Gregg Allman | 1947 - 2017
Considered a “blues everyman,” Allman was the lead singer, organist and primary songwriter of the Allman Brothers Band, which he formed with his brother Duane in 1969. While there have been several iterations since, the original troupe consisted of the brothers, guitarist Dickey Betts, bassist Berry Oakley and drummers Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny Johanson, who often goes by the stage name of Jaimoe. Together, the original lineup fused elements of rock, blues and country music and opened the door for other groups and artists that followed. With a hulking presence and gravelly, blues-drenched voice, Allman was known as much for his personal travails as his brand of music. His life was often shrouded in tragedy and hard times, from the deaths of several band members (his brother and Oakley died in similar motorcycle accidents and, more recently, Trucks committed suicide), six failed marriages (one to singer and actress Cher), legal disputes and recurring, highly publicized battles with drugs, alcohol and health problems.
Gregg, left, and Duane Allman at Muscle Shoals, Ala., in 1970.
Gregg Allman appears at Peaches Records in Atlanta in 1975.
Gregg Allman in September 1976.
Gregg Allman and then-wife Cher pose in a hammock at their home in 1977 in Beverly Hills.
President Carter kisses singer Cher as her husband, Gregg Allman, stands by, second from right, during a reception at the White House in 1977.
Gregg Allman plays during a 1979 Allman Brothers Band concert at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.
The Allman Brothers Band circa 2000: From left, Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson, Dickey Betts, Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks.
Gregg Allman performs at the Allman Brothers Band's farewell concert at the Beacon Theatre in 2014 in New York.
