Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
Official name	City of Macon
Native name
Settlement type	City
Motto
Image seal	Macon_SEAL.png
Map	Bibb_County_Georgia_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Macon_Highlighted.svg
Map caption	Location in Bibb county in the state of Georgia
Coordinates region	US-GA
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	Georgia
Subdivision type2	Counties
Subdivision name2	Bibb, Jones
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Robert Reichert (D)
Leader title1
Established title
Established title2
Established date2
Area magnitude	1 E8
Unit pref
Area total km2	145.7
Area land km2	144.5
Area water km2	3.2
Area total sq mi	56.3
Area land sq mi	55.8
Area water sq mi	0.5
Area water percent
Population as of	2010
Population total	91,351
Population metro	231,576
Population density sq mi	1742.8
Population blank1 title	Demonym
Population blank1	Maconites
Timezone	EST
Utc offset	-5
Timezone dst	EDT
Utc offset dst	-4
Coordinates display	displayinline,title
Elevation footnotes
Elevation m	116
Elevation ft	381
Postal code type	ZIP codes
Postal code	31200-31299
Area code	478
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	13-49000
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	0332301
Website	www.cityofmacon.net
Footnotes	}}

Macon () is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia. It lies near the geographic center of Georgia, approximately 85 miles (136 km) south of Atlanta, hence the city's nickname as the ''Heart of Georgia''. As of the 2010 Census, Macon had a population of 91,351; in terms of population, Macon is the seventh-largest city in Georgia (just after Sandy Springs, Georgia).

The city has several institutions of higher education, as well as numerous museums and tourism sites. The area is served by the Middle Georgia Regional Airport and the Herbert Smart Downtown Airport. The current mayor of Macon is Robert Reichert, a former Democratic member of the Georgia House of Representatives. Ronnie Thompson, served from 1967–1975 and achieved some national recognition. He was the first of two Republicans to have been elected as mayor, the other being George Israel (1979–1987).

History

Macon lies on the site of the Ocmulgee Old Fields, where the historic Creek Indians lived in the 18th century. Their prehistoric predecessors, the Mississippian culture, built a powerful chiefdom (950–1100 AD) based on an agricultural village and constructed earthwork mounds for ceremonial, burial and religious purposes. The areas along the rivers in the Southeast had been inhabited by varying cultures of indigenous peoples for 13,000 years before Europeans arrived.

Macon was founded at the site of Fort Benjamin Hawkins, built from 1806–1809 at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River to protect the new frontier and establish a trading post with Native Americans. This was the most inland point of navigation on the river from the Low Country. President Thomas Jefferson forced the Creek to cede their lands east of the Ocmulgee River and ordered the fort built. (Archeological excavations in the 21st century found evidence of two separate fortifications.)

Fort Hawkins guarded the Lower Creek Pathway, an extensive American Indian network later used by the United States as the Federal Road from Washington, DC to the ports of Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana. The fort served as a major military distribution point during the War of 1812 against Great Britain and also during the Creek War of 1813. Afterward, the fort was used as a trading post for several years and was garrisoned until 1821. It was decommissioned about 1828 and later burned to the ground. A replica of the southeast blockhouse was built in 1938 and stands today on a hill in east Macon. Part of the fort site is occupied by the Fort Hawkins Grammar School.

As many settlers had already begun to move into the area, they renamed Fort Hawkins as “Newtown”. After the organization of Bibb County in 1822, the city was chartered as the county seat in 1823 and officially named Macon. This was in honor of the North Carolina statesman Nathaniel Macon, because many of the early settlers hailed from North Carolina. The city planners envisioned "a city within a park" and created a city of spacious streets and parks. They designated 250 acres (1 km²) for Central City Park, and passed ordinances requiring residents to plant shade trees in their front yards.

The city thrived due to its location on the Ocmulgee River; cotton became the mainstay of Macon's early economy, based on the enslaved labor of Africans. Macon was in the Black Belt of Georgia, where cotton was the chief commodity crop. Cotton boats, stage coaches, and later, in 1843, a railroad increased marketing opportunities and contributed to the economic prosperity to Macon. In 1836, the Georgia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church founded Wesleyan College in Macon; it was the first college in the United States chartered to grant degrees to women. In 1855 a referendum was held to determine a capital city for Georgia. Macon came in last with 3,802 votes.

During the American Civil War, Macon served as the official arsenal of the Confederacy. Camp Oglethorpe, in Macon, was used first as a prison for captured Union officers and enlisted men. Later it held officers only, up to 2,300 at one time. The camp was evacuated in 1864.

Macon City Hall, which served as the temporary state capitol in 1864, was converted to use as a hospital for the wounded. The Union General William Tecumseh Sherman spared Macon on his march to the sea. His troops had sacked the nearby state capital of Milledgeville, and Maconites prepared for an attack. Sherman did not bother to go through Macon.

The ''Macon Telegraph'' wrote that, of the 23 companies which the city had furnished the Confederacy, only enough men survived and were fit for duty to fill five companies by the end of the war. The toll was very high.

The city was taken by Union forces at the end of the war during Wilson's Raid on April 20, 1865.

Gradually into the twentieth century, Macon grew into a prospering town in Middle Georgia. It began to serve as a transportation hub for the entire state.

800px|thumb|center|Downtown Macon in the early 1900's.

In 1994 Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall in Florida dumping inches of rain, which resulted in major flooding in Georgia. Macon was one of the cities to suffer the worst flooding.

Geography

Macon is one of Georgia's three Fall Line Cities, along with Augusta and Columbus. The Fall Line is where the hilly lands of the Piedmont plateau meet the flat terrain of the coastal plain. As such, Macon has a varied landscape of rolling hills on the north side and flat plains on the south. The fall line causes rivers in the area to decline rapidly towards sea level, making it an ideal location for textile mills in the past. The Ocmulgee River is the major river that runs through Macon.

Macon is located at (32.834839, -83.651672).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 56.3 square miles (145.7 km²), of which, 55.8 square miles (144.5 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²) of it (0.82%) is water.

Macon is approximately above sea level.

Climate

Macon has a humid, subtropical climate. Summer temperatures generally peak in the mid-90s °F (c. 35 °C), and the winters have lows in the mid-30s °F (c. 2 °C). The city has an average annual precipitation of . It can snow during the winter. The average total annual snowfall is .9 inch ().

Surrounding cities and towns

Demographics

Macon is the largest principal city of the Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Macon metropolitan area (Bibb, Crawford, Jones, Monroe, and Twiggs counties), the Warner Robins metropolitan area (Houston County), and the Fort Valley micropolitan area (Peach County), which had a combined population of 346,801 at the 2000 census.

As of the official 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Macon was 91,351. In the last official census, in 2000, there were 97,255 people, 38,444 households, and 24,219 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,742.8 people per square mile (672.9/km²). There were 44,341 housing units at an average density of 794.6 per square mile (306.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 62.45% African American, 35.46% White, 0.19% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.

There were 38,444 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.0% were married couples living together, 25.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 79.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.8 males.

Economy

Personal income

The median income for a household in the city was $27,405, and the median income for a family was $33,699. Males had a median income of $29,950 versus $22,865 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,082. About 21.6% of families and 25.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.7% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.

Retail

Malls include: The Shoppes at River Crossing and Macon Mall and Eisenhower Crossing.

Military

Robins Air Force Base, the largest single-site industrial complex in the state of Georgia, is just south of Macon, next to the city of Warner Robins.

The headquarters of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard is located here.

