In this in-depth and deeply felt 1981 interview for Guitar Player magazine, Gregg Allman speaks exclusively about his older brother Duane, the founder of the band that bears their family name.
For nearly all their lives Duane and Gregg were inseparable. Raised by their widowed mom in Nashville and Daytona Beach, they learned music together and played side-by-side in teen bands. After spending their journeymen days in the Daytona Beach-based Houserockers, they began touring as the Allman Joys, moved to L.A. to form the Hour Glass, and finally hit their stride in 1969 with the formation of the Allman Brothers Band. Just two-and-a-half years later, Duane was gone, killed in an October 1971 motorcycle crash.
As the ten-year anniversary of that fatal accident approached, I proposed that Guitar Player do a cover story celebrating Duane’s life. The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Tom Wheeler, suggested that we make it a special issue devoted to Duane. With so many pages available, I was able to interview Dickey Betts, Pete Carr, Billy Gibbons, John Hammond, Johnny Winter, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and others connected to Duane. My favorite of these interviews is the one you’re about to hear with Duane’s younger brother. Gregg called me up on July 6, 1981, and began our conversation. As you’ll hear, he put a lot of thought into his responses as he spoke at length of their childhood, first guitars, influences, early bands, Duane’s extensive studio work culminating with the Layla sessions, and especially the Allman Brothers Band.
Here’s a sample for free subscribers and visitors: Gregg Allman: The "My Brother Duane" Interview
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