Keyboardist, singer, and songwriter Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band died a few days ago, from complications from liver cancer. He was sixty-nine.
Gregg and his older brother Duane had played in a handful of bands before forming their first successful band, the Allman Joys, in the mid-1960s. They were renamed the Hour Glass, then became the Allman Brothers Band, and their debut album appeared in 1969. Duane died in a motorcycle crash in 1971, but Gregg and the rest of the band decided to keep the band together.
Gregg was involved in several marriages and relationships in his life -- one of his wives was Cher, to whom he was married from 1975-1978 -- and had five children by five different women.
Gregg was plagued with drug and alcohol problems throughout much of his life. In 1995, when being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Gregg was drunk when he delivered his acceptance speech. Reportedly, upon seeing his speech on a later television broadcast, Gregg was so disgusted with himself that he was inspired to his final, successful attempt to swear off drugs and alcohol.
Thanks for your time.
Look how clean cut and 1950's the Allman Brothers looked. That is a great picture you found of them when they were boys. He was one of the leaders in his field of music and it is a shame drugs and alcohol did him in. You know, I always wondered if Chaz/Chastity Bono is not Gregg's kid actually
ReplyDeleteHm. I'm not sure if Cher met Gregg before she left Sonny.
DeleteHe and Cher were married for three years? I thought it was about two minutes.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
It seemed that way, didn't it?
DeleteSecond tribute I've seen inside of thirty minutes. Goes to show that despite his problems the man was gifted and left a mark on the world.
ReplyDeleteCome see my daughter & her graduation surprise! #Caneyhead: High School Graduation. :)
Yes, he did. Hard to believe it's over forty-five years since the band lost Duane Allman, but they still had so many good years left.
DeleteHe sure had quite the life, not all of it good, but left a mark. 5 kids? He sure knew how to get around too.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad he got clean, even if it was later in his life. Better late than never, right? Sad to hear about his death since he wasn't all that old.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I may be saddened but I'm never really shocked when people in their eighties or nineties pass away, but those who die in their seventies or younger hit too close to home.
DeleteI dont have idea he was married with Cher !
ReplyDeleteYep. Didn't last long, but they had a son while they were married.
DeleteI was really sad to read about Gregg. I met him once in southern Florida.
ReplyDeleteLord, I was born a ramblin' man
Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can
And when it's time for leavin'
I hope you'll understand
That I was born a ramblin' man
I imagine he is ramblin' on a new road now...rip
You actually met him? Wow, too cool.
DeleteAfter I read your comment, I had "Ramblin' Man" running through my head for about an hour... which was fine by me.
Kind of confirms the niggling feeling I had about 2017 - as bad as 2016...
ReplyDeleteI hope the celebrity obits will taper off as the year progresses, but who knows?
Delete