Arts and culture

Musical heritage

thumb|280px|A statue of Otis Redding Macon has been the birthplace or hometown to such musicians as The Allman Brothers Band, Randy Crawford, Mark Heard, Lucille Hegamin, Otis Redding, Little Richard, Mike Mills and Bill Berry of R.E.M. as well as more recent names like violinist Robert McDuffie and country artist Jason Aldean. Rapper Jody Breeze (1/4 of the hip-hop group Boyz N Da Hood along with fellow Maconite Young Jeezy, currently signed to P. Diddy's Bad Boy Entertainment) was discovered in Macon at a car show. September Hase, an alternative rock band formerly managed by Macon's Alan Walden, was discovered in Macon at the 550 Blues Club. Capricorn Records, run by Macon natives Phil Walden and briefly Alan Walden, made the city a hub for Southern rock music in the late 1960s and 1970s.

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame was built here.

The Macon Symphony Orchestra, performs at the Grand Opera House in downtown Macon, as well as a youth symphony, the Middle Georgia Concert Band, and other groups, some associated with local universities.

Festivals

International Cherry Blossom Festival - During mid-March of every year, the height of the cherry trees' bloom, Macon holds a 10-day celebration.

The Mulberry Street Festival, is an arts and crafts festival held the last weekend of March in downtown Macon.

Pan African Festival - Macon has an annual celebration of African American culture in April.

Ocmulgee Indian Celebration - A celebration of Macon's original Native American Heritage, this festival is held in September at Ocmulgee National Monument. Representatives from Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, and other nations come to share stories, exhibit native art, and perform.

The Georgia State Fair - The Fair is held in Central City Park in the first week of May.

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame hosts Georgia Music Week in September.

Macon's annual Bragg Jam festival features an Art and Kids' Festival along the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail and a nighttime Pub Crawl.

Macon Film Festival (MaGa) - An annual film festival, held the third weekend in February, celebrates independent films.

Points of interest

Historical sites

Ocmulgee National Monument is located near downtown Macon. It preserves some of the largest ancient earthwork mounds in Georgia built by the Mississippian culture a millennium ago, c. 950-1150. It was sacred to the historic Muscogee (Creek Nation) as well. Archeological artifacts reveal 13,000 years of human habitation at the site. The park features a spiral mound, funeral mound, temple mounds, burial mounds, and a reconstructed earth lodge. It is the first Traditional Cultural Property designated by the National Park Service east of the Mississippi River.

Fort Benjamin Hawkins, a major military outpost (1806-1821) that was a command headquarters for the US Army and Georgia militia on the frontier, as well as a trading post or factory for the Creek Nation. It was a supply depot during US campaigns of the War of 1812 and the Creek and Seminole Wars.

Cannonball House - Historic site

Luther Williams Field

Rose Hill Cemetery is one of Macon's oldest cemeteries.

Sidney Lanier Cottage - historical home of the poet Sidney Lanier Temple Beth Israel - The Jewish congregation was founded in 1859, and now occupies a domed Neoclassical facility built in 1902.

Wesleyan College - first chartered women's college in the world.

Museums

The Allman Brothers Band Museum - the "Big House" used by the Allman Brothers Band in the early 1970s, now a museum of Allman Brothers history and artifacts

The Georgia Children's Museum- Five Stories of interactive education located in the downtown Museum District Georgia Music Hall of Fame

Georgia Sports Hall of Fame

Museum of Arts and Sciences (Macon) and Planetarium

Tubman African American Museum - the largest African American museum in Georgia.

Community

City Hall, Georgia's capitol for part of the Civil War

Douglass Theatre

The Grand Opera House, where the Macon Symphony Orchestra performs.

Hay House - also known as the "Johnston-Felton-Hay House", it has been referred to as the "Palace of the South" City Auditorium, the world's largest copper dome

Macon Coliseum

Macon Little Theatre, established in 1934, the area's oldest community theatre producing seven plays/musicals per season

Businesses

H&H; Restaurant - a restaurant frequented by the Allman Brothers

Nu-Way Weiners - Famous for their Red hotdogs. featured on the Today Show , and a Hot Dog program among other national programs.

Waddell Barnes Botanical Gardens

Sports

{|class="wikitable" |- !Club !Sport !League !Venue |- |Macon Music |Baseball |South Coast League |Luther Williams Field |- |Macon Giants |Baseball |Great South League |Ed Defore Sports Complex |- |Macon Pinetoppers |Baseball |Peach State League |Luther Williams Field |}

Parks and recreation

Macon is home to several parks and community centers.

Ocmulgee Heritage Trail - a green way of parks, plazas, and landmarks along the Ocmulgee River in downtown Macon

Bloomfield Park

East Macon Park

Frank Johnson Recreation Center

Freedom Park

L.H. Williams Community School Center

Memorial Park

North Macon Park

Rosa Jackson

Senior Center

Education

Public high schools

Central High School

Howard High School

Hutchings High School

Northeast Magnet High School

Rutland High School

Southwest Magnet High School

Westside High School

Private high schools

Central Fellowship Christian Academy

First Presbyterian Day School

Mount de Sales Academy

Stratford Academy

Tattnall Square Academy

Windsor Academy

Covenant Academy

Private and specialized schools

Butler

Elam Alexander

Georgia Academy for the Blind

Neel

Renaissance

Colleges and universities

Macon has approximately 30,000 college students, the third highest number in Georgia. Mercer, Macon State, and Wesleyan College have the largest populations of "traditional" college students. Georgia College & State University has a "Center for Graduate and Professional Learning" in Macon.

Mercer University

Macon State College

Wesleyan College

Central Georgia Technical College

Fort Valley State University - satellite campus

Georgia College & State University - satellite campus

Troy University - satellite campus

Media

Newspapers and magazines

''The'' ''Telegraph'', a daily newspaper, is published in Macon.

The 11th Hour

Television stations

03 WBMN - CW (Cable Only)

13 WMAZ-TV - CBS

24 WGXA - Fox/ABC (On DT2)

29 WMUM-TV - GPB/PBS

31 WDMA-CA - Daystar

38 WRWR-LD - America One/Universal Sports (On DT2)

41 WMGT-TV - NBC/MyNetworkTV (On DT2)

45 WGNM - Christian Television Network

50 WPGA-LP - RTV

58 WPGA-TV - Ind./This TV (On DT2)

Radio stations

FM

WBKG 88.9 - Macon (Religious)

WMUM-FM 89.7 - Macon (Georgia Public Broadcasting/National Public Radio)

WLZN 92.3 - Macon (Urban Hip-Hop - "Blazin' 92.3")

WPEZ 93.7 - Macon (Z93.7)

WMGB 95.1 ("B95.1") - Macon

WPCH (FM) 96.5 - Macon (Oldies/Adult Contemporary - "The New Peach" - Simulcast)

WDEN 99.1 - Macon (Country)

WMGZ 97.7 FM - Macon

WIBB-FM 97.9 - Macon (Urban - Hip Hop "97.9 WIBB")

WPGA-FM 100.9 - Macon (Mix "100.9")

WRBV 101.7 - Macon (Urban AC - "V101.7")

WROK-FM 105.5 - Macon (Adult Album Alternative - "Rock 105.5")

WQBZ 106.3 - Macon ( The Rock Station "Q106")

WFXM 107.1 - Macon (Hip-Hop & R&B; "''Power 107''")

AM

WBML 900 AM - Macon (Country)

WMAC 940 AM - Macon (Talk)

WPGA 980 AM - Macon (Talk)

WXKO 1150 AM - Fort Valley/Macon (Country)

WDDO 1240 AM - Macon (Gospel)

WIBB 1280 AM - Macon (Talk)

WNEX 1400 AM - Macon (News Talk)

WAYS 1500 AM - Macon (Sports - "The Fan")

WPLA 1670 AM - Macon (Sports Talk - "Fox Sports Radio")

Infrastructure

Hospitals

Central Georgia Rehabilitation Hospital

Coliseum Medical Centers

Coliseum Northside Hospital

Medical Center of Central Georgia

Transportation

Airports

Macon Downtown Airport is located near downtown. It has a large number of corporate and private aviation aircraft.

