I decided one Summer to take a few days off and go exploring.  I’d always wanted to see the rural areas of Georgia so off I headed to Macon.  We got there very early on a Wednesday morning and drove around downtown.  The first thing I noticed were the beautiful churches with their huge spires stretching towards the heavens. Lucky for me, I had Gary driving me around.  I was looking up to the most beautiful blue sky on such a non rainy sunny day and Lord you know it made me high just lookin’ way up that way…

I’m not going to lie.  I had an ulterior motive for going to Macon. I guess I just don’t want to admit it. No, I just can’t bring myself to tell you why I wanted to travel deep down South to that small quaint country town.  Okay, here it goes…

Nestled on the western bank  of the Ocmulgee River is the famous Rose Hill Cemetery.   They say many a song has been written there by various folks.  It would appear to be a quiet, beautiful and relaxing spot, unlike anyplace else.  Some even say it is one of the most natural and beautiful places in all of Georgia.  Many souls are buried in this bucolic respite to those who have graced this Earth for a time.  Some longer than others, some not long at all.  Two Allmans, an Oakley, a Reed, and countless others are there in this beautiful place.

We stayed at Rose Hill for a couple of hours.  It’s full of so much history, and the monuments are spectacular tributes to those who were here. We left the cemetery and had lunch at H & H.  Mama L was so sweet and let me go to the kitchen in the back for her photo.  The food was SO good.  Best fried chicken on the planet.  Walls are covered with photos from the past of the boys in the band, an era long gone but not forgotten through memory and music.  The Big House is an amazing tribute to the ABBand loaded with countless examples of memorabilia.  After spending almost two hours there, I left this history trove with enlightened knowledge about this great Southern band.  Macon holds a special place in my heart. and once again the world mourns the loss of another Allman.  I will let the photos and the souls that we have lost in this life speak for themselves.

“Got on a bus to Memphis, destination Rome.  Georgia ain’t no paradise, but a place I just call home.  I sat next to a broken-hearted bride, she was cryin’, tryin’, so hard to hide her selfish sorrow.  I tried to get her talkin’ she didn’t have much to say.  She asked me for a map to death row but I didn’t know the way.  She had lost a million in the game.  One look out the window at the pine trees and the rain, it wasn’t her day.  Multicolored lady, you ain’t like no rainbow I’ve ever seen.  Multicolored lady, angry red, passion blue, but mostly shades of green.  Midnight came and brought more rain, nothing seemed to ease her pain.  The hours that we talked seemed like minutes all in vane.  I watched as her tears kept runnin’ wide.  Bye and bye and bye, way back after a while she started smilin’. Multicolored lady.  You aint like no rainbow I’ve ever known.  Multicolored lady, come go with me, I’ll take you to my home.  Oh, by the way, I’m bound for Rome.”

Gregg L. Allman                                                                                                                     Copyright                                                                                                                               Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Note***All photographs are copyrighted by Pamela C Armstrong