY SMITHSONIAN FOLKLORIST, Alan Lomax, the founder of the group was Miss Bessie Jones who had been encouraged by author Lydia Parrish to share the songs of her heritage which emanated from the southern barrier islands. The Quimbys joined her in 1969 and became the second generation of the Georgia Sea Island Singers.

Art Rosenbaum's Field Recordings

UGA's Art Rosenbaum is an acknowledged expert in traditional American music. His release of Art of Field Recording: Volume I: Fifty Years of Traditional American Music was recently reviewed by Flagpole, the Athen's weekly magazine.

http://flagpole.com/Music/Features/ArtRosenbaumFieldRecordings/2007-11-21

Georgia Is My Home: A Survey of Musical Styles within Georgia

This is a very interesting site -- they specialize in older music and are located in Atlanta. From the 'About Us' section of the site:

Dust-to-Digital was started in February 1999 by Lance Ledbetter, a radio disc jockey at WRAS — the student-run voice of Georgia State University. Having been recently introduced to vintage 78 rpm records by the reissue of the Anthology of American Folk Music in 1997, Ledbetter decided to set out on a search for rare gospel recordings.

http://www.dust-digital.com/forthcoming.htm

In 2009, they are releasing Georgia Is My Home, a box set of historic recordings made by musicians from the state of Georgia.

Georgia Fiddlers

From Calhoun, Georgia came half-Cherokee Andrew and son Jim Baxter who were outstanding African-American musicians capable of playing in a variety of styles. The Georgia Yellow Hammers in August 1927, got them to help in a recording session in Charlotte. Andrew and Jim were forced to ride in a seperate car, and did do some recordings but the racist industry never credited them. It is commonly believed in many current circles that the fiddler in the Yellow Hammers's "G Rag" is indeed Andrew Baxter.

http://www.1001tunes.com/AmazingFacts/jan.html

Georgia before Oglethorope

This is another interesting site -- covers Georgia before James Oglethorpe established the state in 1733:

http://www.lostworlds.org/ga_before_oglethorpe.html

This Day in Georgia History

Not music-related, but this UGA site allows you to click on any day of the year to find out what happened in Georgia on this date.

http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/page.php?tdgh=1

Georgia Radio Hall of Fame

This is great! Pictures, articles, and other mementos from radio stations all over Georgia!

http://www.grhof.com/index.htm

Bio of Curley Williams

Short Bio of Cairo native Curley Williams, who composed the Hank Williams (no relation!) song Half as Much.

http://www.hillbilly-music.com/artists/story/index.php?id=11576

Pickin' on Peachtree

Have a look inside Wayne Daniels' book Pickin' on Peachtree courtesy of Google Books:

http://books.google.com/books?id=UzSc88iNbXkC&pg=PP1&dq=pickin+on+peachtree&ei=9jr6SNWQLoO6yAS-zriADQ

Bio of Thomas A. Dorsey

Nice profile of Villa Rica native Thomas A. Dorsey:

http://www.starrgennett.org/stories/profiles/georgia_tom_dorsey.htm

WCLK Clark University Radio

Clark University's web site for WCLK radio:

http://www.wclk.com/

Country Atlanta

MySpace page for Country Atlanta -- lots of links -- very comprehensive:

http://www.myspace.com/macmc

Georgia Soul Web Page

This web page has first-rate coverage of Georgia soul and R&B music:

http://georgiasoul.blogspot.com/

Music News around the State

Keep up with what's going in Georgia. Here are some handy links:

* Macon.com
* Savannahnow.com
* OnlineAthens
* Columbus Ledger-Inquirer
* AccessAtlanta
* Augusta Chronicle

South Georgia Folklife Collection

From Valdosta State University, radio archives of the South Georgia Folklife Collection:

http://www.valdosta.edu/library/find/arch/folklife/radio.html

Requires Real Player to play the files, but I recommend you install Real Alternative, it's much less intrusive:

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Real_Alternative.htm

Everybody's Tuned to the Radio

From the Center for Public History at the University of West Georgia: Everybody's Tuned to the Radio -- Rural Music Traditions in West Georgia. Selections 2, 3, and 6 have sound files attached. Very nice!

http://www.westga.edu/~history/center/tracks.htm

Information about West Georgia's Regional Music Project is here:

http://www.westga.edu/~history/music.htm

Emma Kelly -- Lady of 6,000 Songs

Listen to Statesboro native Emma Kelly singing "I Wanna Be Around"...

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Multimedia.jsp?id=m-1299


Some biographical info about Emma is here:

http://www.visitstatesboroga.com/history.htm

Emma Kelly collection at Georgia State University:

http://www.library.gsu.edu/spcoll/xml/M183.xml

Georgia Legacy Foundation

"The Georgia Legacy Foundation is established to recognize, protect, preserve, and promote Georgia's Roots Music artists and to do so with a historical, ethnic and regional perspective."

http://www.myspace.com/georgialegacyfoundation

Georgia Music Links

Nice list of links from georgia.org web site. This site is sponsored by the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

http://www.georgia.org/
EntertainmentIndustry/
Music/Important+Links.htm

Johnny Mercer Foundation Web Site

The Johnny Mercer Foundation's web site has an extensive database of Johnny's tunes. What a prolific writer he was -- this database is evidence of that!

http://www.johnnymercerfoundation.org/default2.html

There's even an online jukebox -- you can hear brief samples of 20-30 of his greatest tunes...

