The world of rock'n'roll has lost a true legend this week. Greg Allman one of the most soulful whiteboys ever to sing has died. Him and his brother Duane were personal heroes of mine and I am truly sad to hear this. God bless him and his family and just pray he made the cut for the choir in Heaven.
Gregg
Allman, the founder of “The Allman Brothers Band” and one of the
musicians credited with inventing the southern rock genre of music died
Saturday at the age of 69.
According to a statement
on the singer’s website, Allman "passed away peacefully at his home in
Savannah, Georgia." Allman’s family is yet to release an official
statement on his death.
The statement on the website also mentions that Allman’s health deteriorated during the last few years of his life:
"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."
Allman’s
official cause of death is yet to be revealed, although he was known to
suffer from chronic liver issues in the recent years, Rolling Stone reported. Also, in 1999, he was diagnosed with hepatitis C and had to undergo a liver transplant in 2010, Billboard reported.
In
November 2016, Allman said that he needed to “focus on his health,” but
still planned to tour in 2017. However, a short while after, it was
announced on the musician’s official website that he had cancelled all
his tour dates in 2017, according to a Billboard report.
Allman
had founded The Allman Brothers Band with his older brother, Duane, a
legendary guitarist, who was later killed in a motorbike accident
November 1971. After that, he spearheaded the band on his own.
Gregg Allman
Singers/Songwriters
Gregg Allman, Michelle Malone and Chuck Leavell at rehearsals for
'Celebrating Georgia With Chuck Leavell & Friends' at Atlanta
Symphony Hall in Atlanta, Georgia, Jan. 18, 2014.Photo: Getty Images/Rick Diamond
Apart from being the lead singer of the band, Allman was also the songwriter and the keyboardist of the band.
The
band made into the Billboard 200 albums chart just a year before the
death of Duane. The track “with Brothers and Sisters” reached number one
spot and retained its position for five weeks in 1973.
In
the following 34 years, a number of songs secure the top spots in
various music charts all across the globe. “Ramblin Man,” “Crazy Love,”
“Straight From the Heart,” “Good Clean Fun,” “Midnight Rider,” and “I’m
No Angel.”
Some
of the songs which were written, composed and sung by Allman were "It's
Not My Cross to Bear," "Midnight Rider," "Ain't Wastin' Time No More,”
"Melissa,” "One Way Out" and "Statesboro Blues."
Allman
was also known for his prolific personal life. He had married seven
times in his lifetime, his seventh wife being Shannon Allman, whom he
married in 2013. His most famed marriage was to Cher, in 1975, which
lasted merely three years and was ridden with controversies, mostly due
to Allman's alcoholism and heroin addiction, Rolling Stone reported.
"It's
too soon to properly process this," Allman Brothers Band guitarist
Dickey Betts said in a statement. "I'm so glad I was able to have a
couple good talks with him before he passed. In fact I was about to call
him to check and see how he was when I got the call. It's a very sad
day."
Michael
Lehman, Allman’s manager and friend stated: "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."
Many musicians have taken to twitter to express their condolences and prayers on the occasion.
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