MACON – A stacked lineup of past and present voices of Southern rock has been finalized for the sold-out Capricorn Revival concert to be held Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. at the Macon City Auditorium celebrating the rebirth of the historic Capricorn Sound Studios as Mercer Music at Capricorn.
Creek Media and Mercer Music at Capricorn are co-presenters of the concert curated by former Allman Brothers Band (ABB) member and current Rolling Stones music director Chuck Leavell and Wes Griffith, president of Creek Media and the Moonhanger Group.
Leavell will serve as musical director and the Randall Bramblett Band as house band for a night full of music recorded at Capricorn Sound Studios or inspired by the legendary artists and songs that made Macon, Georgia, the epicenter of Southern rock in the studio’s heyday.
In addition to recording with the Allman Brothers, Leavell’s band Sea Level recorded at Capricorn Sound Studios, and Bramblett is a multi-instrumentalist who worked with several Capricorn recording artists, including Gregg Allman, Cowboy, Elvin Bishop, Bonnie Bramlett, Sea Level and Widespread Panic.
Special guests will include:
- John Bell, lead singer and guitarist of former Capricorn recording artist Widespread Panic
- Grammy Award-winning blues musician Taj Mahal
- Jimmy Hall, co-founder and lead singer of Capricorn recording artist Wet Willie
- ABB founding member and drummer Jaimoe
- Tommy Talton, songwriter and guitarist for the Capricorn Rhythm Section and Capricorn Recording artist Cowboy
- 23-year-old guitar phenom and bandleader Marcus King from Greenville, South Carolina
- Charlie Starr, frontman of Atlanta-based rock band Blackberry Smoke
- Grammy-nominated, Georgia-born country singer-songwriter Brent Cobb
- Blues and soul singer, actress and Capricorn recording artist Bonnie Bramlett
- Singer-songwriter Lamar Williams Jr., son of the late ABB and Sea Level bassist
- Allman Betts Band co-founder Duane Betts, son of former ABB member Dickey Betts
- Allman Betts Band bassist Berry Oakley Jr., son of the late ABB bassist
- Grammy-winning songwriter and vocalist Bonnie Bishop
- Singer-songwriter and former Capricorn recording artist Jonathan Edwards
- Former Wet Willie, Cowboy and Capricorn Rhythm Section drummer Bill Stewart
- Charlie Hayward, bassist for Capricorn recording artists Gregg Allman and the Charlie Daniels Band
- Marcus Henderson, instrumentalist for former Capricorn recording artist the Marshall Tucker Band
- Paul Hornsby, Capricorn Rhythm Section musician and producer for the Charlie Daniels Band, the Marshall Tucker Band and Wet Willie
- Donna Hall, original member of Wet Willie and vocalist for the Marshall Tucker Band, Kitty Wells, Gregg Allman and Grand Funk Railroad
- Wet Willie founding member and bassist Jack Hall
- Drew Smithers, guitarist for Mississippi-based Southern rock band Bishop Gunn
- Macon-raised singer-songwriter, actor and radio personality Charles Davis
The concert will cap off two days of celebrations commemorating the 50th anniversary of Capricorn Records and the re-opening of Capricorn Sound Studios. A free, public dedication ceremony will take place Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. at Mercer Music at Capricorn. Following the ceremony, the building will be open for free public tours until 6 p.m. An invitation-only VIP party will take place at Capricorn the evening of Dec. 2.
Mercer Music at Capricorn is a multi-purpose, 20,000-square-foot complex designed to leverage Macon’s music heritage to create Macon’s music future. It contains the fully restored historic recording studio, plus an additional, larger studio suitable for orchestral recording and film scoring, as well as live performances. The facility also features 1,200 square feet of interpretive space that tells the story of Capricorn and Macon’s music history through artifacts and interactive digital exhibits.
The heart of the project is a music incubator featuring 12 rehearsal rooms of various sizes to facilitate the development of music talent. The incubator will be available to musicians 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Offices and meeting spaces for related arts and cultural organizations, businesses and creative professionals are located on the second floor of Mercer Music at Capricorn.
The $4.3 million renovation project is being funded by historic tax credits, major grants from the Peyton Anderson Foundation and John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and gifts from businesses and individuals.
