One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band (65 page)

Gregg Allman on stage during a soundcheck at the 40th anniversary run, Beacon Theatre, March 2009.

(PHOTO BY KIRK WEST)

About the Author

Alan Paul is a senior writer for
Guitar World
magazine and has interviewed the members of the Allman Brothers Band hundreds of times. No one has written more frequently about the band.

He is the author of
Big in China: My Unlikely Adventures Raising a Family, Playing the Blues, and Becoming a Star in Beijing
(Harper), which is currently being developed as a film by Ivan Reitman’s Montecito Pictures. He and his family live in Maplewood, New Jersey. Visit him on the Web at
www.alanpaul.net
.

ONE WAY OUT.
Copyright © 2014 by Alan Paul. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.stmartins.com

Prologue

Photo of Duane and Gregg Allman, Seabreeze High
. Courtesy of the Allman Family Archives/Big House Museum.

Photo of Wilson Pickett and Duane Allman
. Courtesy of Stephen Paley.

Chapter 2

Photo of the ABB on stage, with Dickey and Duane on guitar
. Courtesy of Twiggs Lyndon.

Chapter 3

Photo of the band at the H and H restaurant, 1969
. Courtesy of Twiggs Lyndon.

Photo of the band at Macon, Georgia, spring 1969
. Courtesy of Twiggs Lyndon.

Photo of Butch Trucks
. Courtesy of Toneman/Don Butler Archives.

Chapter 4

Photo of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts, on guitar
. Courtesy of Toneman/Don Butler Archives.

Chapter 5

Photo of Gregg Allman with his guitar
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Chapter 7

Photo of Idlewild South
. Courtesy of Kirk West Collection.

Photo of Dickey Betts behind the lines, at Tulane University, 1970
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Photo of Jaimoe and Duane Allman at the Thunderbird Bird Motel, Miami, 1970
. Courtesy of Twiggs Lyndon.

Photo of ABB life on the road, early 1970
. Courtesy of Twiggs Lyndon.

Photo of Phil Walden (left) and Jonny Podell at a Capricorn picnic
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Photo of Thom Doucette (left) and the ABB, Skidmore College, May 15, 1971
. Courtesy © Bill Truran Productions LLC.

Photo of tour manager Willie Perkins
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Chapter 8

Photo of Bill Graham introducing the ABB
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Photo of Big Brother Berry Oakley
. Courtesy of Toneman/Don Butler Archives.

Photo of Berry Oakley after the Alabama bust
. Courtesy of the Big House Museum and Archives.

Photo of (top) Butch Trucks after the Alabama bust
. Courtesy of the Big House Museum and Archives.

Photo of (bottom) Dickey Betts after the Alabama bust
. Courtesy of the Big House Museum and Archives.

Photo of Duane Allman after the Alabama bust
. Courtesy of the Big House Museum and Archives.

Photo of Gregg Allman after the Alabama bust
. Courtesy of the Big House Museum and Archives.

Chapter 10

Photo of Dickey Betts at his wedding
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Chapter 11

Photo of Duane Allman
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Chapter 13

Photo of the five-man band promo shot
. Courtesy of Twiggs Lyndon.

Photo of “The Farm” (from left) Kim Payne, Dickey Betts, Buffalo Evans, Tuffy Phillips
. Betts’ father is standing behind him. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Photo of Gregg Allman Playing an acoustic guitar
. Courtesy © Neal Preston 2013.

Chapter 14

Photo of Dickey Betts and Berry Oakely at The Warehouse, New Orleans, 1971
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Photo of Dickey Betts, driving near the Juliette farm
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Photo of Berry Oakley
. Courtesy of Twiggs Lyndon.

Photo of Duane Allman’s and Berry Oakley’s graves
. Courtesy of Kirk West Collection.

Photo of The Big House, Macon, Georgia
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Chapter 15

Photo of Lamar Williams, 1973
. Courtesy of © John Gellman,
www.jgphoto.com
.

