Too little recognition for labels like Capricorn and visionaries like Phil Walden. Phil and Otis Redding were the people who started me in the business. Two white guys and Otis in Macon, Georgia, in the ’60s. After Otis’ tragic death, Phil met with Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun at Atlantic and asked "what do I do now?" Jerry suggested a label. Phil asked "what do we name it?" Jerry asked "what’s your sign?" Capricorn was born. Later, Phil called me in NY and asked if I was interested in booking his new band, The Allman Brothers.

The final weekend of Fillmore East, The Allman Brothers closed the show each night with a jam of such free-form artistry that went on for several hours that no one left the theater until the last note was played.

So many artists on Capricorn, many you have noted: Capt. Beyond, Marshall Tucker Band, Wet Willie, Dixie Dreggs, Cowboy.

Maybe a year before Phil’s cancer reappeared, I was a guest of Phil and his wife Peggy at their home in Atlanta. I had already started lobbying several Rock and Roll Hall of Fame board members about putting Phil’s name into nomination in the non-performers category. His name should be re-considered. Many of us were fortunate enough to be around in the early years of Capricorn, Island, Chrysalis, and Casablanca, just to name a few…

Bill Hall

I read your column today with some nostalgia. When my opinion was asked by Irwin Steinberg, then President of PolyGram (in ‘78 or ‘79) whether we should bail Phil’s label out of it’s deal with Warner; I answered a firm DEFINITELY. Although I was it’s Controller at the time (a young gun of 32 or so), I’d previously played my way through High School and College as a lead guitarist and was a big fan of Capricorn’s guitar laden roster of great players.

Anyway, after a couple of weeks of to and fro and several visits to and from Macon, we negotiated the buyout and my staff produced and I signed a check for somewhere north of $1.5 million. I even got to deliver the check to Bert Wasserman at Warners headquarters at 75 Rock, and while waiting for the necessary signatures on the Releases, I was amazed to see white gloved waiters take and then deliver lunch to Bert.

I have fond memories of my business and personal dealings with Phil during this period of transition and believed him to be a true genius - music and otherwise.

LeonT

But, Phil Walden made the consumer feel that there was this little studio in Macon, Georgia and all his bands hung out there and lived there and there was music everywhere. Whether that was fact or fiction, it definitely felt that way to me. Great imaging…intentional or otherwise.

The great thing about the Allman Brothers, that despite all the changes in personnel they are STILL AMAZING. I am pretty jaded. After about 20 minutes at a live show I am looking at my watch to see when the show will end. There are a few exceptions like Bruce, Mellencamp, JT, Elvis and a few others, but not many. I saw the Allman Brothers at the Beacon and was totally enthralled for three hours. They were phenomenal. I was not prepared for that. I also had the pleasure of standing on the side of the stage at Farm Aid and saw them up close and it was an amazing experience. These guys who are not spring chickens played their asses off. They did not even break a sweat either. They are just phenomenal musicians. No posing, no flipping their hair, windmilling their guitars. They just stood their and played and blew the entire stadium away.

I too am a Liv Tayor fan, but nowhere near as passionate as I still am about James. If you didn’t see James’ solo tour last year, you missed something very special.