Middle Georgia Regional Airport, provides public air service to Macon as well as cargo flights. The airport is situated 9 miles (14 km) south of downtown.

Highways

Interstates:

U.S. Route: State Routes:

Mass Transit

The Macon Transit Authority (MTA) is Macon's public-transit system, operating the bus system within Bibb County. Most commuters in Macon and the surrounding suburbs use private automobiles as their primary transportation. This results in heavy traffic during rush hour and contributes to Macon's air pollution.

Macon Transit Authority has a tourist trolley system. The trolleys have offered tours of the downtown Macon area since 1999. The tours consist of all of the major historical sites such as the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the Hay House, and the Tubman Museum. There are three trolleys holding up to 39 passengers.

Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service.

Macon grew as a center of rail transport after the 1846 opening of the Macon and Western Railroad. Two of the most note-worthy train companies operating through the city were the Central of Georgia Railway and the Southern Railway. The city continued to be served by passenger trains until the 1970s. Macon is included in the proposed Georgia Rail Passenger Program to restore inter-city rail service.

Notable Maconites

A number of notable people involved in politics, sports, music, and other activities were either born or resided in Macon.

Sister cities

Macon has six sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI): Mâcon, France Elmina, Ghana Kurobe, Japan Ulyanovsk, Russia Kaohsiung, Taiwan Gwacheon, South Korea

See also

Downtown Macon, Georgia

Macon, Georgia metropolitan area

List of mayors of Macon, Georgia

References

Further reading

Bellamy, Donnie D. "Macon, Georgia, 1823–1860: A Study in Urban Slavery", ''Phylon'' 45 (December 1984): 300–304, 308–309

Brown, Titus. "A New England Missionary and African-American Education in Macon: Raymond G. Von Tobel at the Ballard Normal School, 1908–1935", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Summer 1998, Vol. 82 Issue 2, pp 283–304

Brown, Titus. "Origins of African American Education in Macon, Georgia 1865–1866", ''Journal of South Georgia History,'' Oct 1996, Vol. 11, pp 43–59

Butler, John Campbell. ''Historical Record of Macon and Central Georgia'' (Macon, 1879),

Davis, Robert Scott. "A Cotton Kingdom Retooled for War: The Macon Arsenal and the Confederate Ordnance Establishment", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Fall 2007, Vol. 91 Issue 3, pp 266–291, full text online in EBSCO

Davis, Robert S. ''Cotton, Fire, & Dreams: The Robert Findlay Iron Works and Heavy Industry in Macon, Georgia, 1839–1912'' (Macon, Ga., 1998)

Eisterhold, John A. "Commercial, Financial, and Industrial Macon, Georgia, During the 1840's", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Winter 1969, Vol. 53 Issue 4, pp 424–441

Hux, Roger K. "The Ku Klux Klan in Macon 1919–1925", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Summer 1978, Vol. 62 Issue 2, pp 155–168

Iobst, Richard W. ''Civil War Macon: The History of a Confederate City'' (Mercer U. Press, 1999). 462 pp.

Keire, Mara L. ''For Business and Pleasure: Red-Light Districts and the Regulation of Vice in the United States, 1890–1933'' (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010); 248 pages; History and popular culture of districts in Macon, Ga., and other cities

McInvale, Morton Ray "Macon, Georgia: The War Years, 1861–1865" (Ph.D. dissertation, Florida State University, 1973)

Manis, Andrew M. ''Macon Black and White: An Unutterable Separation in the American Century'' (Mercer U. Press, 2004). 432 pp.

Norman, Matthew W. "James H. Burton and the Confederate States Armory at Macon", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Winter 1997, Vol. 81 Issue 4, pp 974–987

Stone, James H. "Economic Conditions in Macon, Georgia in the 1830's", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Summer 1970, Vol. 54 Issue 2, pp 209–225

Yates, Bowling C. "Macon, Georgia, Inland Trading Center 1826–1836", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Fall 1971, Vol. 55 Issue 3, pp 365–377

Young, Ida, Julius Gholson, and Clara Nell Hargrove. ''History of Macon, Georgia'' (Macon, 1950)

External links

Official City Government Website

Macon-Bibb County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Macon (the New Georgia Encyclopedia)

Category:Bibb County, Georgia Category:Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia Category:Jones County, Georgia Category:Macon metropolitan area Category:Populated places established in 1823 Category:Populated places in Georgia (U.S. state) with African American majority populations Category:University towns in the United States

ar:ماكون، جورجيا ca:Macon (Geòrgia) da:Macon (Georgia) de:Macon (Georgia) el:Μαίηκον (Τζόρτζια) es:Macon (Georgia) fr:Macon (Géorgie) ko:메이컨 (조지아 주) io:Macon, Georgia ia:Macon, Georgia it:Macon (Georgia) kw:Macon, Jeorji ht:Macon, Georgie nl:Macon (Georgia) ja:メイコン (ジョージア州) no:Macon (Georgia) pl:Macon (Georgia) pt:Macon (Geórgia) ru:Мэйкон simple:Macon, Georgia fi:Macon sv:Macon, Georgia vi:Macon, Georgia vo:Macon (Georgia) zh:梅肯 (喬治亞州)

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
Name	Michael Montgomery
Currentteam	Tennessee Titans
Currentnumber	--
Currentpositionplain	Defensive end
Birth date	August 18, 1983
Birth place	Carthage, Texas
Heightft	6
Heightin	5
Weight	282
College	Texas A&M;
Draftyear	2005
Draftround	6
Draftpick	180
Debutyear	2005
Debutteam	Green Bay Packers
Pastteams	Green Bay Packers (–) Minnesota Vikings ()* Green Bay Packers () :*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Status	Active
Highlights	First-team JUCO All-American (2002) First-team All-Big 12 (2004)
Statweek	17
Statseason	2008
Statlabel1	Tackles
Statvalue1	121
Statlabel2	Sacks
Statvalue2	5.0
Statlabel3	Forced fumbles
Statvalue3	1
Nfl	MON607346 }}

Michael Lewis Montgomery, II (born August 18, 1983) is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas A&M;.

College career

Montgomery was born in Carthage, Texas and attended Center High School in Center, Texas. He played college football at Navarro Junior College and Texas A&M;. He started his career at Navarro where he played for two years recording 131 tackles and six sacks. Before his junior year he transferred to Texas A&M; where he recorded 123 tackles, seven sacks, and one interception, and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.

Professional career

Green Bay Packers

Montgomery was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. For the first three years of his career he was used mainly as a backup defensive end.

During the 2008 season, after the Packers lost starting defensive end Cullen Jenkins due to injury and released Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Montgomery along with rookie Jeremy Thompson split time starting at defensive end. He finished the season starting eight games.

After becoming an unrestricted free agent after 2008, Montgomery re-signed with the Packers on March 23, 2009. During the season he recorded only two tackles in 10 games.

Montgomery was released on March 5, 2010. In five years with the team he started eight of 56 games, recording 123 tackles and five sacks.

