Lanierland Music Park was a country music venue in the town of Cumming, Forsyth County, Georgia.[1] The venue was opened in 1970 and hosted notable musical acts until 2006.[2] The venue's land was then converted to Lanierland Park,[3] a Forsyth County Parks and Recreation facility for community use.
Lanierland Music Park was founded in 1970 by Forsyth County-natives, C.E."Crant" Samples and M.L. "Shorty" Hamby, as an 1800-person music venue under a tent.[4] The venue opened with Hank Williams Jr. performing two sold-out shows. In order to extend capital and grow the venue, eventually new owners Leon Jones, Robert Jones and Tommy Bagwell were added to the team. As the venue grew, ownership dwindled to Leon Jones and his wife, Brenda, as well as Tommy Bagwell.[5]
In 1973 the tent was replaced by a large, metal, open-air pavilion with folding chairs. Though the overhang changed, the sawdust floors remained until the venue's closing, providing a unique acoustical experience. At the time of its closing, the venue boasted a 100-foot stage and seating for 4,346. Brenda Jones' mother, known as Mama Lois,[6] provided performers with a home-cooked southern meal prior[7] to each performance.