We didn't set a new world record, but we had a blast anyway and those who weren't there missed an OUTSTANDING talent competition. The kazoo is part of Macon's rich musical heritage and we'll definitely have more kazoo events and competitions at STATE FAIRs of the future...but it may not be a world record attempt. We'll decide that later.

No matter what the nay-sayers bleat and grumble, we brought together a diverse cross-section of the community for civic pride and fun. It was a success by any reasonable measure for a community event. We made some fun for local charities!! (Photo slideshow coming soon!)

THANK YOU! Our thanks go out to the faithful kazooers who came, to our great emcee and true Macon believer, Chris Horne, the editor of The 11th Hour, to columnist Ed Grisamore of The Macon Telegraph who has long been a kazoo enthusiast, to the television reporters and others who were there to report and record the event, to our official judges, our talent judges and the many volunteers who helped register participants and the many, many others who helped pull it together. Y'all are Great!

What are we talking about? The kazoo... It’s a simple enough instrument—everyone has hummed on one at a birthday party or something equally festive. However, not everyone knows that the kazoo was invented in Macon, Georgia, by former slave Alabama Vest and unveiled to the world at the Georgia State Fair in 1852. (Its original name was the 'Down South Submarine'.) [ More Kazoo history ]

As the birthplace of the Kazoo, it’s only fitting that Macon and the Georgia STATE FAIR should hold the World Record for the largest Kazoo ensemble!! We still believe that. We're evaluating new ideas for a way to do it.

On November 17, 2007, a group of 3,840 players in Greenville, SC, gathered to break the Guinness world record® for the largest kazoo ensemble. That record still stands. We'll be watching the news to see if this bar is set higher. The 2009 Guinness Book of World Records^TM still lists the Rochester record of 2679 set on December 31, 2006. However, we have it from Guinness via email that Bob Jones holds the record right now.

Battle of the Bands
Macon A Star.

Ed Grisamore's August 18, 2008 column
Ed Grisamore's September 24, 2008 column
Ed Grisamore's September 29, 2008 column

Proceeds from the Fair benefit local charities; since 1942 the Fair has returned over $5.3 million to the community through its owner and operator, the Exchange Club of Macon. Read more about the community benefits of the Georgia STATE FAIR. Our Fair is “Macon Fun for Local Charities!”