History of Lanierland Lanierland Music Park had its first concert in a circus-like tent that seated 1800 people in 1970. Hank Williams Jr. The owners were C. E. L.
was the first performer to grace the wooden stage and sing to two sell-out crowds, sitting in metal chairs on asaw dust floor. (Crant) Samples and M. (Shorty) Hamby. Both, Forsyth county natives, had a love for music and wanted to provide entertainment to folks living around North GA. They used local talent to open for the “stars”. The entertainers were expensive and more capital was needed, there
07/12/2025
https://youtu.be/ogUDgzSmOBc?si=S0lnj6rjabhiU5gG
Buck Owens Lanierland Music Park June 2,1973 Buck Owens and his Buckaroos Lanierland Country Music Park Cu***ng, Georgia June 2, 1973 Audience tape recently found taped live from Junior Samples hometow...
07/11/2025
1971
06/12/2025
Some people have forgotten The Beach Boys playing at Lanierland and Calhoun Music park decadea ago. They were stellar performers and the audience loved them. Brian Wilson was with them when they played. I could swear Dennis played with them one time too but they had a second drummer too, I guess just in case he couldn’t. Time marches on and so many of our entertainers are passing away. Rest in peace Brian Wilson.
Brian Wilson, Beach Boys visionary leader and summer's poet laureate, dies at 82 Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys has died at 82. One of the world’s most beloved and influential musicians, his family posted news of his death to his website Wednesday.
06/06/2025
At the groundbreaking of Lanierland phase 2, a park and recreation worker, Danny Vaughan, came up to me. He said, “Someone needs to preserve some history of Lanierland Music Park, and if you don’t, who will? We are one generation away from no one even knowing it was ever here.” I thought about it and knew he was right. I started on the project before I left office and the staff put the signs up today. Thank goodness my mom kept all the memorabilia or these wouldn’t have been possible. I hope some will enjoy and hold their own memories from the photos displayed. Here is a sampling of some of the signs put up along the trail.
Photos created by Bryan White at Whitelake Studio.
05/11/2025
RIP Johnny Rodriguez. Of course he played Lanierland. He was discovered by Tom T Hall and he hired Johnny as a guitar player. But he knew Johnny was bound to be a star. After Johnny signed a label deal, he was packaged on many shows opening for Tom T. Johnny opened for Tom T Hall at Lanierland once. As a side note, Johnny was married to a relative of a local Forsyth County resident when he played Lanierland. It was quite newsworthy in our little town back in the day.
Anyone watching the 100 years of the Grand Ole Opry? Makes me think of when these acts all played Lanierland.
01/12/2025
Happy 86th Birthday to ORB William Lee Golden !
10/26/2024
Steve Wariner backstage with radio and record label reps and a lucky guitar winner ! Thank you Susan Luke for the pic !
10/07/2024
Some Lanierland memories of days gone by.
09/30/2024
When I was a young girl, Daddy became a partner at Lanierland Music Park. It was their second year of business and then the stage was inside an old circus tent with a saw dust floor. It had to be 1972, because that was the year Why Me Lord was a huge, mega-hit in country music for Kris Kristoffersen. Practically every Sunday school class in North Georgia had come to hear him sing what they viewed as a Christian anthem. Keep in mind, 1972, no cable tv, no internet, no way to know a lot about this man. Kristofferson didn’t know his crowd. He had no idea we were a dry county then, no alcohol anywhere. He was amazed by the setting of playing in a cow pasture in a circus tent and a little angry that Rita Coolidge’s name (his wife) was on the sign and she wasn’t with him. No one told them she wasn’t coming. He was also a mess back then. He had addiction issues and was inebriated on stage, but most didn’t know. To the crowd’s astonishment, he used the f word from the stage. The music park had no back stage area then. The artist had to walk from the stage to a small building that was an office. A few of Forsyth counties finest was waiting on him and landed a couple of punches before daddy got him into the office. They were defending the honor of their wives and their faith. It was a different time then. But the story doesn’t end there.
Maybe ten years later, Kris Kristofferson was playing the Omni in Atlanta. A friend of mine was at the show and called me when it ended. She said he told the story of playing at a music facility called Lanierland and how his life was a mess then. He said he had spoken out of turn and offended the crowd and they had let him know by putting him in his place and he regretted his behavior and if anyone there knew that venue to please tell them he was sorry.
He didn’t have to say a word but he did. Tells you all you need to know about who he was and what character was within him. It’s no wonder he could write the words of Why Me Lord and how that song has impacted so many lives. I’ve written this before but I wanted to write it again on his death. He no longer has to ask the question as he’s entered the gates of Glory. He left a lasting impact on many lives.
Why Me Lord - Song and Life Testimony of Kris Kristofferson Beautiful song and christian testimony of top country singer Kris Kristofferson. Wonderful story and great song!!! Be blessed ...
07/21/2024
A friend sent me these when they were cleaning out at their mom’s house. $15 a ticket. Things have definitely changed since 1992. Billy Ray Cyrus did four sold out shows at Lanierland that weekend and two at Calhoun. Dad had to buy out a date from a bar to get him the full weekend. Great move on his end.
07/09/2024
Joe Bonsall has went to Glory. And pretty sure Mama Lois met him with something to eat. He loved Lanierland and mentioned it often. And Lanierland loved Joseph S. Bonsall. As he would always say when a friend passed,”Until That Day.” RIP