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The 20 most shocking moments in Georgia music history

The Top 10

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Usher and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas

10. BILL O’REILLY VS. LUDACRIS
When Pepsi signed Ludacris as its newest spokesman in 2002, the up-and-coming rapper seemed to have arrived. But then conservative talk-show host Bill O’Reilly called for a Pepsi boycott, declaring that Luda glamorized violence and disrespecting women. The soft-drink maker promptly canned its latest huckster, but the publicity he gained from the episode proved more valuable than promotional dollars. Ludacris has taken a number of shots at O’Reilly since then, referencing the troubled pundit’s sexual harassment suit in 2004’s “No. 1 Spot” and tendering him a special shout-out when accepting his Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2007.—K.F.M.

9. USHER AND CHILLI SPLIT
Usher seemed on top of the world in early 2004, as his smash single “Yeah!” glided into the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart. But he was no longer No. 1 in the eyes of TLC’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, who took to the airwaves on Atlanta radio station Q100 to blast her former beau for cheating on her. “Usher did the ultimate no-no to me,” Thomas told the morning-drive Bert Show in February of that year. “He portrayed himself to be this honest and great guy, and he really wasn’t.” Ouch!

Earlier this year, Chilli was quoted as saying she still loves the R&B lothario as a friend, to which the gallantry-impaired singer replied, “It does appear maybe to be a plug for something. She got a record coming or something?” Nice.—K.F.M.

8. INDIA’S GRAMMY SNUB
It seemed like a no-brainer that India Arie would take home at least a few gold gramophone statuettes when her 2001 debut, “Acoustic Soul,” and its accompanying single, “Video,” garnered a total of seven Grammy nominations, the most of any single artist that year. But the stars did not align for Arie’s folk-soul hybrid. She walked away empty-handed, leaving fans of Atlanta’s Yin-Yang Café and its neo-soul scene stunned and angry. Arie rebounded somewhat with two wins the following year in lesser categories, but her promising career never fully recovered its momentum.—H.H.

7. RICKY WILSON, R.I.P.
The passing of B-52’s co-founder and guitarist Ricky Wilson in October of 1985 was one of the first high-profile AIDS-related deaths to be widely reported. The gentle musician kept the illness a closely guarded secret up until his demise at the age of 32, which temporarily put the Athens-based band on hold. Eventually the B-52’s regrouped, with drummer Keith Strickland assuming the role of guitarist. Earlier this year, Wilson became the subject of “Ricky,” a loving tribute written by his sister Cindy.—L.V.S.

6. LEFT EYE’S LAST DAYS
Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes had generated plenty of controversy over the course of her career, but it was her untimely death in April of 2002 that stunned the music world most. Lopes, seeking to regroup after a stalled solo career, was on a month-long spiritual retreat in Honduras with family and friends when she lost control of her SUV, which rolled over several times. Lopes, who died from head injuries, was the only fatality; her seven passengers survived. Eerily, her last moments before the crash were captured on video, as shown in the VH1 documentary “The Last Days of Left Eye,” which premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival in 2007.—K.F.M.

5. DALLAS AUSTIN’S DUBAI ADVENTURE
Who says the rich and famous don’t get special treatment? Atlanta über-producer/songwriter/entrepreneur Austin pled guilty after being nailed with a little over a gram of cocaine when he arrived in Dubai to attend a birthday party for Naomi Campbell in May 2006. However, almost immediately after receiving a four-year sentence, he was granted an unusual pardon and was deported, thereby avoiding a real-life “Midnight Express”-style stay in a foreign prison. Money and power obviously buy considerable influence in these matters, but the incident leaves a scar on Austin’s otherwise impressive music career.—H.H.

4. T. I. ARRESTED ON GUN CHARGES
Oct. 13, 2007 started out looking good for Clifford “T.I.” Harris, who was due to appear at the BET Hip-Hop Awards that night in his hometown of Atlanta. But things went south for the “King of the South” when federal agents descended upon him in a supermarket parking lot and arrested him on charges of purchasing illegal machine guns. Even more shocking than the arrest was Harris’ eventual plea deal with federal prosecutors, landing him a mere one-year sentence in return for an exhaustive community service campaign addressing at-risk youth; the agreement sparked a polarizing discourse not seen since Michael Vick’s dogfighting case.—K.F.M.

3. THE ALLMANS LOSE A BROTHER
Capricorn Records owner and manager Phil Walden must have felt cursed, losing his client Otis Redding in 1967 to a plane crash and then guitarist Duane Allman, spiritual leader of the up-and-coming Allman Brothers Band, in a motorcycle accident in 1971. The guitarist’s death—followed a year later by founding bassist Berry Oakley’s eerily similar demise—obviously didn’t stop the band for long. But the Brothers, while still a potent live draw, never recaptured the heights of their early combination of blues, jazz and rock. Bootleg tapes of the Duane years continue to flourish, while new music from the still potent act remains derivative of past glories.—H.H.

2. GET ON THE LEAD FOOT!
Throughout his storied life, the beloved Godfather of Soul was no stranger to controversy. But James Brown’s arrest in December 1988 was a shocking, “COPS”-style spectacle that sprawled across two states and made international news. After a failure to pull over for police in Aiken, S.C., Brown led officers on a wild back-and-forth chase between South Carolina and Georgia that found the fuzz shooting his tires and the “hardest working man in show business” driving on his rims to escape. Brown was eventually sentenced to six years in prison for failure to stop for police, but was released after three years. He was also charged with two counts of assault with intent to kill, and offered the option of either six months in prison or a $6,000 fine and five years probation.—L.V.S.  

1. GOOD GOLLY, MISS MOLLY!
If a black, flamboyant, piano-pounding rock ’n’ roller from a tiny town in Georgia seems like a novelty today, just imagine what parents thought of Little Richard in 1955. He burst onto the scene in a “wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom” explosion of hot-blooded sexuality and provocative lyrics that exposed the “Ozzie and Harriet” lifestyle of the time for the fairy tale it was. His off-stage life also set a standard for countless rockers to follow, as he struggled to reconcile homosexuality and substance abuse with his Christian beliefs. Richard’s early songs still sound volatile today, standing as timeless building blocks for rock music and an accompanying lifestyle that doesn’t conform to social standards.—H.H.

COMMENTS

Comment by philip | Sunday, September 07, 2008, 6:42 PM

Apparently accuracy is not a concern for Hal Horowitz, or this rag-- great way to get sued for libel. Capricorn Records filed for bankruptcy once, in 1980. In 2000, Capricorn sold its assets to BMG for an 8 figure sum. Money mismanaged, no doubt, bankrupt, not even close. I would think it was more amazing that Phil Walden (my father) was able to work with superstar artists in the 60s, 70s, and 90s several of whom are in the rock n roll hall of fame. A much stronger legacy I am sure than writing "best of" lists for a second rate creative loafing, and that aint saying much.

Comment by Kevin | Monday, September 08, 2008, 10:26 AM

Philip:

Thanks for writing, and for reading. Any errors in factual detail are not Hal's fault, but mine, as editor, and I appreciate it when readers write in to offer corrections or clarify things.

That said: If you want to disparage SP as "second rate" on the basis of a perceived error, that's fine. But to fault the paper for being a second-rate version of an alternative weekly with which it shares only extremely superficial similarities--both are tabloid size and printed in ink, and both cover certain aspects of life in Atlanta--then you might as well compare us unfavorably to other publications with which we have little in common, as well. How about a "second-rate AJC" or "second-rate People magazine" or "second-rate "Popular Mechanics?"

Again, thanks for the comment.