I spent a lovely September in Ohio visiting family and friends. I drove up and had planned to drive back down to Key West in early October to catch the Dead & Company concerts in West Palm Beach and Tampa. Unfortunately, those shows were canceled. So I made the most of my return road trip by making a few unplanned stops. I spent some time in Nashville and visited the Johnny Cash Museum, which was fantastic. I also enjoyed the Smoky Mountains in gorgeous Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
My final planned stop was, of all places, Macon, Georgia for the Allman Brothers Band Museum, known as the Big House. They’re one of my all-time favorite bands, and they all lived together in a beautiful house from 1970 through 1974 that has since been converted into a wonderful museum.
Having done my research and having recently finished reading the Gregg Allman autobiography, “My Cross to Bear,” I learned of another gem in Macon where I stopped before hitting the museum.
The H&H Restaurant in Macon is a soul food diner that has been in operation since 1959. The Allmans so loved the place that once they made it big, they brought its cook, Mama Louise, on tour as their official cook. The diner is a humble, almost unnoticeable building. But the food was outstanding: fried chicken, fried pork chops, collard greens, mac and cheese and corn bread. And the walls are covered with photos of the Allmans and other famous regulars from the Macon music scene like Otis Redding and The Marshall Tucker Band.
I then took my full belly over to The Big House, just five miles down the road. I pulled into the parking lot behind the house and could immediately feel the musical mojo. The first floor of the house, which is set up for self-guided tours, is a timeline of the Allman Brothers’ career, filled with memorabilia. Some of the highlights included Gregg’s Hammond B3 organ, Jaimoe’s drum kit, Butch Trucks’ drum kit, a pool table that belonged to Gregg and his then-wife Cher, the original notepad scribblings of “Blue Sky” and “Ramblin’ Man,” many guitars and amps, photos, concert posters, silver, gold and platinum records, outfits worn by the band, and so much more.
As a huge fan, the first floor was already giving me goosebumps. Then, I headed upstairs where several bedrooms are all still set up just as they were in the early ’70s. In Berry Oakley’s room, a pair of his custom-made jeans still hangs in the closet alongside one of his bass guitars. There were several other rooms that served as museum displays for even more amazing memorabilia. Then I found the room that touched my soul.
Duane Allman, who died in a motorcycle accident on Oct. 29, 1971, had his own bedroom in the house. It is still set up as it was when he died. In his closet sits his very first guitar, a Gibson Les Paul Jr., along with its case. Duane’s shoes and other personal belongings are also in the closet. Two of his electric guitars are on display in a case on the wall. Next to Duane’s bed is a notepad with his New Year’s Day (1969) resolutions written out in his handwriting. He had resolved to “be more thoughtful of my fellow man,” “to take love wherever I find it and to offer it to whoever will take it” and “to be the best man I possibly can.” At this point, I felt tears rolling down my face. I told the nice gentleman working the gift shop that Duane’s room brought me to tears. He smiled and told me, “Don’t be embarrassed, I’ve seen many a burly biker blubbering tears after visiting that room.”
The Big House may be the finest and best-kept museum I have ever visited. The Allman Brothers are an iconic American band and a huge part of American music culture. I left The Big House and drove fewer than 3 miles to Rose Hill Cemetery, where I paid my respects to Gregg and Duane Allman, Berry Oakley and Butch Trucks, who are all buried on the same plot in this beautiful and massive cemetery. I was alone there, and it will remain a very intimate and unforgettable spiritual experience.
BEN’S LIST
5 Great Music Museums
1. The Big House, Allman Brothers Museum (Macon, Georgia)
2. Johnny Cash Museum (Nashville)
3. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland)
4. Chess Records Studio (Chicago)
5. Country Music Hall of Fame (Nashville)