Photo of Lamar Williams (left) and Chuck Leavell at the Farm
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Photo of Dickey Betts and his daughter, Jessica
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Photo of Dickey Betts at home, late 1973
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Chapter 16

Photo of Jaimoe and Dickey Betts, JFK Stadium, June 1973
. Courtesy © John Gellman,
www.jgphoto.com
.

Chapter 17

Photo of Jerry Garcia and Dickey Betts, Cow Palace, San Francisco, 1973
. Courtesy of Sidney Smith,
www.SidneySmithPhotos.com
.

Chapter 18

Photo of Dickey Betts onstage with various musicians
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Chapter 19

Photo of Twiggs Lyndon. Courtesy of Twiggs Lyndon (taken with a self-timing camera)
.

Chapter 20

Photo of “Dangerous” Dan Toler, 1986
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Butch Trucks, 1979
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Dickey Betts and David “Rook” Goldflies
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Mike Lawler, 1981
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Frankie Toler
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of the Allman Brothers’ mothers: Mrs. Allman (left) and Mrs. Johnson
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Chapter 21

Photo of Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts, joint solo tour, 1986
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of the ABB in 1990 (from left) Dickey Betts, Warren Haynes, Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks, Allen Woody, Jaimoe, Johnny Neel
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Johnny Neel, 1990
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Chapter 22

Photo of Dickey Betts with his Navajo spiritual mentor, Stuart Etsitty
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Derek Trucks, 1991
. Courtesy of the Trucks family.

Photo of the ABB, Memphis, 1991, during the
Shades of Two Worlds
sessions
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of the marquee outside the Beacon Theater, New York City
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Chapter 23

Photo of the
Shades of Two Worlds
sessions, Ardent Studio, Memphis. Tom Dowd is on the right
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Warren Haynes and Dickey Betts
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Blues giant Albert King and Dickey Betts, Memphis, 1991
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotogrpahy.com
.

Photo of Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts in the
Late Show with David Letterman
dressing room
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Chapter 24

Photo of Jack Pearson, 1998
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkphotogrpahy.com
.

Photo of the ABB, 1997–99, with Jack Pearson and Oteil Burbridge
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Allen Woody, Matt Abts, and Warren Haynes, Macon, Georgia, 1994
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Chapter 25

Photo of manager Bert Holman (center) with Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Chapter 26

Photo of Jimmy Herring
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of “The Allman Rescue Unit,” 2000: Butch Trucks, Jimmy Herring, Oteil Burbridge
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Chapter 27

Photo of Allen Woody
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Warren Haynes
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Derek Trucks, playing with Warren Haynes
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Jaimoe playing the drums
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of the ABB frontline since 2001: Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Oteil Burbridge
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotogrpahycom
.

Photo of Gregg Allman and his keyboard
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Chapter 28

Photo of the ABB in Gregg Allman’s Georgia backyard, 2003
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Warren Haynes and Gregg Allman, rehearsal at the Beacon Theater, New York City, 2009
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Derek and Butch Trucks
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Chapter 29

Photo of Gregg Allman and B. B. King, Apollo Theater, Harlem
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Eric Clapton with the ABB, Beacon Theater, New York City, 2009
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of the ABB, 2009
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotography.com
.

Photo of Warren Haynes
. Courtesy of Kirk West,
www.kirkwestphotogrpahy.com
.

Photo of Duane Allman
. Courtesy of Stephen Paley.

Endpapers: Art by W. David Powell

Cover design by Rob Grom

Cover hand-lettering by Dave Stevenson

Cover photograph © Michael Ochs Archives/Stringer/Getty Images

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Paul, Alan, 1966–

    One way out: the inside history of the Allman Brothers Band / Alan Paul.— 1st ed.

            p. cm.

    ISBN 978-1-250-04049-7 (hardcover)

    ISBN 978-1-4668-3586-3 (e-book)

  1.  Allman Brothers Band.   2.  Rock musicians—United States—Biography.   I.  Title.

    ML3930.A43P38 2014

    782.42166092'2—dc23

    [B}

2013030280

e-ISBN 9781466835863

First Edition: February 2014