Overview | History/Timeline | The
Band Website
Thirty-five years ago, a revolution was launched from the streets
of Macon, consisting of guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, and a uniquely
spirited brotherhood. The revolutionaries of record were the Allman
Brothers Band, who, as the founders of what became known as Southern
rock, changed the course of popular American music and turned Macon
into the recording hot bed of the 1970s. From 1969 to 1979, the Allmans
called Macon home, and their contributions and exploits have become
a legendary part of this town’s history. So, more than three
decades after their arrival in Middle Georgia, it’s time to
look back and remember what was, and appreciate what we still have,
because through tragedy and triumph, trials, and tribulations, the
Allman Brothers Band is still traveling down the road that goes on
forever.
In March, 1969, the Allman Brothers Band came together, as
six very eclectic musicians blended their varying talents into
a cohesive unit. Brothers Duane
and Gregg Allman had emerged from the mid-’60s Daytona Beach blues and
R&B scene, and though barely out of their teens, their imposing skills
were already obvious. Duane’s searing guitar work and Gregg’s soulful,
bluesy vocals had carried them through the Southern club scene and out to California,
where their talents were lost in the shuffle of the pop world. Duane headed
back down South, and became an instant sensation as a session player in Muscle
Shoals,
Alabama, adding his distinctive guitar licks to tunes by the likes of Aretha
Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Boz Scaggs, and Clarence Carter. While in Muscle
Shoals, Duane began jamming with Johnny Lee Johnson - now known as Jaimoe -
a drummer
who was deeply rooted in jazz. Duane and Jaimoe soon were joined by bassist
Berry Oakley, who was then a member of a Jacksonville-based group called the
Second
Coming, which featured a guitarist named Dickey Betts. Although the Second
Coming had a definite psychedelic-type sound, Betts’ musical background
was steeped in country swing, and it made for an interesting mix when combined
with Oakley’s
Chicago blues roots. A move to Jacksonville brought the dual talents of Allman
and Betts together for the first time, and a series of incendiary jams began
to also include Butch Trucks, a classically trained drummer who played straight-ahead
rock and roll. Everyone realized that they were onto something special, but
they lacked one thing - the right vocalist. A quick phone call by Duane rescued
his
brother from exile in California, and on March 26, 1969, Gregg Allman arrived
in Jacksonville to join the group - thus was born the Allman Brothers Band.
A
chance to record an album for Phil Walden’s Capricorn Records brought
them to Macon in April 1969, where they settled into an apartment building
on College Street. They had little money and no guarantees, but they all believed
in the same dream, a dream created and shaped by Duane. With their long hair
and loud music, they were an unusual sight around town, and it took some adapting,
but Macon soon become home. The days were spent honing their craft, and they
were often subsidized by free meals at the H&H Restaurant, compliments
of “Mama
Louise” Hudson, who to this day remains close to “her babies.”
Late at night, the band would sometimes walk down to Rose Hill Cemetery,
and in this eerie Southern Gothic setting, amidst the tombstones that sit
hard
along the banks of the Ocmulgee River, they would play guitars for hours,
shaping their
musical future.
Their debut album, The Allman Brothers Band, was released
in November 1969, and from the opening notes, it was clear that a new and
different genre of
music
had been born. All the elements - blues, rock, jazz, country, and R&B
- had come together in an extremely powerful way. Duane and Dickey’s
interlocking guitars created some beautifully melodic lines, while Gregg’s
gruff vocals and keyboard work added depth and meaning to each tune. Berry’s
bass laid down a solid foundation for everyone, and Butch and Jaimoe’s
pounding interplay on the drums drove it all forward. It was the intensity
and passion,
however, that truly jumped out of the speakers. The Allman Brothers Band
included tunes like the sinister “Whipping Post,” and “Dreams,” which
showcased Duane’s ethereal slide guitar work. Their second album,
Idlewild South, was released in 1970 to huge critical acclaim, and included
the soon
to be classics “Midnight Rider,” “In Memory of Elizabeth
Reed,” and “Don’t
Keep Me Wonderin’ .” As good as these albums were, however,
it was impossible to capture in a studio what the Allman Brothers did best
-
which was
play their music in a live setting.
