Remembering Duane Allman (Nov 20, 1946 - Oct 29, 1971)

The legacy of the Allman Brothers Band, while comprised of and continued by a host of unbelievably talented and motivated musicians, is owed primarily to one man: Duane "Skydog" Allman. While his time with the ABB was short, it was he who set the band up for success. He hand picked every single member of the original six-piece band based on his vision of a band that not only played together, but became a family and even a community. It was not just the band either. The ABB crew members became a part of the family as well. They all traveled together, ate together, partied together and even lived together.

Just two years into what would become a 45 year career for the band, Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident. It was October 29, 1971, and Duane was less than a month away from his 25th birthday. It was a day that will live on in infamy in rock history, especially for ABB fans. Duane was the heart and soul of the band. When nobody else knew what to do or how to handle a situation, Duane did. He was like the big brother of the band, looking out for all of his younger brothers. And of course, he was perhaps the best slide guitar player who has ever lived to this day.

After Duane's death, the ABB went through many more hard times, but the band endured for 45 years with Duane's spirit guiding them and keeping them alive. He was in the music, he was in the fans, and he was continually in the atmosphere surrounding the entire ABB community. I use the term "was" because the Allman Brothers Band played its final show two nights ago. Three of Duane's prized guitars were used in the ABB's final Beacon Theatre run, and on the final night, they were displayed on stage for all to see. While the official date of the band's final show was October 28, 2014, the show ran into the morning of October 29, 2014, the 43rd anniversary of Duane's death. A fitting end to an illustrious career, filled with the ups and downs that can only be compared to those of a family, shared by band members, crew and fans alike. 

Rest in peace Skydog! And thank you to the Allman Brothers Band for the incredible years of music, which will live on in rock & roll history forever!

Duane "Skydog" Allman and brother Gregg Allman

Remembering Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia, lead guitarist and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, passed away from a heart attack on this day in 1995. Known for his impeccable songwriting skills, alongside collaborating lyricist Robert Hunter, Mr. Garcia and the rest of the Dead were at the forefront of a massive revolution of sound. The Grateful Dead was the first real "jamband," and any band that fits under the genre today cites them as an influence.

While Garcia consistently denied it, insisting that the band was one unit with no leader, he truly was the spokesman of the group, both on the stage and off. He certainly could not have had the same impact on the world without the rest of the Grateful Dead behind him, but he was definitely the fan favorite, and there would not have been a Grateful Dead without Jerry Garcia.

After the mind expanding, LSD driven days of peace and love in the 1960s, many musicians struggled with drug addiction, specifically with cocaine and heroine. Garcia was no exception, and in his last few years of life, he was checked in and out of rehab multiple times to help kick his habit. However, I, like so many others, prefer to remember him for his incredible musical abilities. He was a multi-instrumentalist with the uncanny ability to play any instrument with strings. His ability to write lyrics improved significantly after working so closely with Hunter, and all of his side projects were extremely successful.

Aside from an unrivaled discography with the Grateful Dead, Garcia's personal discography includes 4 solo studio albums, 1 studio and 18 live albums as the Jerry Garcia Band, 2 live albums as the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, 2 studio and 1 live album as New Riders of the Purple Sage, 4 live albums as Old and in the Way, 2 live albums as Legion of Mary, 2 studio and 9 live albums with Merl Saunders, 7 studio albums with David Grisman and 1 live album with John Kahn. More archival releases of Garcia's live performances and rare studio works are being released every year. Garcia was also featured on several well known albums, such as Surrealistic Pillow and Volunteers by Jefferson Airplane, Deja Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Ace by fellow Grateful Dead member Bob Weir, Transverse City by Warren Zevon, A Night on the Town by Bruce Hornsby and many others. Rest in peace Jerry!