Gregg Allman, Music Legend, 1947 – 2017
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Gregg Allman (via his Facebook page)
Though he had been plagued with health problems for quite some time, it still came as a shock to read the words that music legend and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman, had died on May 27, 2017, at age 69.
[In 2018, on the one-year anniversary of his passing, “Team Gregg Allman” produced a remembrance video. Watch it below.]
A post on his Facebook page at 4:12 p.m. Eastern time formally announced the news. The cause of death was revealed to be due to complications from liver cancer.
Gregory LeNoir Allman
December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017
“It is with deep sadness that we announce that Gregg Allman, a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, passed away peacefully at his home in Savannah, Georgia.
“Gregg struggled with many health issues over the past several years. During that time, Gregg considered being on the road playing music with his brothers and solo band for his beloved fans, essential medicine for his soul. Playing music lifted him up and kept him going during the toughest of times.
“Gregg’s longtime manager and close friend, Michael Lehman said, ‘I have lost a dear friend and the world has lost a brilliant pioneer in music. He was a kind and gentle soul with the best laugh I ever heard. His love for his family and bandmates was passionate as was the love he had for his extraordinary fans. Gregg was an incredible partner and an even better friend. We will all miss him.’
“Gregg is survived by his wife, Shannon Allman, his children, Devon, Elijah Blue, Delilah Island Kurtom and Layla Brooklyn Allman; 3 grandchildren, his niece, Galadrielle Allman, lifelong friend Chank Middleton, and a large extended family. The family will release a statement soon, but for now ask for privacy during this very difficult time.”
Allman, a singer, keyboard player, guitarist and founding member of the Allman Brothers Band had, in recent years, suffered from an irregular heartbeat, a hernia operation and a liver transplant.
His older brother, guitarist Duane Allman, died in a motorcycle accident in 1971 at age 24. A year later, the band’s bassist, Berry Oakley, died of the same cause; he was also 24. On January 24, 2017, another ABB founding member, Butch Trucks, died, also at 69.
It is with deep sadness we announce that Gregg Allman, a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, passed away peacefully at his home pic.twitter.com/8g0pAT3kky
— Allman Brothers Band (@allmanbrothers) May 27, 2017
In a 2015 interview never published until 2017, Allman was asked “What do you remember about the very beginning of the Allman Brothers Band?”
“When we first got together, I was the last one to get there,” he said. “I got there [from Los Angeles] on March 26, 1969. My brother Duane was waiting to get everyone else together. We’d all met in Jacksonville and he called me on the 24th of March and told me that he was tired of being in the studio in Muscle Shoals. He was ready to get back on the stage. He said, “I got this band together. There’s five guys, counting me. I need you to come out here and send it somewhere, and sing and write.”
Related: Our interview with Allman from 2015, never published until March 31, 2017
Watch the remembrance video that was created on the one-year anniversary of his death
On March 13, Allman had canceled all concert dates for the remainder of 2017. An article in The Telegraph out of Macon, Georgia, cited an announcement from Allman’s production company. Allman had previously canceled all dates last November, then rescheduled them in mid-December. No reason was given for the new cancellations, but the announcement said the singer/musician “looks forward to returning to the road in the future.”
Watch a lyric video for “Midnight Rider” from Laid Back
The road goes on forever.
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3 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationI expected this for awhile, given the health problems, cancellations, and recent rumors… But this one still hurts. Bad.
So much great music, from both ABB and Gregg’s solo albums, and that includes the ABB/solo albums from the 90s and 2000s.
I’ve said this on other sites, but it bears repeating: RIP, Midnight Rider… You were no angel, but you sure as hell sang like one.
3 hippy teens headed for ‘Atlanta Pop Fest. in 69’. We actually made Macon GA. before our VW Bus died. Same line-up as Woodstock Minas The Tull (sick of the flu.) But The ABB was doing a Free Concert in Piedmont Park /Atlanta & the Allman Bros.was about to show the World just who owns the Stage ! Looked over by show promotions,but Not music fans the ABB was front page news from there. @ the time ¹Dwayne (& later Dicky) became Southern Rock/Blues Premiere Showmen. From ‘Amazing Grace’, to Sweet Melissa, & I can’t help but hope that the ‘Amazing Grace’ those Brothers learned did indeed plot their course. fyi,… They had a fabulous Black Bassist, In a Southern White Rock Band !, in Atlanta Ga., in the 60’s,/70’s. This was a ‘long row to hoe’, …& Yes Our Brothers, R.I.P. 2
That first Queen of Hearts BANG literally hit me like a huge buckshot splatter of instant full body goosebumps. I honestly don’t think goosebumps have ever been that INSTANT before! Talk about a song that’s going to have eternal shelf life. Thank you Gregg for enriching my life with your voice and music.