Minnesota Vikings

Montgomery signed with the Minnesota Vikings on March 29, 2010. The Vikings released Montgomery on September 4, 2010, as the team made final cuts to set its 53-man roster.

Second stint with the Green Bay Packers

Montgomery again joined the Packers on October 15, 2010. He was later released on November 2, 2010 after appearing in only two games for Green Bay.

Tennessee Titans

Montgomery signed with the Tennessee Titans on August 9th, 2011.

References

External links

Green Bay Packers bio

Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:People from Carthage, Texas Category:Players of American football from Texas Category:American football defensive tackles Category:American football defensive ends Category:Texas A&M; Aggies football players Category:Green Bay Packers players Category:Minnesota Vikings players Category:People from Center, Texas Category:Junior college football players in the United States

fr:Michael Montgomery

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Casey James
background	solo_singer
birth name	Casey Everett James
birth date	May 31, 1982
birth place	Plano, Texas
origin	Fort Worth, Texas,
instrument	Vocals, guitar, mandolin
genre	Pop, country, rock, blues
occupation	Singer, songwriter
years active	2008–present
label	19 Recordings/BNA Records
website	}}

Casey Everett James (born May 31, 1982) is an American singer and guitarist from Fort Worth, Texas, who was the third-place finalist on the ninth season of ''American Idol''.

Early life

Born in Plano and raised in Cool, Texas, James had a bad reaction to his pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine when he was an infant, and his family feared brain damage. According to his mother, however, she realized that he would be all right and was going to be musical when he started humming before he talked.

James started playing the guitar at 13 and within a year was playing on stage. James has played acoustic sets with his mother, Debra "Bybee" James, and blues with his older brother, Billy Cole. He has also played with country and rock bands.{ At the age of 21, he was in a serious motorcycle accident that nearly ended his life. He was told by his doctor that he would no longer be able to play guitar, a medical prediction that proved untrue. During the ''American Idol'' hometown visits, James returned to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries and presented an autographed guitar to his surgeon, Dr. Cory Collinge.

Before ''American Idol'', he played with his band, The Casey James Band, consisting of James, his brother, Bills Cole (bass), and Jacy McCann (drums). They recorded four songs, including the first song that James ever wrote, "Freezing," back in 2002.

Musical influences

James cites blues guitarist Doyle Bramhall II as a major musical influence and whom he would most like to perform with in his Idol Q&A.; Another major influence is Stevie Ray Vaughan; James named Vaughn's ''In the Beginning'' (1992) as a formative album in his early years.

I got an album called “In the Beginning” and I learned every note on it, which was easier to do because it was early on in his career [it was recorded in 1980]. I learned all those notes and it opened me up to the blues. When you look what he was doing, a lot of it was covers, and then you go back and start listening to those guys -- the originals Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins -- those influences changed me, too.

Other influences cited in the article are southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd and Pearl Jam.

''American Idol''

James was a contestant on ''American Idol'' during its ninth season. He made it to the Top 3 before being eliminated on May 19, 2010. James had tried out for and been selected to compete in the ninth season of ''Idol'' in 2009 in spite of the fact that he had never seen the show. He was the oldest contestant to be selected for the Top 24 of the ninth season at the age of 27. James was voted off of the competition on May 19, 2010, and finished in third place. During the finale of ''American Idol'', he performed a duet of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with Bret Michaels.

''USA Today'' music critic Brian Mansfield suggested that James was "the best guitar player the show [''American Idol''] has seen."

Performances

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- !Episode !Theme !Song choice !Original artist !Order # !Result |- |Audition |N/A |"Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" |John Mayer |N/A |Advanced |- |Hollywood |First Solo |"I Don't Need No Doctor" |Ray Charles |N/A |Advanced |- |Hollywood |Group Round |"Closer" |Ne-Yo |N/A |Advanced |- |Hollywood |Second Solo |"Bubbly" |Colbie Calliat |N/A |Advanced |- |Top 24 (12 Men) |rowspan="3"|Billboard Hot 100 Hits |"Heaven" |Bryan Adams |11 |Safe |- |Top 20 (10 Men) |"I Don't Want to Be" |Gavin DeGraw |3 |Safe |- |Top 16 (8 Men) |"You'll Think of Me" |Keith Urban |5 |Safe |- |Top 12 |The Rolling Stones |"It's All Over Now" |The Valentinos |3 |Safe |- |Top 11 |''Billboard'' #1 Hits |"The Power of Love" |Huey Lewis and the News |9 |Safe |- |Top 10 |R&B;/Soul |"Hold On, I'm Comin'" |Sam & Dave |2 |Safe |- |Top 9 |Lennon/McCartney |"Jealous Guy" |John Lennon |7 |Safe |- |Top 9 |Elvis Presley |"Lawdy Miss Clawdy" |Lloyd Price |9 |Safe |- |Top 7 |Inspirational |"Don't Stop" |Fleetwood Mac |1 |Bottom 3 |- |Top 6 |Shania Twain |"Don't!" |Shania Twain |3 |Bottom 3 |- |Top 5 |Frank Sinatra |"Blue Skies" |Belle Baker |2 |Safe |- |rowspan="2"| Top 4 |rowspan="2"| Songs of the Cinema | Solo "Mrs. Robinson" — ''The Graduate'' | Simon & Garfunkel | 4 |rowspan="2"| Safe |- | Duet "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" — ''Don Juan DeMarco'' with Michael Lynche |Bryan Adams |6 |- |rowspan="2"| Top 3 | Contestant's Choice | "OK, It's Alright with Me" | Eric Hutchinson | 1 |rowspan="2"| Eliminated |- |Judge's Choice |"Daughters" |John Mayer |4 |} Due to the judges using their one save to save Michael Lynche, the Top 9 remained intact for another week. When Ryan Seacrest announced the results for this particular night, James was among the Bottom 3 but declared safe second, as Tim Urban was eliminated. When Ryan Seacrest announced the results for this particular night, James was among the Bottom 3 but declared safe second, as Siobhan Magnus was eliminated. Song selected by Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi.

Post-''Idol''

James joined the rest of the Top 10 on the American Idols LIVE! tour. His four-song set included "I Got Mine" by The Black Keys, "Don't" by Shania Twain, "It's All Over Now" by Bobby Womack, and "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" by Bryan Adams alongside fellow contestant Michael Lynche.

On August 17, 2010, it was announced that James had signed with Sony Music Nashville and his debut album will be released on 19 Recordings/BNA Records in 2011.Sony Music Nashville Chairman and CEO Gary Overton said: “We at Sony Music Nashville are incredibly excited about signing CASEY JAMES. I flew to NEW YORK to see him ‘live’ with the American Idol Tour and I was blown away with his voice, guitar playing and stage presence...and so were the thousands of fans in the amphitheatre. He has honed his skills as a showman with his years of performing live on stage! I can't wait to get him into the studio to begin recording his debut album.” James is currently set to work with country songwriter Tom Douglas. Douglas has said of James that "he's the real deal. He's a great singer and great guitar player, so I'm looking forward to writing with him."

James has been working on his debut record writing songs and auditioning band members. He has been collaborating with some of country music’s best songwriters including Aimee Mayo, Jaren Johnston, Alabama’s Randy Owen, Sugarland’s Kristian Bush, Delbert McClinton, and Grammy-winner Tom Douglas. He’s also been doing what he loves, playing before live audiences from coast to coast. He has opened for Sugarland on their Incredible Machine Tour and has been playing other solo and opening gigs including performing at the ACM Awards after party and 2011 CMA Fest.

