Middle Georgia recently lost a man who is being called a piece of history. George Jackson Adams, Jr. passed away on July 22nd. He was 92. Adams was the first African American Sheriff in Jones County. He was also the proprietor and manager of the popular Adams Lounge in Macon.

Adams Lounge was started in 1947 by Adam’s mother Sally. The bar is still open. It’s located on Old Gray Hwy. Like just about everything in Macon to get there just look for a church and then turn left onto an unmarked road.

Sitting in the dance hall is like being transformed back to 1947 when this stop on the Chitlin' Circuit brought some of the most celebrated musicians in America to Macon: James Brown, BB King, and Gregg Allman to name a few. It is in this hall that Francis Adams now sits and celebrates his brother’s life and his mother’s legacy. “Sunday was the big night here. You had folks lined up like they were going to church,” he says with a laugh. “My mother and sister cooked crates of fried chicken being sold.”

Francis Adams says Adam’s Lounge is going through a transition period right now, but will continue to operate and will hopefully soon host new artists on the historic stage.

Tags: Leah Fleming, Macon music history, Chitlin Circuit