Thanks to generous support from the Charles Cox Family Trust of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia, Historic Macon Foundation has installed plaques celebrating Macon’s rich and diverse music heritage at contributing stops throughout Macon. Charles and Claire Cox approached Historic Macon Foundation in the summer of 2016 to create a series of plaques that would tell the story of Macon’s contributions to America’s music history, known as the Historic Macon Music Registry.

“Macon was not my home growing up, but it was the center of my musical world,” said Claire Cox, one of the donors whose contributions make the Historic Macon Music Registry possible. “When I moved to Macon, I greatly anticipated seeing the places where music history was made. I soon realized they were difficult to find and, prior to Rock Candy Tours, no one was talking about them. Charlie and I hope this registry is a start to recognizing the music history that surrounds us, but what we are doing is only a beginning. Our hope is that others will step forward to put plaques on other sites important to Macon’s music history.”

There will be an initial installation of 12 plaques, marking a range of musicians, their musical influence and the significance of selected landmarks. The first series of plaques and their locations will be:

-Capricorn Studio (540 MLK Jr. Blvd.)

-Douglass Theatre (355 MLK Jr. Blvd.)

-City Auditorium (415 First St.)

-Tic Toc (409 MLK Jr. Blvd.)

-Le Bistro (562 Mulberry Street Ln.)

-Grant’s Lounge (576 Poplar St.)

-H&H Restaurant (807 Forsyth St.)

-Robert McDuffie Center for Strings (315 College St.)

-Professional Building (830 Mulberry St.)

-Reverend Pearly Brown (Dunlap Park, at the intersection of Cherry St. and Third St.)

-Andersen’s Jewelers (361 Second St.)

-Rookery (543 Cherry St.)

The storied past surrounding Macon’s music scene told through these plaques is inspiring a new generation of artists and initiatives to cultivate local talent. Groups like the Friends of Macon Music and the Otis Redding Foundation are working to provide outlets for local musicians. The Friends of Macon Music recently received a Downtown Challenge Grant through the Community Foundation of Central Georgia to place painted pianos in downtown Macon. The pianos are available for anyone to play and help activate communal spaces through the power of music. A newly chartered school, known as the DREAM Academy, is an initiative of the Otis Redding Foundation and is the only such arts and music school in Georgia. The support of the community behind these projects shows an investment in recognizing Macon’s role in American music and to revive Macon as a center for creativity.

“My father was a huge supporter of education, which is why it is so important for me to carry on that legacy in this community,” said Karla Redding-Andrews, executive director of the Otis Redding Foundation and daughter of Otis Redding. “With the rich legacies we have in our city, we need to start paying it forward to the new generations –not only through music and art programs, but also in public schools of choice, inspiring them with our history instead of keeping it in the past.”

More plaques will be added to the Historic Macon Registry overtime to reflect the past but will also show that Macon continues to be a music town and this legacy continues.  

“With the momentum of music projects happening in our community, our shared music heritage is cultivating our future by creating a sense of place and attracting new talent and tourism,” said Jessica Walden, daughter and niece of music industry pioneers Phil and Alan Walden, and co-owner of Rock Candy Tours, a music history tour company. “Macon has stepped out of the shadows of its past and is now standing firmly on its shoulders, using this rich music history as a catalyst for a progressive, vibrant, world-renowned community.”

The story of Macon’s music renaissance goes hand-in-hand with the ongoing revitalization of downtown Macon. Work is underway at the former Capricorn Records studio building on MLK Jr. Blvd. The proposed project, which includes a loft development, performance venue, and music incubator for aspiring musicians, is the largest private investment in downtown Macon in the past century. Mercer University has partnered with Sierra Development to complete the project.  

“Initiatives like the Historic Macon Music Registry that document and celebrate the city’s rich music heritage help advance the efforts of others to leverage that heritage into economic development opportunities. Macon is starting to capitalize on its music history to invest in a music future that promotes cultural tourism and encourages a new generation of musicians,” said President Underwood who has been instrumental in Mercer University’s acquisition of the Capricorn Studios building.  

The Historic Macon Music Registry will support the growing emphasis on music as an economic stimulus for downtown Macon. The Charles Cox Family Trust of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia has committed to fund a total of 25 plaques in the coming months to launch the Historic Macon Music Registry. As Macon continues to thrive and cultivate musicians, the Registry will expand to commemorate Macon’s ongoing influence on American music.

“Macon has played an incredible role in the history of American music,” said Ethiel Garlington, director of Historic Macon. “As a preservation organization, Historic Macon wants to preserve that legacy and make our citizens proud of the influence our town has had on musicians. It makes sense that we would install plaques at the significant places where this history has happened.”