James announced his first single will be "Let's Don't Call It a Night." The single was released on August 15, 2011 and sold 5,000 copies on its debut week.

Discography

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions	Album
		! width="65"
2011	"Let's Don't Call It a Night"A	57

^A Current single.

References

External links

Casey James on ''Twitter''

Casey James at ''American Idol''

Casey James Shares His 'Idol' Experience at ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show''

Casey James Band Official Website

Category:1982 births Category:American Idol participants Category:American male singers Category:American guitarists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Texas Category:American country singers Category:BNA Records artists

id:Casey James

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Duane Allman
background	solo_singer
birth name	Howard Duane Allman
alias	Skydog
born	November 20, 1946Nashville, Tennessee
died	October 29, 1971Macon, Georgia
instrument	Guitar, vocals
genre	Southern rock, blues, blues-rock, soul, rock, jazz
occupation	Musician, songwriter
years active	1961–1971
label	Mercury, Capricorn
associated acts	The Hour Glass, Wilson Pickett, The Allman Brothers Band, Derek and the Dominos, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Mann, Greg Allman, The Allman Joys
website	AllmanBrothersBand.com
notable instruments	Gibson Les PaulGibson SGFender StratocasterGibson Es345 }}

Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band. He is best remembered for his brief but influential tenure in that band, his expressive slide guitar playing and improvisational skills.

A sought-after session musician both before and during his tenure with the band, Allman performed with such established stars as King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, and Herbie Mann. He also contributed heavily to the 1970 album ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' by Derek and the Dominos.

In 2003, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine ranked Allman at #2 in their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, second only to Jimi Hendrix. His tone (achieved with a Gibson Les Paul and two 50-watt bass Marshall amplifiers) was named one of the greatest guitar tones of all time by ''Guitar Player''.

He died in October 1971 in a motorcycle accident.

He is still referred to by his nickname "Skydog," which may be a reference to his signature guitar sound and tone. Many consider "Skydog" a variant of the nickname "Skyman" given to him by Wilson Pickett during the recording of Pickett's cover of the Beatles' "Hey Jude." Jim Dickinson was quoted in Keith Richards' autobiography ''Life'' as saying he was given the name because he was high much of the time.

Early years

Howard Duane Allman was born November 20, 1946 in Nashville, Tennessee. When he was three years old, while he and his family were living near Norfolk, Virginia, his father, Willis Allman, a career United States Army sergeant, was murdered by a hitchhiker and fellow veteran who he picked up a day after returning from a long tour of duty. Geraldine "Mama A" Allman moved her family back to Nashville. In 1957 they relocated to Daytona Beach, Florida.

Duane and his younger brother, Gregg, returned to Nashville to spend summers with their grandmother. Gregg heard her neighbor, Jimmy Bain, playing country standards on a Beltone guitar from his front porch. Mr. Bain let Gregg pick it up one afternoon. Gregg was "really enchanted with this". When he returned to Daytona Beach, Gregg saved money and bought his first guitar, a Silvertone in 1960. Gregg learned how to play a few chords and licks when Duane asked "What do we have here?", picking the guitar up. Duane and Gregg were both learning guitar, and their mother bought Duane a Gibson Les Paul Junior to keep them from fighting. Duane learned the guitar quickly. Gregg stated in an interview that: "It was like seeing Paul Bunyan grind an axe, he passed me up like I was standing still."

Another important event occurred in 1959 [NOTE: inconsistent with 1960 date above] when the boys were in Nashville visiting relatives. They attended a rock 'n' roll concert at which blues legend B. B. King performed. Both brothers promptly fell under the spell of his music. Gregg Allman recalls that Duane idly and yet sternly turned to him and said, "We got to get into this." After the show, Duane instantly started sewing together his own riffs to the B. B. King songs he'd heard hours before, and by the end of the night had put together his own solos and discovered the blues, all before investing his full potential into the guitar.

Duane's love for the guitar grew even more over the years. Gregg stated that he hardly ever saw Duane out of his room not jamming on the guitar. "His improvisational skills were through the dam," Gregg stated in an interview. "He was never not in his room, soloing for hours on end." Duane first learned the acoustic blues, and over the years molded his guitar playing to his own custom sound, which he is still known for today.

Duane Allman was known for his lean, gangly stature, his beard, and his humble manner while not playing guitar. Dickey Betts stated, "Duane was one of the most down to earth people you could meet, and we all knew he was gonna make a change in this world whether it be on guitar or not."

Allman Joys and Hour Glass

The two Allman brothers started playing publicly in 1961, joining or forming a number of small, local groups. Shortly thereafter, Duane quit high school to stay home during the day and focus on his guitar playing. Their band the Escorts opened for The Beach Boys in 1965 but disbanded and eventually became the Allman Joys. After Gregg graduated from Seabreeze High School in 1965, the Allman Joys went on the road, performing throughout the Southeast and eventually being based in Nashville and St. Louis, Missouri.

The Allman Joys morphed into another not-completely-successful band, The Hour Glass, which moved to Los Angeles in early 1967. There the Hour Glass produced two albums that left the band unsatisfied. Liberty, their record company, tried to market them as a pop band, completely ignoring the band's desire to play more blues-oriented material.

In 1968, Gregg Allman went to visit Duane on his 22nd birthday. Duane was sick in bed. Gregg brought along a bottle of Coricidin pills for his fever and the debut album by guitarist Taj Mahal as a gift. "About two hours after I left, my phone rang," Gregg states. "Baby brother, baby brother, get over here now!" When Gregg got there, he found that Duane had poured the pills out of the bottle, washed off the label and was using it as a slide to play "Statesboro Blues," an old Blind Willie McTell song that Taj Mahal covered. "Duane had never played slide before", says Gregg, "he just picked it up and started burnin'. He was a natural." The song would go on to become a part of the Allman Brothers Band's repertoire, and Duane's slide guitar became crucial to their sound.

The Hour Glass broke up in early 1968, and Duane and Gregg Allman went back to Florida, where they played on demo sessions with the 31st of February, a folk rock outfit whose drummer was Butch Trucks. Gregg returned to California to fulfill Hour Glass obligations, while Duane jammed around Florida for months but didn't get another band going.

Session musician

Allman's playing on the two Hour Glass albums and an Hour Glass session in early 1968 at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, had caught the ear of Rick Hall, owner of FAME. In November 1968 Hall hired Allman to play on an album with Wilson Pickett. Allman's work on that album, ''Hey Jude'' (1968), got him hired as a full-time session musician at Muscle Shoals and brought him to the attention of a number of other musicians, such as Eric Clapton, who later said, "I remember hearing Wilson Pickett's 'Hey Jude' and just being astounded by the lead break at the end. I had to know who that was immediately — right now."

Allman's performance on "Hey Jude" blew away Atlantic Records producer and executive Jerry Wexler when Hall played it over the phone for him. Wexler immediately bought Allman's recording contract from Hall and wanted to use him on sessions with all sorts of Atlantic R&B; artists. While at Muscle Shoals, Allman was featured on releases by a number of artists, including Clarence Carter, King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Laura Nyro, Wilson Pickett, Otis Rush, Percy Sledge, Johnny Jenkins, Boz Scaggs, Delaney & Bonnie and jazz flautist Herbie Mann. Shortly after he recorded the lead break in "Hey Jude", he recorded all of the lead guitar in Boz Scaggs' "Loan Me A Dime." For his first Aretha sessions, Allman traveled to New York, where in January 1969 he went as an audience member to the Fillmore East to see Johnny Winter and told fellow Shoals guitarist Jimmy Johnson that in a year he'd be on that stage. That December, the Allman Brothers Band indeed, played the Fillmore.

