Jackson in Clarke County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Allman Brothers Band Arrested in Jackson

Photographed by Mark Hilton, February 17, 2026

1. Allman Brothers Band Arrested in Jackson Marker

Inscription.
On March 22, 1971, 10 members of the Allman Brothers Band & crew were arrested by Jackson Police Officer Jethro Richardson & brought here, 118 College Ave, at that time the city jail. Headed to a Montevallo, AL gig, they stopped in Jackson to eat at Ray & Tom's Restaurant when Police Chief Marlyn Cranford was called about 'unscrupulous-looking drunk characters". A police search of the tour cars uncovered illegal drugs.

Arrested were Duane Allman, Greg Allman, Berry Oakley. Butch Trucks, "Red Dog" Campbell, "Dickey" Betts, William Perkins, Joe Dan Petty, David Phillips, and Johnny Lee Johnson. The Allmans left souvenirs by carving their initials in the jail cell which remain today. Moved to the county lock up, they made bail the next morning, resuming the tour in Tuscaloosa.

Sadly, Duane Allman died at the age of 24 in a motorcycle accident in October of 1971. The cases against Betts & Perkins were dropped in 1972 & the others reduced to "disturbing the peace."

The album, "At Fillmore East," recorded days before their arrest, became legendary. Considered one of the greatest live music recordings

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ever made, it was preserved by the Library of Congress as a seminal American work. With hits like "Ramblin' Man," "Midnight Rider" "Whipping Post," the Grammy-winning band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. They received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2012. They never returned to Jackson.

Erected 2023 by Clarke County Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is March 22, 1971.

Location. 31° 30.654′ N, 87° 53.593′ W. Marker is in Jackson, Alabama, in Clarke County. It is on College Avenue (Alabama Route 177) south of West Rose Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 118 College Ave, Jackson AL 36545, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory

Photographed by Mark Hilton, February 17, 2026

2. Allman Brothers Band Arrested in Jackson Marker

of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: First District Agricultural College and Experiment Station (approx. 0.2 miles away); CSA Brooke Cannon S-96 (approx. ¼ mile away); City of Jackson (approx. ¼ mile away); Jackson (approx. ¼ mile away); The Clarke County War Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Kimbell House (approx. 1.3 miles away); Jackson Prisoner of War Camp (approx. 1.4 miles away); The Taylor House (approx. 3.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jackson.

More about this marker. Located outside the future Old Mill Coffee Shop (now under construction. It will be a new coffee shop, lunch spot, and community gathering space to the area. The establishment is renovating the former Bigbee building to offer coffee, pastries, lunch specials, and a venue for small gatherings. The building is the former police station and town hall & at the back was the Jackson jail.

The old jail cells are still as they were, including cell No. 3, where roadie

Allman Brothers Band Arrested in Jackson Marker in front of Old Mill Coffee Shop. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, February 17, 2026

3. Allman Brothers Band Arrested in Jackson Marker in front of Old Mill Coffee Shop.

Joseph “Red Dog” Campbell carved his name along with the words “Allman Bros Band” into the concrete block wall.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, February 17, 2026

4. Allman Brothers Band Arrested in Jackson Marker

Roadie Joseph “Red Dog” Campbell carved his name (black area on right) along with the words “Allman Bros Band” (above) into the concrete block wall. Bottom left inscriptions are the initials of the others.

Allman Brothers Band image. Click for full size.

Public Domain (Wikipedia), May 5, 1969

5. Allman Brothers Band

Credits. This page was last revised on February 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 18, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 157 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 18, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.