b. Nov 20 1946, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
d. Oct 29 1971, Macon, Georgia, USA.
One of rock music's most innovative and respected guitarist, Duane Allman first attracted attention as a member of the Allman Joys in the sixties. This promising group metamorphosed into the Hour Glass, recording two albums. Allman's playing impressed Rick Hall, the owner of the well known Fame Studio, who booked the young guitarist for a session with the soul singer Wilson Pickett for the 1969 album Hey Jude. It was a great commercial success and gained much critical acclaim as well. Allman then made several distinctive appearances with the likes of Aretha Franklin, King Curtis, Otis Rush, Boz Scaggs and Clarence Carter. Then, during a visit to Florida, he teamed up with a group of local musicians including his younger brother Gregg to form The Allman Brothers Band. The band achieved huge success.
Duane continued to make cameo appearances outside the Band, including the Derek And The Dominos classic, Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs. Here he flourished as never before alongside legendary fellow guitarist Eric Clapton and the result was one of rock's truly essential sets.
In the summer of 1971, The Allman Brothers Band started work on their fourth album, Eat A Peach. On October 29, Duane, tired from touring and performing, took a break. In Macon, while trying to avoid collision with a truck, he crashed his motorcycle and died following three hours of intensive surgery. This tragic accident robbed music of one of its exceptional talents, yet his brief legacy reveals an individual of rare talent and humility.