Formation of The Allman Brothers Band

The limits of full-time session playing frustrated Allman. The few months in Muscle Shoals were by no means a waste, however, because besides meeting the great artists and other industry professionals he was working with, Allman had rented a small, secluded cabin on a lake and spent many solitary hours there refining his playing. Perhaps most significantly, Allman got together with R&B; and jazz drummer Jaimoe Johanson, who came to meet Allman at the urging of the late Otis Redding's manager, Phil Walden, who by now was managing Allman and wanted to build a three-piece band around him. Allman and Jaimoe got Chicago-born bassist Berry Oakley to come up from Florida and jam as a trio, but Berry was committed to his rock band with guitarist Dickey Betts, the Second Coming, and returned south.

Getting fed up with Muscle Shoals, in March Allman took Jaimoe with him back to Jacksonville, Florida, where they moved in with Butch Trucks. Soon a jam session of these three plus Betts, Oakley, and Reese Wynans took place and forged what all present recognized as a natural, or even magical, bond. With the addition of brother Gregg, called back from Los Angeles to sing and replace Wynans on keyboards, at the end of March 1969, the Allman Brothers Band was formed. (Wynans became well known over a decade later as organist with Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble.) After a bit of rehearsing and gigging, the sextet moved up to Macon, Georgia, in April to be near Walden and his Capricorn Sound Studios. While living in Macon, Allman met Donna Roosman, who bore his only child, Galadrielle. Despite their child, the relationship quickly ended.

Success: ''Layla'', ''At Fillmore East''

The Allman Brothers Band went on to become one of the most influential rock groups of the 1970s, described by ''Rolling Stone'''s George Kimball in 1971 as "the best damn rock and roll band this country has produced in the past five years." After months of nonstop rehearsing and gigging, including free shows in Macon's Central City Park and Atlanta's Piedmont Park, the group was ready to settle on the Allman Brothers Band name, and to record. Their debut album, ''The Allman Brothers Band'', was recorded in New York in September 1969 and released a few months later. In the midst of intense touring, work began in Macon and Miami (Atlantic South - Criteria Studios), and a little bit in New York, on the ABB's second album, ''Idlewild South.'' Produced mostly by Tom Dowd, ''Idlewild South'' was released in August 1970 and broke ground for the ABB by quickly hitting the ''Billboard'' charts.

A group date in Miami, also that August, gave Allman the chance to participate in Eric Clapton's ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs''. Clapton had long wanted to meet Allman; when he heard that the Allman Brothers were due to play in Miami, where he had just started work on ''Layla'' with producer Tom Dowd, he insisted on going to see their concert, where he met Allman. At one point, Allman cautiously asked Clapton if he could come by the studio to watch. After the show the two bands—the Allman Brothers Band and Derek and the Dominos—returned to Criteria, where Allman and Clapton quickly formed a deep rapport during an all-night jam session. Allman wound up participating on most of the album's tracks, contributing some of his best-known work. Allman never left the Allman Brothers Band, though, despite being offered a permanent position with Clapton. Allman never toured with Derek and the Dominos, but he did make three appearances with them on December 1, 1970 at the Curtis Hixon Hall (''Soulmates'' LP) and the following day at Onondaga County War Memorial, and one appearance (or possibly just Delaney Bramlett or both Duane and Delaney) November 20, 1970 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Calif.

In an interview, Duane told listeners how to tell who played what: Eric played the Fender parts and Duane played the Gibson parts. He continued by noting that the Fender had a sparklier sound, while the Gibson produced more of a "full-tilt screech."

The Allman Brothers went on to record ''At Fillmore East'' in March 1971. Meanwhile, Allman continued contributing session work to other artists' albums whenever he could. According to ''Skydog: the Duane Allman Story,'' Allman was in the habit of spontaneously dropping in at recording sessions and contributing to whatever was being taped that day. He received cash payments but no recording credits, making it virtually impossible to compile a complete discography of his works.

Allman was well known for his melodic, extended and attention-holding guitar solos. During this period two of his stated influences were Miles Davis and John Coltrane, having listened extensively to ''Kind of Blue'' for two years.

As Allman's distinct electric bottleneck steel sound began to mature it evolved in time into the musical voice of what would come to be known as Southern Rock, being picked up and redefined in their own styles by slide guitarists that included fellow bandmate Dickey Betts (after Duane's passing), Rory Gallagher, Derek Trucks and Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Death

Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident only months after the release and initial success of ''At Fillmore East''. While in the western part of Macon on October 29, 1971 during a band break from touring and recording, Allman was riding his motorcycle at high speed toward an intersection as a flatbed truck carrying a lumber crane approached. (Allman did not collide with a peach truck as many falsely believe.*) The flatbed truck stopped suddenly in the intersection, forcing Duane to swerve his Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle sharply to the left to avoid a collision. As he was doing so, he struck either the back of the truck or the ball on the lumber crane and was immediately thrown from the motorcycle. The motorcycle bounced up in the air and landed on Allman and proceeded to skid another ninety feet with Duane pinned underneath, crushing his internal organs. Though he was still alive when he arrived at the hospital, despite emergency surgery, he died several hours later from massive internal injuries. He was just weeks from his 25th birthday.

Many people believe that the Allman Bros. Band named their first album after Duane's death "Eat a Peach" because he was killed when he collided with a peach truck (which is, as pointed out above, incorrect). In fact, the album's title comes from one of Duane's throwaway lines during an interview with Ellen Mandel of "Good Times" Magazine. She asked, "How are you helping the revolution?" Duane responded, "I'm hitting a lick for peace. And every time I'm in Georgia, I eat a peach for peace."

Memorial

After Allman's funeral and some weeks of mourning, the five surviving members of the Allman Brothers Band carried on, resuming live performances and finishing the recording work interrupted by Duane's death. They named their next album ''Eat a Peach'' for Duane's response to an interviewer's question: "How are you helping the revolution?" Allman replied: "There ain't no revolution, only evolution, but every time I'm in Georgia I 'eat a peach' for peace." Released in February, 1972, this double album contains a side of live and studio tracks with Allman, two sides of "Mountain Jam", recorded with Duane at the same ''At Fillmore East'' stand in March, and a side of tracks by the surviving five member band.

Bass guitarist Berry Oakley died less than 13 months later in a similar motorcycle crash with a city bus, three blocks from the site of Duane Allman's fatal accident. Oakley's remains were laid to rest beside Duane Allman's in Macon, Georgia's Rose Hill Cemetery.

The variety of Allman's session work and Allman Brothers Band bandleading can be heard to good effect on two posthumous Capricorn releases, ''An Anthology'' (1972) and ''An Anthology Volume II'' (1974). There are also several archival releases of live Allman Brothers Band performances from what the band calls, "Duane's Era".

[[File:Remember Duane Allman.jpg|280px|right|thumb|David Reid stands next to the Remember Duane Allman tribute carved in the dirt bank next to Interstate 20 in 1973. ]]

Shortly after Duane's death, Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd dedicated the song "Free Bird", to the memory of Duane Allman. Van Zant would sometimes allude to this in concert; in the "Free Bird" performance at Skynyrd's famed 1976 appearance at Knebworth, England, Van Zant says to pianist Billy Powell, "Play it for Duane Allman." Many people assume the song was written about Duane. However, it had actually been written well before Duane died. (Allen Collins wrote the song after his then girlfriend asked him the question "if I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?")

