10 Great Georgia Bands, Singers & Musicians

The late, great Ray Charles sang of her with love and tenderness. Little Feat memorialized the capital, and Blind Willie McTell sang about waking up with the Statesboro blues. Georgia has a long lineage of native sons and daughters who've gone on to musical greatness. Here are 10 acts from the Peach State, whose music is sure to keep Georgia on your mind.

1. Allman Brothers Band – I know, “technically” the Allman Brothers are from Jacksonville, Florida, but they moved to Macon in 1969 and will forever be associated with that city and Phil Walden's Capricorn record label. In one of the eeriest coincidences in rock history, guitarist Duane Allman and bassist Barry Oakley died in motorcycle accidents on the streets of Macon less than a year apart. Recommended album: Eat A Peach .
2. Black Crowes – Taking their cues from The Rolling Stones, Faces and Southern R&B, the Black Crowes sprang onto the scene in 1990 with a debut of raunchy rock, highlighted by an infectious remake of Otis Redding's “Hard To Handle.” But originals including “Twice As Hard,” “Jealous Again,” “Seeing Things” and “She Talks To Angels” signaled this was far more than just a cover band. More than 20 years later, the Crowes are just hitting their stride – good news for those of us who thought the truly great rock bands were just a memory. Recommended album: The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion .
3. R.E.M. - Who would have guessed that this foursome from Athens would put indie and alternative rock on the map, and would later rise to challenge U2 and Metallica for bragging rights as biggest band on the planet. Recommended album: Reckoning .
4. Georgia Satellites – The Satellites played supercharged 3-chord roots rock when roots rock wasn't cool. Lead Satellite Dan Baird's nasal twang and lyric chops made “Keep Your Hands To Yourself” one of the biggest surprises of 1986. It got huge MTV airplay, but that wasn't enough to keep the Satellites in the hair-metal rotation that dominated the next couple years. Too bad, as the band carried forth with two more excellent records before calling it a day. Recommended album: In The Land Of Salvation And Sin .
5. Otis Redding – Of all the untimely music deaths, Redding's is one of the most difficult to take. The R&B genius was just coming into his own when a plane crash took his life and four of his backing band members in December 1967. Redding was one of the greatest song interpreters of all. Recommended album: Otis Blue – Otis Redding Sings Soul .
6. Jerry Reed – Reed's movie career often overshadowed his musical ventures, which is a shame because he was a hot-dog guitar picker and a songwriter good enough for Elvis Presley. The King took Reed's “Guitar Man” and “US Male” and turned them into nationwide hits. Recommended album: When You're Hot You're Hot .
7. Mastodon – Proof of the confining and often meaningless labels that are music genres, Mastodon play metal in the broad sense, but break it down into its most elemental form and re-forge it into a molten free-for-all. They aren't for everyone, but neither was the Pleistocene. Recommended album: Crack The Skye .
8. Collective Soul – Ed Roland's gift for writing shimmering rock songs with backbone first came to light with “Shine,” the band's breakout single from 1994's Hints, Allegations And Things Left Unsaid . The crunchy follow-up “December” and dreamy “The World I Know” were two musical highlights of the mid-90s. Recommended album: Disciplined Breakdown .
9. Vic Chesnutt - Another Jacksonville, Florida, native who took up roots in Athens and has been one of the scene's defining figures. The mercurial singer/songwriter released more than a dozen records that sound like nobody else – Lambchop might be the closest approximation to Chesnutt's organic and unpredictable tunes. Chesnutt become a paraplegic at 18 after a car accident, but that didn't stop his muse or productivity. He was one of the most singular and compelling voices in contemporary music. Recommended album: The Salesman And Bernadette .
10. Gladys Knight & The Pips – Knight's gutsy vocals blended with the Pips' creamy background cooings were an amazing match. That their biggest hit was a paean to their Georgia homeland made my job easier. Recommended album: Imagination .