Capricorn Records drew this drummer from LA to Macon. What he remembers about the label

While many credit Capricorn Records as the birthplace of Southern rock music, one former drummer for the record label will also remember it as his refuge.

In 1975, Eric “Ricky” Eckstein, then 20 years old, received a call to play drums for rock artist Bobby Whitlock’s debut solo album at the record label. His flight from Los Angeles to Macon gave him the opportunity to work closely with Capricorn pioneers like the Allman Brothers, Jaimoe and Dickey Betts, and also to recover from losing his brother to gun violence.

“It helped me not think about my brother being killed,” he said. “I had to focus on the music. It was good for me because thinking about somebody you lost 24 hours a day is not healthy.”

Eckstein, now 68 years old, said being a part of Capricorn Records and recording with legendary rock artists was a dream come true.

“It was amazing,” he said. “I was hanging out with Greg Allman and Chuck Leavall, the keyboard player for the Allman Brothers, Hank Williams Jr. I would do it all over again if I could.”

Fresh-faced and with less experience than everyone else in the studio, Eckstein said he would often get concerned about messing up until two guitarists, Kenny Tibbetts and TJ Tindall, mentored and supported him.

Recording sessions grew to be one of the easiest and quickest things to do because they often rehearsed, he said.

Eckstein said one of his favorite memories of being a part of the crew was the iconic Capricorn Records Annual Barbecue & Summer Games, which featured good food and live acts from the label.

And nothing can top the moment when Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, before he became the 39th U.S. president, casually walked into a rehearsal session at the studio and shook Eckstein’s hand. Carter was a close friend of Phil Walden, co-founder of Capricorn Records, and made frequent visits, he added.

But there are also bad memories.

The move from California to Georgia was such a cultural shock for Eckstein that an incident still crosses his mind nearly 50 years later, he said. He said while walking back to his room at the Dempsey Hotel, he saw a racist incident at Hank Hassler’s Tavern in which three white men were beating up a Black man.

“It was horrible, and I just walked by terrified,” he said. “To this day, I still say to myself, ‘Why didn’t you try to do something?’”

Eckstein also once sued the label — he spent six months at Capricorn before filing a suit, alleging he was underpaid. He said he won the case.

WHAT HAPPENED TO CAPRICORN RECORDS?

Capricorn Records earned five gold single awards, nine platinum album awards, 17 gold albums and the credit of sparking integration within the music business.

But the successes alone could not save it from a temporary demise.

“When the label went bankrupt in the early 1980s, it shuttered everything, including the studio,” said Jessica Walden, president of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce and the daughter and niece of co-founders Alan and Phil Walden.

Walden attributed Capricorn’s ultimate closure to causes such as the rise of new wave music, changes in the music industry and the company’s diverse business growth.

Capricorn Sound Studios on Martin Luther King Drive was neglected for years. In the 2010s, it was placed on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of “places in peril.”

Eckstein said he finds it surprising that the label suddenly fell off, given its legacy and considerable impact on Macon’s history.

“It really was a big deal back then. I’m sorry Capricorn went under. That was shocking. Everybody knew Capricorn Records,” he said.

But a collaborative renovation project between Mercer University and other local organizations has fully restored the original studio space and rebranded its name into Mercer Music at Capricorn.

“There’s lots of other things going around Capricorn besides recording,” said Larry Brumley, Mercer senior vice president. “There are concerts. There’s a museum that draws in visitors from all over the world. There’s also a music incubator with the twelve rehearsal rooms that stay rented. It’s a 24/7 building.”

The mission of the project is to leverage Macon music heritage to cultivate new talent in Macon’s musical future, he added.

How Eckstein got his start, what he does now

“My first ever gig was at a little bar on Pico Boulevard here in LA when I was 16 years old. During band breaks, I had to go wait outside because I wasn’t allowed to be in the bar. I was too young,” Eckstein said.

Since then, Eckstein has performed with several renowned rock musicians, such as T-Bone Burnett, Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitte. He spent 30 years working with indigenous rights activist and spoken poet John Trudell’s band, Bad Dog.

He co-managed LA West Studios, a music rehearsal space, for over 30 years before closing it in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These days, he continues to write and record music upstairs in his Los Angeles home.

Eckstein advises young artists to collaborate with other musicians, as it can help build friendships and open up doors for new opportunities.

“I think the first thing is being spectacular as a musician, and it goes from there,” he said.