From the onset, the Allman Brothers
Band was a live performance group. The attitude was that they would
play anywhere, anytime, for anyone who
would
listen. Their
free shows at Central City Park in Macon and Atlanta’s Piedmont
Park soon became legendary for the sheer intensity of the music. When
playing
live, it
was clear that the sum was even greater than the formidable parts of
the Allman Brothers. They were a band - a band that created dynamic,
visceral
music that
no other group had played before. True road warriors, they played over
300 shows in 1970 alone, and always left the crowds wanting for nothing.
Time
at home in Macon was a precious thing, and in January of 1970, Berry
Oakley and his wife Linda rented a stately 18-room Tudor-style mansion
on Vineville
Avenue. Called the “Big House,” it became the hub of the
band’s
universe whenever they were in town. There they would rehearse, eat
meals, play pool, and simply enjoy a communal lifestyle based on the
special
brotherhood
that had been forged through their music.
By 1971, it was clear that
the time had come to make a live recording, so on the nights of March
12 and 13, 1971, the tapes were rolling at
Bill Graham’s
Fillmore East Auditorium, and the result was At Fillmore East, which
is quite simply the greatest live album in rock music history. Produced
by Tom Dowd, At
Fillmore East captured the very essence of an Allman Brothers’ performance.
From the thumping “Statesboro Blues” - the group’s
signature tune - to the haunting “Elizabeth Reed” through
to the masterpiece that was “You Don’t Love Me,” it
was stunning in its musical dimensions. At Fillmore East shot up
the charts, and Rolling Stone declared that
the Allman Brothers Band was “the best damn band in the country.” Because
of the vision of Phil Walden and Capricorn Records, Macon suddenly
became the focal point of the recording industry, and Southern rock
began to flourish. Groups
like the Marshall Tucker Band, Grinderswitch, and Wet Willie called
Macon home, Lynyrd Skynyrd would soon take off in Jacksonville, and
the Allman Brothers found
themselves at the forefront of a rock and roll phenomenon.
All the
members of the band enjoyed their hard-earned success, particularly
Duane, who was the driving force behind it all. He was recognized
as a genius for his guitar work, both with the Allmans and for
his contributions
to Layla
and Other Assorted Love Songs. His scorching musical dialogue with
Eric Clapton helped make Layla perhaps the best guitar album ever
recorded, and made Duane
a bit of a legend in his own time. The Allmans toured incessantly
through 1971, playing to bigger and bigger crowds, and the music
grew still
more
emotive.
In October, as they started work on another album, the future looked
promising
- then in one day, the heart and soul of the group was gone.
On
October 29, 1971, Duane Allman jumped on his Harley Davidson and
left the Big House, bound for his home in West Macon. At the
intersection
of
Hillcrest and Bartlett, a large flatbed truck turned in front
of him, forcing Duane
into
a skid. He was thrown from his bike, and suffered massive internal
injuries which proved to be fatal. Duane Allman was dead at age
24.
The shock to the music world was huge, but the blow Duane’s
death dealt to his band was immeasurable. They decided to carry
on and keep making music
- it was what Duane would have wanted. The Allman Brothers went
back into the studio as a quintet, and finished off their next
record, Eat a Peach. Filled
out with tracks recorded during the At Fillmore East dates, Eat
a Peach fully caught the spirit of the Allman Brothers at the
pinnacle of musical brilliance.
The studio cuts included Gregg’s sor-rowful laments “Melissa” and “Ain’t
Wasting Time No More,” Dickey’s lovely “Blue
Sky,” and “Little
Martha,” the gentle acoustic guitar duet written by Duane.
Among the live tracks was the band’s opus - a 34-minute “Mountain
Jam,” which
best defined the Allman Brothers as a performance group.
