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"Food enriches your spirit. Music enriches your soul." Kirk West Photographer and Co-owner of Gallery West O ver half of 74-year-old Kirk West's life has been spent making people feel good. His means of doing it is his camera, which he has used to publicize the likes of Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen, the Grateful Dead, and Johnny Cash. "It was one of the magical aspects of what I did, the gift of my art," West shared. His photographic proximity to music industry greats in the '70s eventually landed him in the camp of the legendary Macon-based Allman Brothers Band, the Capricorn Records Southern rock group, as a roadie and eventually a manager. West captured intimate moments in their personal and professional lives, creating a visual timeline of one of rock's most notable bands. Some of those moments can be relived at Gallery West, his Downtown Macon artistic showcase. In 1993 he and his wife Kirsten relocated from Chicago and co-founded what is now The Big House Museum on Vineville Avenue – their home and historic reference regarding all things Allman. Like his crew, West developed a deep love for the food and friendliness of H&H Restaurant, owned by Louise 'Mama" Hudson and Inez Hill. After all, they were the ones that fed the young band for free on many occasions, when money was low during the group's early efforts to become superstars. The Wests took such a liking to Hudson that when they moved to the Eastside neighborhood Shirley Hills, they would sometimes invite her over for meals with friends. The get togethers served dually as a chance to pay it forward, and opportunities to hear Hudson share stories of the countless celebs that had eaten at her altar and what she served them – along with tales that those beyond the West's walls weren't privy to. What made one of those meals Kirsten prepared for "Mama" stick out in his mind, said West, was not just what was on the menu but what it invoked Hudson to say. It was a delectable meal, according to the small-town Iowa native, that included a standing rib roast, corn casserole, and an amazing white chocolate raspberry challah bread pudding. As the guests waited in anticipation for Hudson to share wisdom, she interjected, "Now I know why Kirk doesn't eat at H&H very often. He has a great cook here at home." West said the comment brought the house down and made the moment super special. "She was as key to the musical legacy of this community as those that made it," he said. Eating was the reason that they got together, added West. It was the connector. The dinners at the house were a combination of food and conversation. But putting food and music together was the key to the success of Music City Grill, a venue where the Wests booked concerts. Alone, the music didn't bring audiences out. But when a menu was added, bingo! "We found out that historically, people didn't come out to do music unless food was there," he said, in between revealing that Kirk's Mystic Biscuit on the H&H menu was named for his love of the flour-based Southern breakfast staple. "Food enriches your spirit. Music enriches your soul." 54 maconmagazine.com | February/March 2025