Phil Walden was a co-founder of the Macon, Georgia-based Capricorn Records, along with former Atlantic Records executive Frank Fenter.
12 Facts About Phil Walden
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Phil Walden served as Otis Redding's manager from 1959 until Redding's death in 1967.
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Phil Walden recruited his younger brother, Alan, to run Phil Walden Artists and Promotions and served in Germany as a personnel officer before returning to the company following the completion of his service in 1965.
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That year, Redding and Phil Walden co-founded the Redwal Music publishing company.
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Phil Walden met guitarist Duane Allman through Wexler and set about making him a star in his own right, precipitating the formation of The Allman Brothers Band.
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Redding's death in a 1967 plane crash was a huge blow to Phil Walden, who had enjoyed a close friendship with the singer since adolescence.
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Yet Phil Walden soldiered on, creating a small empire in Macon with the label, a recording facility, real estate holdings and other ventures.
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Phil Walden dropped out of sight during the 1980s, struggling with cocaine and alcohol dependencies and other setbacks.
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In 1991, Phil Walden relaunched Capricorn in Nashville, Tennessee via a joint venture with Warner Brothers.
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Phil Walden was the first to sign then-unknown country singer Kenny Chesney.
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Phil Walden was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1986.
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Phil Walden died of cancer at the age of 66 in his home in Atlanta, Georgia on April 22,2006.