Gregg Allman, one of the founding members of The Allman Brothers Band, has died at the age of 69. He was a bluesy singer, musician, and songwriter and was a pioneer in the Southern rock scene of the 1970s.
Allman “passed away peacefully at his home in Savannah, Georgia,” a statement on the singer’s website read. “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.”
In the past few years, it was reported that Allman had been suffering from a respiratory infection, a hernia, a liver transplant, and an irregular heartbeat. In March, his poor health forced him to cancel all of his 2017 tour dates.
Gregg Allman was the co-founder of the legendary Allman Brothers Band trailblazer along with his older brother Duane Allman. The Allman Brothers Band blazed a trail for other Southern rock acts such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Marshall Tucker Band as well as jam bands to have successful careers.
As a member of the Allman Brothers Band, Allman was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. He was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.
Gregory LeNoir Allman on December 8, 1947, in Nashville. When he was two-years-old, his father was shot and killed by a man who he offered a ride to in at a bar. Gregg and his brother were sent to a Tennessee military school at an early age.
Allman is survived by his wife Shannon Allman along with their four children and three grandchildren.
In January, Allman Brothers Band drummer and co-founder Butch Trucks died at the age of 69. He committed suicide in front of his artist wife Melinda, who he had been married to for 25 years.
RIP Gregg Allman.
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[Variety]