In 1973, fans carved the very large letters "REMEMBER DUANE ALLMAN" in a dirt embankment along Interstate Highway 20 near Vicksburg, Mississippi. A photograph was published in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine and in the ''Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll''; the carving itself lasted for over ten years.

In 1998 the Georgia State Legislature passed a resolution designating a stretch of State Highway 19, US 41, within Macon as the "Duane Allman Boulevard" in his honor.

Country singer Travis Tritt, in the song "Put Some Drive In Your Country" on his debut album, sings "Now I still love old country/I ain't tryin' to put it down/But lord I miss Duane Allman/I wish he was still around."

Equipment

Allman Joys, Hour Glass

Fender Telecaster, modified with a Stratocaster neck. Marshall amplifier, with six 10-inch speakers and two horns.

Early session work

1954 Fender Stratocaster, used on the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio studio sessions, now at the Hard Rock Cafe in London at the Vault.

Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, which used old 9V batteries because "they make a special sound."

Fender Twin Reverb with JBL speakers. Maestro Echoplex. 1959 Fender Bassman.

Allman Brothers Band, "Layla", later session work

1961 Fender Stratocaster (for early session work overlapping with formation of the Band). 1958-1962 Gibson ES-345 Semi-hollow body (first album)

1957 Gibson Les Paul Standard goldtop, serial no. 7 3312. Traded on September 16, 1970 for a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard cherry sunburst, except for the pickups.

1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard cherry sunburst, acquired on September 16, 1970, except for the pickups.

1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard tobacco sunburst, acquired in June 1971. 1961 Gibson SG, used for slide, given by Dickey Betts. Marshall 50-watt head, two Marshall 4x12 cabinets with JBL speakers.

Fender Champ combo amplifier ("Layla")

Other

Gibson L-00 acoustic guitar

Fender Rock N' Roll 150 strings (Hour Glass)

Coricidin medicine bottle (slide)

Discography

References

Further reading

''Duane Allman: An Anthology (1972)'' liner notes

''The Allman Brothers Band: Dreams'' (1989 boxed set) liner notes

Poe, Randy, ''Skydog: The Duane Allman Story'' (Backbeat Books)

External links

Duane Allman.com

Duane Allman on allmanbrothersband.com

Duane Allman.info

In memory of Duane Allman: 35 years after his death, Skydog still among rock's very best guitarists, on MSNBC

The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

Georgia House of Representatives SR653, designating Duane Allman Boulevard and Raymond Berry Oakley Bridge

Category:1946 births Category:1971 deaths Category:American rock guitarists Category:American blues guitarists Category:Lead guitarists Category:Slide guitarists Category:American session musicians Category:The Allman Brothers Band members Category:Derek and the Dominos members Category:Delaney & Bonnie & Friends members Category:Motorcycle accident victims Category:Road accident deaths in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:People from Nashville, Tennessee Category:People from Volusia County, Florida Category:Musicians from Tennessee

cs:Duane Allman da:Duane Allman de:Duane Allman et:Duane Allman es:Duane Allman eu:Duane Allman fa:دوین آلمن fr:Duane Allman it:Duane Allman hu:Duane Allman nl:Duane Allman ja:デュアン・オールマン no:Duane Allman pl:Duane Allman pt:Duane Allman ru:Оллмен, Дуэйн simple:Duane Allman fi:Duane Allman sv:Duane Allman uk:Дуейн Оллмен

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
Name	Young Jeezy
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jay Wayne Jenkins
Alias	Lil J
Birth date	October 12, 1977
Birth place	Columbia, South Carolina
Death date	|origin Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, songwriter
Years active	2001–present
Label	CTE World/Def Jam, Def Jam South
Associated acts	USDA, T.I., Gucci Mane
Website	http://youngjeezy.defjam.com

Jay Wayne Jenkins (born October 12, 1977), better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America (USDA) and a former member of BMF (Black Mafia Family). He began his career in 2001 under an independent label and joined Boyz 'N Da Hood in 2005, the same year his solo major label debut ''Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'' was released. Its single "Soul Survivor", which featured Akon, became a top-ten hit in the US.

''The Inspiration'' followed in 2006, and ''The Recession'' followed in 2008; both albums yielded chart-topping singles. Jeezy has also appeared on numerous other rap and R&B; singles such as "Say I" by Christina Milian, "I'm So Paid" by Akon, "Hard" by Rihanna, and "Love in This Club" by Usher, the latter being a number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2008.

Early life

Jay Wayne Jenkins was born in Columbia, South Carolina and relocated to Atlanta, Georgia when he was a toddler. Because his parents were separated, custody of him transferred between family members frequently. At one point, he lived with his grandmother in Hawkinsville, Georgia. In an interview with ''XXL'' magazine, he described his childhood as "empty". In 1994, he spent nine months in YCA (Youth Challenge Academy), a boot camp in Fort Stewart, Georgia, for narcotics possession.

Music career

Independent debut

Jeezy released his first independent album, ''Thuggin' Under the Influence (T.U.I.)'', in 2001 under the name Lil J. It featured artists such as Freddy J.,Kinky B, Fidank, and Lil Jon, who also produced some of the tracks. In 2003, Jeezy released (also independently) ''Come Shop wit Me'', a two CD set featuring completely new tracks with some songs from ''T.U.I.'' Jeezy signed with Bad Boy Records in 2004 and joined the group Boyz n da Hood, whose self-titled album was released in June 2005 and peaked at #5 on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums charts.

''Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'' (2005)

In May 2004, Jazze Pha's manager Henry 'Noonie' Lee showed Young Jeezy's demo to his friend Shakir Stewart, Vice President Artist and Repertoire (VP A&R;) at Def Jam. Stewart "fell in love with it [the demo] the first time [he] heard it" and took it to L.A. Reid. Reid recognised the talent and gave Stewart the green light to sign him. As the "hottest thing on the street" at the time, various labels - including Warner and Interscope – were after his signature. However, Jeezy decided he wanted to be in business with Stewart and Reid. As a result, signed with Def Jam Records.

Jeezy's major label debut, ''Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released on July 26, 2005. He debuted at #2, selling 172,000 copies in its first week. It spawned several hit singles such as "Soul Survivor" featuring Akon. It reached #4 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks charts. "And Then What" featuring Mannie Fresh, which reached #67 on the Hot 100 and #13 on the Hot Rap Tracks. "My Hood", #19 on the Rap chart. In an interview with HitQuarters, A&R; Shakir Stewart said that Jeezy had recorded over 60 songs for the album.

Jeezy partially wrote and performed on Gucci Mane's song, "Icy". Supposedly, Jeezy was never paid properly for his services. Those in Gucci Mane's camp have suggested that gang members from the Mechanicsville area attacked Gucci Mane to defend Jeezy's honor. Jeezy put out a track called "Stay Strapped" dissing Gucci Mane to the beat of "T.I.'s" song "A.S.A.P." Jeezy responded to Gucci Mane's, while rapping "even his own momma know, Radric Davis a bitch". In a recent Cutmaster C mixtape, ''The Hood News Page 3: Jay-Z Boycotts Cristal'', Gucci disses Jeezy along with Jay Z in his track, "745". Jeezy addresses Gucci back on the same mixtape. While on the track "Break It Down", featuring Cmillz. On "Streets On Lock", from The Inspiration, Jeezy addressed Gucci Mane again, saying "What type of real nigga name himself after a bag?/Nigga you's a hoe, a Louis Vuitton fag". Towards the end of 2009, DJ Drama brought Young Jeezy to the radio station and called Gucci Mane to settle the beef once and for all. The two stopped feuding but throughout early 2010, the crews of Jeezy & Gucci (CTE & Brick Squad) have been in and out altercations with each other despite the fact Jeezy & Gucci have nothing to do with that. In 2011, Jeezy plans to release a new single featuring DJ Spluge and the rest of the Gangster Brigade.

