Rock musician Gregg Allman – whose work with the Allman Brothers Band set the stage for Southern rock, jam bands and influenced several generations of players – has died at age 69.
Mr. Allman’s work and life is entwined with his brother Duane, with whom he founded the Allman Brothers Band in 1969. Two years later, Duane was killed in a motorcycle accident, but the band soldiered on, and reached new peaks with the 1973 album “Brothers and Sisters,” which featured signature songs “Ramblin’ Man” and the instrumental “Jessica.”
Still, the band found their greatest success as a live act, performing for massive crowds in the 1970s and – like the Grateful Dead – influencing a future wave of concert-focused “jam bands.”
Throughout their five-decade run – which included a few brief hiatuses – Mr. Allman was a constant presence, and his Hammond organ and soulful lead vocals defined their sound as much as his late brother’s limber guitar lines once did.
Mr. Allman’s sound was further showcased through his solo work, which included six albums and the 1987 hit “I’m No Angel.” His last release, 2011’s “Low Country Blues,” entered the Billboard 200 at No. 5 — the highest chart position of his career. Earlier this year, Allman announced he was finishing up work on his next album “Southern Blood.”
As the Allman Brothers Band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, it also marked a personal turning point for Mr. Allman. After seeing himself on the telecast, he vowed to get sober, ending decades of alcohol and drug abuse. Still, health struggles were on the horizon. A lifelong battle with hepatitis C developed into liver cancer, and he underwent a liver transplant in 2010.
He continued to play with the Allman Brothers Bands through their final concerts in 2014, and toured regularly as a solo artist, though health problems led to several postponements over the years.
Last summer, Mr. Allman canceled two months' of tour dates to deal with "serious health issues" while under his doctor's care at the Mayo Clinic. He returned to the stage later that year.
In March, Mr. Allman canceled all future tour dates, and an announcement posted on his website said he would not be touring in 2017. In April, he responded to reports that he'd entered hospice care.
"I want to thank you for all the love that you are sending," he shared in a statement. "Looking forward to seeing everyone again. Keep Rockin’"
Speaking to the Tennessean in 2016, Allman said the stage was a refuge from his ailments.
"I've gone on before with an abscessed tooth," he said. "And as soon as you get on there and the energy from the people hits you, the pain goes away."
