TIGERX.COM Memorials: Fond Farewell to Duane Allman

Fond Farewell

Duane Allman

November 20, 1946 - - - October 29, 1971

Duane Allman one of the driving forces of The Allman Brothers Band was arguably the best Slide guitarist of his era. Born in Nashville on November 20, 1946. Duane learned to play guitar by the age of 13 and played gigs at the local YMCA with his brother Gregg.
In 1965 the brothers formed The Allman Joys in Florida and played mostly blues standards and honed their craft. The next year they moved to Los Angeles and formed Hourglass and received a record contract from Liberty Records. Not happy with the scene Duane returned to Florida were he eventually became a session guitarist for the Muscle Shoals' Fame Studio. Over the next year Duane would record with Wilson Picket, Aretha Franklin, King Curtis Percy Sledge Clarance Carter and Arther Conley. In 1969 Duane was signed by Atlantic Records and assembled a band which included his brother Gregg. Their first LP was not received so well so Duane kept up his session work recording with artists such as Boz Scaggs Laura Nyro and Ronnie Hawkins.
In 1970 Duane appeared with Eric Clapton on Derek and the Dominos' Layla Lp. On the strength of their growing reputation as a live band the Allmans' second Lp was well received. In March of 1971 a show at New Yorks Fillmore East was recorded and realeased as a live double LP in July. By the time the LP reached the Top Ten the Allman Brothers Band was haild as " America's best Rock & Roll Band ". But on October 29, 1971 Duanes life was cut short by a motercycle accident in Macon, Georgia when he collided with a peach truck.
In 1972 the band released there next album Eat a Peach which contained three songs that the band had recorded before his death and was filled out by the remaining material from the Fillmore show. The LP entered the charts in the Top Ten and rose to #4. Duane's session work was collectivly released on Anthology Volumes 1 & 2.

TIGERX HOME || People Index || Celebrity Obituaries || Best of the Web || Advertise || EMail