Atlanta Rhythm Section

Often likened to a more accessible take on Lynyrd Skynyrd or the Allman Brothers, the Atlanta Rhythm Section ranked among the Southern rock acts that scaled the upper reaches of the charts in the late '70s. The band originated in the modest Georgia community of Doraville, where its story began in 1970 with the launch of the local Studio One facility. Remnants of the Candymen and the Classics Four formed the studio’s house band, and facility leader Buddy Buie recruited the core session players—vocalist Rodney Justo, guitarist Barry Bailey, bassist Paul Goddard, keyboardist Dean Daughtry, and drummer Robert Nix. After backing numerous artists on recordings, the musicians decided to step beyond session work and establish themselves as a proper group, thereby creating the Atlanta Rhythm Section.

Buie functioned as an unofficial fifth member, guiding the newcomers as manager and producer while contributing substantially to their songwriting. Between studio obligations the players found time to cut their own original, initially instrumental material, and an early demo secured them a recording contract. Their first several releases—1972’s Atlanta Rhythm Section, 1973’s Back Up Against the Wall, 1974’s Third Annual Pipe Dream, 1975’s Dog Days, and 1976’s Red Tape—made little chart impact, although Justo departed and was succeeded by Ronnie Hammond, a change that would later prove advantageous. Regional radio exposure in the South prompted their label to press for a nationally breaking single. The strategy succeeded when the Atlanta Rhythm Section achieved a Top Ten hit with “So Into You” on 1976’s A Rock and Roll Alternative, the album that became their first to earn gold certification.

Commercial fortunes climbed still higher in 1978 with the Top Ten album Champagne Jam, which yielded the hit singles “I’m Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight” and “Imaginary Lover.” To sustain visibility the Atlanta Rhythm Section became one of the Southern rock circuit’s most active touring outfits, highlighted by a performance at the White House for President Jimmy Carter. Sustained success proved short-lived, however; each follow-up—1979’s Underdog and the live set Are You Ready, 1980’s The Boys from Doraville, and 1981’s Quinella—sold fewer copies than its predecessor, prompting the band to disband soon afterward.

Following the split, the Atlanta Rhythm Section reconvened intermittently for live dates, often featuring only a handful of founding members, and released its first new studio album in more than a decade, 1999’s Eufaula. Several prominent country-rock artists later recorded Atlanta Rhythm Section songs, among them Travis Tritt, Wynonna Judd, and Charlie Daniels. Guitarist Barry Bailey died on March 12, 2022, in Atlanta after years of battling multiple sclerosis; he was 73. Keyboard player Dean Daughtry passed away in Huntsville, AL, on January 26, 2023, at the age of 76.