Gregg Allman

Lore & Background

Gregg Allman was born on December 8, 1947, in Nashville, Tennessee, to Geraldine Robbins Allman and Willis Turner Allman. His father was killed by a hitchhiker in 1949, after which his mother sent Gregg and his older brother Duane to Castle Heights Military Academy while she studied to become a CPA. Gregg initially felt this as rejection but later understood her sacrifice. The brothers developed an interest in music after attending a 1960 concert featuring Jackie Wilson, Otis Redding, B.B. King, and Patti LaBelle, and through a neighbor who introduced Gregg to the guitar.

Gregg and Duane formed several bands in Daytona Beach, Florida, including the Escorts and the Allman Joys, before moving to Los Angeles and recording as the Hour Glass. After that group dissolved, the brothers formed the Allman Brothers Band in 1969. The band achieved mainstream success with the 1971 live album At Fillmore East, but Duane was killed in a motorcycle crash shortly after. The band continued and released Brothers and Sisters in 1973, their most successful album. Gregg launched a solo career that same year with Laid Back. He married pop star Cher from 1975 to 1979, and had a mid-career hit with his cover of 'I'm No Angel' in 1987. His seventh solo album, Low Country Blues (2011), reached the highest chart positions of his career. He struggled with alcohol and substance use throughout his life, which he detailed in his memoir My Cross to Bear (2012). His final album, Southern Blood, was released posthumously on September 8, 2017.

Reader's Guide

Gregg Allman's significance lies in his role as a foundational figure of Southern rock, blending blues, rock, jazz, and country into a distinctive sound that defined the Allman Brothers Band. As the band's lead singer and keyboardist, he wrote enduring songs such as 'Whipping Post', 'Melissa', and 'Midnight Rider', which remain staples of rock radio. His soulful voice placed him 70th on Rolling Stone's list of the '100 Greatest Singers of All Time'. Allman's solo career, though less commercially consistent, produced the hit 'I'm No Angel' and the critically acclaimed Low Country Blues. His personal struggles with addiction and his memoir added a layer of cultural narrative to his legacy. He received one Grammy Award and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. His work continues to influence generations of musicians, and his posthumous album Southern Blood served as a final statement on a career marked by both triumph and turmoil.

Did You Know?

• Gregg Allman intentionally shot himself in the foot to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War.
• He was left-handed but played the guitar right-handed.
• He missed his high school graduation because he was performing at a club that evening.