Capricorn Records is an independent record label which was launched by Phil Walden, Alan Walden, and Frank Fenter in 1969 in Macon, Georgia. Capricorn became famous for its role in spearheading Southern rock, with The Allman Brothers Band at the forefront, but also including the Marshall Tucker Band, Elvin Bishop, Wet Willie, Jonathan Edwards, Captain Beyond, White Witch, Grinderswitch, Cowboy, and Hydra. At first the records were distributed by Atlantic Records, later changing to Warner Bros. Records, and later to PolyGram Records. Capricorn went out of business in 1979.
The label was later relaunched out of Nashville, Tennessee as a joint-venture with Warner Bros. in the early 1990s. Distribution later jumped to Sony Music's independent RED Distribution network, then back to PolyGram, by way of its flagship label, Mercury Records. The first act to sign onto the resurrected label was Athens, Georgia's Widespread Panic. After signing with the new version of the label the band celebrated by buying rounds of drinks and beers for attendees at a Macon Pirates game at Luther Williams Field. Cake and 311 were the most popular artists to come out of Capricorn during this period; a then-unknown Kenny Chesney also released his debut album on the label. Other artists ranged from Rabbitt to Big Sister.
After moving back to Atlanta, the second incarnation of Capricorn eventually folded. Phil Walden sold the label's assets to Zomba Music Group subsidiary Volcano Entertainment in December of 2000.[1]By 2002, new releases on Capricorn were not to be, as remaining artists were dropped, transferred to Volcano (311), or moved to other labels (Cake).
Capricorn co-founder Phil Walden died on April 23, 2006, at the age of 66 and co-founder Frank Fenter died on July 21, 1983, at the age of 47.
See also
References
External links
- Phil Walden
- label history
- Listen Capricorn Records Sampler Playlist
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