ALAN WALDEN with S.E. FEINBERG
An intimate memoir by one of the most colorful and influential characters to emerge
from the world of Southern rock and soul, detailing a life and career alongside Otis Redding,
Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, and more. Published November 16th by Jawbone Press.
“We brought respect to the African American artist in America. We brought them prestige. When you listen to some of that music today—an Otis Redding record or Percy Sledge or anyone from our shop—you’re not just hearing music but also the sound of iron being hammered and bricks being laid for those—especially African Americans—who are in the business today.” ALAN WALDEN
“Inside this book you will find one of the most important missing pieces of American musical and cultural history. You will hear a personal and intimate witness testimony to the blazing of a musical trail in a segregated South—stories of redemption, of triumph over adversity, of family, friendship, and brotherhood against all odds. Alan Walden himself described it best when he told me, This story is the story of love.” RUMER
“Alan, I got to tell you … you’re one soulful guy … I don’t think I’ve ever met a white guy with more soul than you.” QUINCY JONES
Southern Man is the memoir of a life in music during one of the most racially turbulent times in American history. It presents the voice of Alan Walden—a sensitive, humble, and brilliant man; a boy from the country who, serendipitously, along with his brother Phil and best friend Otis Redding, helped to shape a musical renaissance. It is the story of a son of Macon, Georgia, and his passion for R&B and rock ’n’ roll at a time when it took wits and a Southern persistence to overcome the obstacles on the road to success—the tragedy of loss, disappointment, and betrayal, along with the joy of victory, optimism, and hope, and taking a dream right over the mountain. That dream led him to work with and nurture the talents of a virtual who’s who of Southern music, from Sam & Dave and Percy Sledge to Boz Scaggs and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Anyone who was alive during the golden age of R&B and Southern rock remembers the music, but Alan’s narrative invites the reader to the center of the story, into the studio, and on the road, to backroom deals and backroom brawls. It wasn’t always peaches and cream. The music business is tough, and Alan Walden was one of the toughest kids on the street. He had to be, in order to survive in a world of guitars, guts, and guns. This is rock ’n’ roll noir.
Southern Man: Music And Mayhem In The American South
Alan Walden with S.E. Feinberg
Published November 16th, 2021, by Jawbone Press (www.jawbonepress.com)
280pp softcover with 8pp photo insert
$24.95 US / $32.95 CAN / £14.95 UK
ISBN 978-1-911036-71-5
eBook edition available via Kindle and Apple Books