In interviews and on several records, Jeezy has affirmed his resistance to commercialism in his music. Maintaining his street credibility, according to Jeezy, is of the utmost concern to him as an artist. In 2005, Jeezy was featured in several popular hip hop songs including Gucci Mane's "Icy" and Boyz n da Hood's "Dem Boyz". Due to having a successful solo career, he left the group. From time to time he still keeps in contact with a few of the members, but in early 2010 Jeezy & Jody Breeze (who is still a member of Boyz N Da Hood) began to diss each other which started a new beef between the two.

''The Inspiration'', U.S.D.A. (2006–2007)

In 2006, he was featured in Christina Milian's single "Say I". Jeezy's second major label album was ''The Inspiration'', released in 2006. The album's first single "I Luv It" peaked at #14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Bury Me A G" and "Go Getta" featuring R. Kelly, and "Dreamin’" featuring Keyshia Cole followed.

He also portrayed himself in the hip-hop fighting themed game ''Def Jam: Icon''. In 2007, Jeezy released ''Cold Summer'', an album by rap group USDA which consists of Jeezy, Blood Raw, Slick Pulla, 2Eleven and Boo Rossini.

Jeezy presented a week-long toy drive and charity event series with his CTE family with the first annual Toyz n da Hood toy drive. The series presented 1,000 toys for 1,000 kids at various locations in Macon and Atlanta, which began on December 17, 2007, with the CTE Christmas Kickoff from 10 pm to 5 am at Club Miami. The toy giveaway took place in the Unionville neighborhood of Macon and at the Old Fourth Ward Community in Atlanta.

''The Recession'' (2008)

His third album, ''The Recession'', was released in 2008. "Put On" featuring Kanye West was the lead single, which also led to a Grammy Nomination for Best Rap performance by a duo, but it came short. Put On was followed by "Vacation", "Crazy World", "My President" with Nas, and "Who Dat" to complete the Recession's singles. Jeezy appeared on the R&B; singles "Love in This Club" by Usher and "I'm So Paid" by Akon (also with Lil Wayne). "Love in This Club" peaked at #1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Later, he performed on Ciara's single "Never Ever", from her album ''Fantasy Ride''.

In the summer of 2008, Jeezy was at the center of a controversy over his choice for president. While he had previously endorsed Barack Obama, he spoke about meeting and supporting John McCain during an interview with ''Vibe'' magazine. The statement caused a stir, and Jeezy quickly clarified his choice, via a viral video. In the four-minute explanation, Jeezy made it clear, Obama was his main choice. "I represent the Democratic party. ... I've never been nor do I ever plan to be a John McCain supporter", the rapper said. "I support Barack Obama." Jeezy and Jay-Z performed in a concert to celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 18, 2009. On ''The O'Reilly Factor'', commentator Bill O'Reilly criticized their performance as a "rant that offended people", but Jeezy responded: "I got white friends. It's nothing like that. I'm a taxpayer, I got a right to voice my opinion at any point in time. I don't think he really understands my struggle."

''Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition'' (2011-present)

Jeezy is working on ''Thug Motivation 103'', his latest LP, as of November 2009. In March 2010, it was reported that Young Jeezy dropped "Young" from his stage name. Later, Young Jeezy denied the name change and claimed it was just a rumor: however, on the cover for his single "Lose My Mind", his name is printed as "Jeezy". On May 17, 2011, Jeezy released the first single for ''Thug Motivation 103'', "Ballin", which features Lil Wayne.

On March 4, 2010 Jeezy released the track "Illin", featuring the group Clipse; specifically Pusha T. On the track Pusha T raps, "No amount of record sales could derail this ...Stuffing dead prezzies in the wall like that Yale bitch..." The line was controversial and many felt the line was in bad taste and demeaned Yale student Annie Le, who was murdered in 2009, by making light of a crime that had grabbed a lot of media attention due to its extremely upsetting and tragic nature. On July 22, 2011, Young Jeezy released the second single off TM103, "Shake Life". On July 26, 2011, Young Jeezy announced a September 20, 2011 release date for TM103. However the album was pushed back yet again, this time to December 20, 2011. On September 29, 2011, Young Jeezy released the third single off TM103, named "F.A.M.E. (Fake Ass Mothafu*kas Envy)", featuring T.I. This is the first official song T.I. was featured on since his latest stint in prison.

Personal life

He is a personal friend of fellow Atlanta rapper Yung Joc. After Hurricane Katrina, Jeezy opened his house to the victims in an effort to help them have a place to stay. In October 2005, the mother of his 9 year old son used this as the basis to petition for child support. Early in the year, she had claimed that she had little income, no assets and did not even have a house.

On March 11, 2005, Jeezy was arrested after an alleged shooting involving some of his friends in Miami Beach, Florida. He was charged with two counts of carrying a concealed firearm without a permit; however, prosecutors dropped his charges two months later over lack of evidence. In the early hours of September 29, 2007, Jeezy totaled his Lamborghini when it was hit by a taxi crossing Peachtree Street, outside of Justin's, Sean Combs’ restaurant in Atlanta. The ''Atlanta Journal Constitution'' reported his claim that this gave him "a new appreciation for life". In Atlanta on June 18, 2008, police arrested him for DUI.

Discography

;Studio albums

2005: ''Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101''

2006: ''The Inspiration''

2008: ''The Recession''

2011: ''Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition''

Filmography

2009: ''Janky Promoters''

Awards

BET Awards

*2010, Viewer's Choice Award ("Hard") with Rihanna [Won]

*2009, Best Male Hip-Hop Artist [Nominated]

2008, Best Collaboration ("I'm So Hood [Remix]") with DJ Khaled, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Birdman, & Rick Ross [Nominated]

BET Hip-Hop Awards

2008, Best Hip-Hop Video ("I'm So Hood [Remix]") with DJ Khaled, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Birdman, & Rick Ross [Nominated]

2008, Best Hip-Hop Collabo ("I'm So Hood [Remix]") with DJ Khaled, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Birdman, & Rick Ross [Won]

2008, People's Champ Award ("Put On") with Kanye West [Nominated]

2006, Hip-Hop CD of the Year ("Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101") [Nominated]

2006, Hip-Hop MVP of the Year [Nominated]

Grammy Awards

2009, Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group ("Put On") with Kanye West [Nominated]

*2010, Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group ("Amazing") with Kanye West (Nominated)

*2011, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group ("Lose My Mind") with Plies (Nominated)

Ozone Awards

*2008, Best Rap Artist [Nominated]

*2008, Best Rap/R&B; Collaboration ("Love in This Club") with Usher (Won)

*2007, Best Rap Album ''The Inspiration'' (Won)

*2007, Best Rap/R&B; Collaboration ("Go Getta") with R. Kelly [Nominated]

*2007, Best Video ("Grew Up a Screw Up") with Ludacris [Nominated]

*2007, Best Group with Slick Pulla & Blood Raw as USDA [Nominated]

References

External links

Official website

Young Jeezy Interview at prefixmag

Young Jeezy Circulate Music Video

Young Jeezy Talks About Nas

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:Crips Category:African American rappers Category:American music industry executives Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:Rappers from South Carolina Category:Musicians from South Carolina Category:People convicted of drug offenses Category:People from Columbia, South Carolina Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Southern hip hop musicians Category:Pseudonymous rappers

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