Athens Music Walk of Fame
The Athens Music Walk of Fame is a relatively new addition to town, celebrating the longstanding music scene and wide range of artists who have called Athens home. In 2020, ten inductees were honored with plaques installed in the sidewalk of a 2 block area of downtown defined by Pulaski Street, West Washington Street, North Lumpkin Street, and West Clayton Street. Also within that 2 block area are the famous music venues The 40 Watt Club, The Georgia Theater and the Morton Theater. There’s even an app that tells you about each artist as you approach their nameplate.
Artists honored range from bluesman Neal Pattman to early 20th century composer and African-American spiritual preservationist Hall Johnson to rock acts like the B-52s and R.E.M.
If you want to dig deeper into the musical history of Athens, the folks at visitathensga.com have made a detailed map (available in Google Maps or PDF download). It focuses on the sites of the 70’s & 80’s (think R.E.M., B-52s, Pylon era) but there are a few important spots from earlier decades, too.
Note: Recently, the class of 2021 was added to the Athens Music Walk of Fame.
About the Author
Brent Petersen is the Editor in Chief at Destination Eat Drink, the travel website and podcast for foodies. He recently wrote a piece about the famous R.E.M. Steeple in Athens, GA. Brent has also written the novel Truffle Hunt (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection That Bird.
