Before Nashville became a country music hit factory and Memphis laid down the blues, Macon was already shaping the sound of America. From Little Richard’s wails to the soulful ache of Otis Redding and the rebellious spirit of the Allman Brothers Band, this small Georgia city built the bones of rock, soul, and what we know now as Southern Rock.
In Macon, that legacy doesn’t live in the past; it’s alive, echoing through studio walls, club stages, and city streets. This summer, Visit Macon invites visitors to see, hear, and feel that rhythm firsthand.
Running through July 31, Visit Macon’s African American Music Experience offers a deeper look at the artists and neighborhoods that helped define American music. The two-hour guided tour includes entry into two of Macon’s most iconic sites: the Douglass Theatre, where legends like James Brown and Otis Redding once performed, and the Otis Redding Museum, a tribute curated by his family to celebrate his life, legacy, and enduring voice.
This tour is about more than just music. It’s about how culture, struggle, and creativity came together to shape something that changed the world, and it happened here in Macon.
Recording History
Music history is all around the city. Macon visitors can see so much, including the upright piano once played by Little Richard on display at the Tubman Museum, and learn how Macon’s Black musicians shaped genres that would come to dominate radio airwaves worldwide.
One of the most tangible connections to Macon’s musical past stands just a few blocks away: Capricorn Sound Studios. This historic site, where the Allman Brothers Band, Wet Willie, and the Marshall Tucker Band once recorded, is back in action after a $4.3 million restoration by Mercer University.
Today, Capricorn is part museum, part modern-day recording space, and entirely magical.
“This is home sweet home for me,” said Chuck Leavell, a legendary keyboardist who once played with the Allman Brothers Band and now tours with the Rolling Stones. Leavell, a longtime Macon resident, was in Studio A recently recording a voiceover for an updated version of his documentary, The Tree Man.
“I think people are drawn here because of the deep history. Little Richard, Otis Redding, the Allmans,” he said. “Even James Brown spent time here. There’s just something in the water.”
Historical Music
That phrase, something in the water, is also the title of a book that chronicles Macon’s outsized influence on American music despite its relatively modest size. Macon has a population of under 160,000, but over 6,000 structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, many of which have ties to the city’s musical and cultural roots.
Inside Capricorn, Studio A has been preserved almost exactly as it was in 1972, with wood paneling, vintage mics, and analog gear. It’s still the studio’s most in-demand space. Studio A has hosted over 750 sessions in the five years since reopening. By contrast, Studio B, a newer digital space, has logged fewer than 10% of that number.
“It looks different, it sounds different, it even smells different back here,” said Matt, a member of the Capricorn team. “This room has magic. Every artist who walks in can feel it.”
Capricorn also serves as a community hub. Upstairs, a small museum tells the story of Southern rock’s rise. Nearby, rehearsal rooms, nonprofit offices, and working spaces support local musicians, giving them professional resources and opportunities that many once had to leave town to find.
“It gets people out of garages and basements,” Matt added. “They’re surrounded by history but also part of something new.”
Also in Macon, the Allman Brothers Band’s former residence, now The Big House Museum, offers an up-close look at life offstage. Fans can walk through the band’s old bedrooms, browse handwritten lyrics and setlists, and see iconic gear that helped shape their sound. Leavell urges everyone to visit the Big House, stating, “There’s so much good stuff in there.”
The Sounds of Macon
Live music is still very much a part of life in Macon. Several venues offer live shows throughout the year.
Grant’s Lounge, once known as the “Original Home of Southern Rock,” is still going strong with live shows several nights a week. The walls are lined with old photos, and the stage sees a steady mix of seasoned performers and fresh faces.
Macon is almost synonymous with music. There are venues across the city, with live music often at the Douglass Theatre, Capitol Theatre, The Society Garden, and the Macon City Auditorium. Famous country music artist Jason Aldean grew up in Macon, and the town continues to draw big-name acts. This summer, artists like Old Dominion, Vince Gill, and Hank Williams Jr. will perform at Atrium Health.
If you’re into music and excited to see music history in real life, there are plenty of ways to dive into the city’s musical history. Along with the African American Music Experience, Visit Macon and Rock Candy Tours also offer several other themed tours:
Soul Sights Tour (1 hour): A guided journey to the places that inspired musical legends, from historic neighborhoods to architectural gems.
Rock and Soul Riding Tour (2 hours): A comprehensive drive through the homes, offices, crash pads, and backroom bars that shaped Southern rock and soul.
Free Birds and Night Owls Tour (1.5 hours): An evening walking tour focused on downtown Macon’s music scene and nightlife, with stories that bring backstage characters and music lore to life.
For those who prefer to explore independently, Macon offers self-guided itineraries and downloadable maps highlighting everything from murals to performance spaces. Be sure to check out the Macon Music Trail, where you can follow the plaques and icons on your phone, letting you see firsthand “homes of Macon music legends, iconic album cover locations, and legendary performance venues.”
However you choose to experience it, Macon isn’t just a place where music was made. It’s a place where music still lives, plays, and matters. Come for the legends, stay for the soul, and leave with a story only Macon could tell.