httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_r7cLnxj6g
The question “Can white men sing the blues?” has been debated for decades, especially once earnest white kids began taking a crack at the music in the 1960s.
In the case of Gregg Allman, no one ever raised the question.
It wasn’t simply a matter of his husky, often pained voice and the genuine sense of despair, desperation and boastfulness conveyed by it.
Gregg Allman: 20 Essential Songs Southern rock pioneer fused country blues with San Francisco-style extended improvisation, creating a template for countless jam bands to come.
It was also a reflection of the tragedy that haunted Allman’s life, from the murder of his father when Gregg was two years old to the motorcycle accidents that took the lives of his brother Duane and Allman Brothers Band member Berry Oakley a year apart in the 1970s.
Add in the impact of fame, celebrity, chemical temptations and divorces, especially with dealing with a relatively shy person like Allman, and he more than earned his right to sing the blues.
“You’ve got to consider why anybody wants to become a musician anyway,” Allman told Rolling Stone in 1973.
“I played for peace of mind.” Here are some of those moments, w Allman hopefully did alleviate his inner burdens with song.