Though
they were devastated, the band continued to play on, and by mid-1972,
they felt it was time to make an addition to the
group. Instead of placing
a guitarist in the impossible position of replacing Duane Allman,
they opted for
another keyboard player. 20-year-old pianist Chuck Leavell entered
the line-up, and his smooth and jazzy runs across the keys added
a new feature
to the
band’s
sound. Chuck fit in nicely, and in October, 1972, the Allmans
went to work on a new album. It had a been a year since Duane’s
passing, and things were finally beginning to settle down - then
unbelievably, fate’s cruel hand
struck again.
On November 11, 1972, Berry Oakley was killed in
a motorcycle crash when his bike collided with a bus on Napier
Avenue in Macon.
Berry
was killed
only three
blocks from the site of Duane’s accident, and like Duane,
he was just 24 years old. Berry had been particularly shattered
by the loss of Duane - he had
completely shared in Duane’s ambitions for the band, and
if Duane was the musical visionary of the Allman Brothers, Berry
was the spiritual leader of the
Brotherhood. Appropriately, they were laid to rest side by side
in Rose Hill Cemetery, on a scenic terrace overlooking the Ocmulgee
River - not far from the
spot where they had made the late-night music they loved.
The
band was crushed - Duane’s death had put them on their
knees, but Berry’s
death flattened them. They had lost their two key leaders in
a year, but once again, they decided to move on. Bassist Lamar
Williams, a long-time friend of
Jaimoe’s from Mississippi, joined up, and the group went
ahead and recorded the most successful album of their career,
Brothers and Sisters. Released in
August, 1973, it quickly shot up to #1 on the Billboard charts,
and “Ramblin’ Man” a
country-rock tune penned by Dickey, peaked at #2 on Billboard’s
Top 40. Brothers and Sisters also included the joyous Betts song “Jessica,” which
featured Chuck’s exhilarating piano solo, as well as “Southbound,” “Wasted
Words,” and “Come and Go Blues.” The Allman
Brothers Band was now the most popular group in America - this
was validated when Rolling Stone
named them 1973’s “Band of the Year.” They
did one of rock’s
first stadium tours, and capped the year off by headlining the
Watkins Glen Summer Jam in upstate New York. Playing along with
the Grateful Dead and the Band, the
Brothers captivated over 600,000 people with an inspiring three
hour performance. The Allman Brothers Band had seemingly reached
the musical mountaintop, but ominous
clouds were forming on the horizon.
Though it took some time,
the loss of both Duane and Berry inevitably took its toll. Without
the leadership that they had provided,
the focus of the
band slowly
drifted away from the music, and to the excesses that fame and
fortune provided. Playing in the group became secondary to enjoying
what
being in the Allman
Brothers did to one’s life, and the music suffered. Communication
began to break down, and while there were still magical moments
on stage, the band was clearly
losing what made it special. Their next release, Win, Lose or
Draw, represented this lack of focus. Although there were some
great displays of talent, including
the smoking “Can’t Lose What You Never Had” and
Betts’ lilting “High
Falls,” named for the state park north of Macon, much of
the album was uninspired. They continued to tour, but the pressures
and differing agendas became
too much. They were no longer a brotherhood, but six musicians
who only saw each other at showtime. The spirit was gone, and
the Allman Brothers Band slowly disintegrated.
In late 1976, with much public acrimony and bad blood, the group
broke up. Those early days in Macon seemed like a distant memory,
and everyone went their separate
ways. Gregg pursued a solo career, Dickey put together a new
band called Great Southern, and Jaimoe, Chuck, and Lamar formed
a fusion group called Sea Level.
Seemingly, it was all over for the Allman Brothers Band.
There
is nothing like time for healing wounds, however, and after
several years apart, everyone realized that they all missed
playing
with their
musical brothers.
Following some heartfelt discussions, the Allman Brothers got
back together with a show at Lakeside Park in Macon on August
24, 1978.
It was like
the bad times had never happened - the fire was still there,
and they wanted
to build
on it. Chuck and Lamar opted to stay with Sea Level, so guitarist
Dan Toler and bassist David Goldflies were recruited from Great
Southern to fill
out the band.
They recorded Enlightened Rogues, a tremendous album that brought
back
much of the old sound. The Allmans hit the road, and while things
went well at
first, the band got caught by the changing musical trends of
the late ’70s. Disco
and techno-pop were in, and Southern rock was out of vogue. Two
subsequent albums dropped off dramatically in quality, and the
band began to drift apart again.
In January, 1982, the Allman Brothers broke up, apparently for
good. They were victims of a shift in musical values, and the
brilliance of Duane Allman and
his bandmates was almost forgotten in the cheap glitter of the ’80s.
The
musical pendulum swung around in 1989, however, and rock and
blues were suddenly back in. “Classic rock” formats
began appearing on FM radio, and groups like the Rolling Stones,
the Who, and Jefferson Airplane reunited. A compilation
box set of Allman Brothers music entitled Dreams was released
by Polydor Records in 1989 to very favorable reviews, and the
original members of the band decided
to give it one more try. Gregg, Dickey, Butch, and Jaimoe were
joined by Warren Haynes on guitar, Allen Woody on bass, and keyboardist
Johnny Neel, and they
went back to the concert circuit. It didn’t take long for
them to rediscover the past energy, and more importantly, an
entire new legion of fans discovered
them. The long, winding guitar runs of Dickey and Warren captivated
kids who hadn’t even been born when Duane and Berry were
alive, and soon the Allman Brothers had regained their title
as the best jamming rock-blues band of all
time. Johnny Neel departed in 1991, but percussionist Marc Quinones
signed on, giving a further boost to the already explosive rhythm
section. The band made
a triumphant return to Macon in December, 1991, playing four
sold-out shows at the City Auditorium. They stole the show at
the 1994 Woodstock II Festival, and
in 1995 the Allman Brothers received the ultimate honor with
their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. By 1996,
they had released five superior
albums, including the gratifying Where It All Begins, but in
1997, Warren and Allen left the band to dedicate themselves to
their new group, Gov’t Mule.
Despite this setback, the Brothers didn’t miss a beat.
Slide wizard Jack Pearson and bassist Oteil Burbridge blended
immediately into the mix, and the
ABB celebrated their 30th anniversary in 1999 in grand style,
leaving their fans blissed out after every show.
Jack Pearson
departed the Allman Brothers before the summer tour of 1999,
but was capably replaced by Derek Trucks, Butch’s guitar-genius
nephew. A year later, the Allman Brothers and Dickey Betts parted
company, but Jimmy Herring
was up to task of replacing Betts’ formidable sound. In
2001, Jimmy stepped out of the line-up, Warren Haynes stepped
back in, and since then, the band has
been on a creative high, releasing the stellar studio album,
Hittin’ the
Note, as well as a platinum-selling DVD, Live at the Beacon Theatre.
35 years after it all began in Macon, the Allman Brothers Band
is alive, well, and revitalized,
playing music that would make Duane and Berry very proud.

Interestingly,
a bit of the Brotherhood returned to Macon in 1993, when tour
manager Kirk West and his wife Kirsten purchased
the
Big House.
Since then,
they have filled it with the world’s largest collection
of Allman Brothers’ memorabilia.
They also publish Hittin’ the Note, a magazine which concentrates
on the Allman Brothers Band and the Southeastern music scene.
2321 Vineville Avenue
has again become a gathering point for fans of the Allman Brothers,
and there are now plans to keep the Big House and its collection
together for perpetuity.
The Big House Foundation has been formed for the purpose of creating
the Allman Brothers Band Museum, and we hope that you will join
us in this very worthy crusade.
Any donation that you make will be appreciated, and will go a
long way in making sure that the musical history of the Allman
Brothers Band in Macon will go on
forever.
1969-2004: Macon and the Allman Brothers Band have come
full-circle. Please visit Macon and walk in the footsteps of
the band. Drive
down Duane Allman
Boulevard,
cross the Raymond Berry Oakley II Bridge, dine at the H&H,
reflect at Rose Hill, and go to the Big House - only then can
you truly appreciate the magnitude
of this band and its importance to rock music and the South.
Then by all means, catch the Allman Brothers Band in concert
and listen to ’em play all night! |