Music Archives and Repositories

Many archives, museums, libraries, and historical societies in Georgia preserve the state's music and make it available to researchers. Here are some of them:

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-3165

Roy Hamilton Tribute Page

Roy Hamilton was born in Leesburg, Georgia, on April 16, 1929. Quoting from the official Roy Hamilton tribute site -- "he was idolized by Elvis Presley, emulated by Jackie Wilson and Brook Benton, and covered by the Righteous Brothers." Here is his bio:

http://www.royhamilton.net/Bio.htm

Bill Anderson -- Songwriting Legend

Nice article on Bill Anderson written by Peter Cooper (2007):

http://www.billanderson.com/news.php?p=324&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#more324

Here's an excerpt from the article -- I never knew that James Brown recorded Still.

As Bill recalls:

"James Brown's version of 'Still' is one of the wildest, greatest things I've ever heard," Anderson said. "He screams a little bit and says, 'Please!' two or three times, and during the second part of the recitation he says, 'A good friend of mine, a great country and western singer named Bill Anderson, said to me one time, "James, if you love a woman, you say to her, 'I love you, still!' " ' "

Interesting that Bill, like James, was born in South Carolina but grew up in Georgia.

Papa's Got a Brand New Bag

James Brown's records are timeless -- Papa's Got a Brand New Bag was recorded in the sixties (1965!) but sounds like it was recorded yesterday!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7N50keQXTY&feature=related

Here's a live version recorded in Rome (Italy?) in 1989. James is looking and sounding great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBXYtRWNZMI&feature=related

James was born in Barnwell, South Carolina, but moved to Augusta, Georgia as a child. Wikipedia bio is here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown

They Heard Georgia Singing

Take a peek inside former Georgia governor Zell Miller's book -- They Heard Georgia Singing.:

http://books.google.com/books?id=7kv8EdRRkiQC&pg
=PA155&lpg=PA155&dq=georgia+songwriters&source=web&ots=qooiVCt-xp&sig=dDbcXxpt3E_iF4lgwhAJSZ5-iSU&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPP1,M1

Did you know this about Jingle Bells?

Often thought of as a traditional Christmas song, the words and music to the famous Christmas Carol “Jingle Bells” were written in 1857 by organist and choir director James Pierpont for a Thanksgiving church service in Savannah, GA.

http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/C195

An interesting article about Pierpont can be found here:

http://joewheeler863scv.org/Confederate%20Jingle%20Bells.htm

Ray Charles Interview

Marian McPartland is the host of Piano Jazz on NPR. Here's an audio interview Ray did with Marian in 1991:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15045495

Ray was born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia.

Robert Cray

Home page of the great blues singer/guitarist Robert Cray -- born in Columbus, Georgia in 1953.

http://www.robertcray.com/band.php?id=1#

Jerrypedia

Fascinating web site about the late, great Jerry Reed. This covers every facet of his career -- discography, session work, biography, and more...

Jerry was a highly respected session guitarist -- this site has details on all the sessions he played on.

http://www.aktivinformasjon.no/reed/jrwiki/index.php/Main_Page

Jerry Reed Hubbard was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 20, 1937.

Larry Jon Wilson

Web site of the HIGHLY underrated Georgia native Larry Jon Wilson...very soulful singer and writer!

http://www.larry-jon-wilson.com/

Here's a biographical blurb from the site:

Born on October 7, 1940, in Swainsboro, in Emmanuel County, to Louise Phillips and John Tyler Wilson, Larry Jon Wilson was raised in Augusta, Georgia. He attended high school at Carlisle Military Academy in Bamberg, South Carolina, before attending the University of Georgia, where he majored in chemistry. From 1963 to 1973 he worked in Langley, South Carolina, for United Merchants and Manufacturers as a technical consultant in fiberglass manufacturing.

Cool videos about his most recent recording on 1965 Records:

http://oregoniapictures.com/ljw.html

Georgia Encyclopedia articles on Georgia Music

Here is a link to the Georgia Encyclopedia's articles on Georgia Music:

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Categories.jsp?path=/TheArts/Music#/TheArts/Music

Georgia radio stations

Comprehensive list of Georgia radio stations. Many broadcast online...

http://www.shgresources.com/ga/radio/

Yahoo Directory of Georgia Music

This link is worth a look -- lot of links about Georgia music that you probably hadn't thought of!

http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Music/
By_Region/U_S__States/Georgia/Complete_List/

Georgia Newspapers

Here's a nice link to Georgia newspapers -- very thorough...

http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/usstate/usgeorgi.htm