Today marks five years since Gregg Allman sadly died from complications due to liver cancer. The legendary soul-soaked singer, songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist, co-founder and co-namesake of The Allman Brothers Band was born on December 8, 1947 in Nashville and spent his teenage years in Daytona Beach, Florida. But Gregg, his brother Duane Allman and The Allman Brothers Band will forever be inextricably linked with the state of Georgia.
While ABB formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969, they soon relocated to Macon, Georgia where they formed a strong bond among themselves as well as with the musical community there. Through Duane’s connections at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, ABB teamed up with Macon label Capricorn Records — founded in 1969 by Phil Walden who had managed “The Mad Man From Macon” himself, Otis Redding. While in Macon, ABB often visited Rose Hill Cemetary, which is where Duane, ABB founding bassist Berry Oakley and later Gregg were all laid to rest.
With such deep roots in Georgia, it’s no surprise that Gregg was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, located in Macon, in a ceremony that took place on September 15, 2006, in Atlanta. Allman entered the Georgia Music Hall of Fame alongside R.E.M., who hail from up the road in another Peach State music hotspot, Athens. Michael Stipe and company aptly kicked off their three-song performance with “Begin The Begin” before delivering classics “Losing My Religion” and “Man On The Moon.”
Allman then emerged and delivered a solo acoustic guitar rendition of the ABB classic, “Melissa,” which he noted he wrote in 1967. Gregg then headed over to the piano and said, “I’m used to having a whole band up here you know…well maybe we’ll get together with these guys later,” Allman said referring to R.E.M. Gregg then offered a gorgeous, soulful rendering of “Oncoming Traffic,” which he wrote in 1974 and often performed live solo on piano.
Gregg also received the Performer Of The Year Award from then Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. As per tradition, Allman then performed the state song “Georgia On My Mind.” Finally, Gregg did indeed team up with R.E.M. to fittingly close the ceremony with “Midnight Rider.”
To remember Gregg Allman, watch him perform at the 2006 Georgia Music Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, including his collaboration with R.E.M., below:
