The Allman Brothers Band - Where Music Plus Friends Equals Family

The Allman Brothers Band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane and Gregg Allman. Duane is considered one of our time's top rock guitarists, and Gregg is known for his soulful voice. Dickey Betts is an accomplished guitarist and songwriter in his own right. Duane and Dickey threw out the traditional lead and rhythm guitar paradigm and went at it toe to toe, switching leads seamlessly. Berry Oakley played bass guitar. The Allman Brothers copied James Brown with the use of two drummers. Much like Duane and Dickey, Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson created a driving beat in which the band was famous. 

The band moved to Macon, Georgia, later that year. The group forged a strong brotherhood, spending countless hours rehearsing, partying, and hanging out in Rose Hill Cemetery, where they wrote songs. In need of more material, the group remade old blues standards such as "Trouble No More" and "One Way Out", in addition to improvised jams such as "Mountain Jam". Gregg became the band's primary songwriter, composing songs such as "Whipping Post" and "Black-Hearted Woman". Dickey Betts wrote "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" and other numbers for the band.

The Allman Brothers played continuously starting in 1970, performing over hundreds of dates on the road. They noticed that as the crowds got bigger, so did their pay. So in 1971, they decided to do a live album. It was recorded over March 11, 12, and 13 at the Fillmore East in New York. While their previous albums took months to hit the charts, the Fillmore album started to climb the charts in a matter of days, becoming the band's commercial and artistic breakthrough. "At Fillmore East" went "gold" that October and considered among the best live albums of all time. In 2004, the Library of Congress deemed the album culturally, historically, and aesthetically relevant and selected it for preservation in its archives.

Unfortunately, the band lost Duane and Berry to motorcycle accidents in 1971 and 1972, respectively. In 1973, Alabama pianist, Chuck Leavell, joined the band to produce the band's successful album "Brothers and Sisters." After years on the road and drug abuse, the band started to drift apart, and the Allman Brothers Band split up in 1976.

The poster above is a classic boxing-style concert poster printed by Globe Posters in Baltimore. Globe used bold titles and fluorescent Day-Glo Color backgrounds to make their signs stand out. The Allman Brothers' genius was they were excellent musicians who exposed audiences to the great tradition of classic American Blues from Blind Willie McTell, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Willie Cobbs, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and Willie Dixon. The band played rip-roaring live shows that blew their audiences away.

Rewards Offered

Vintage Rock Posters offers $2,000 in cash for original 1969 to 1972 Allman Brothers concert posters with venue information and show dates printed on the poster. If you happen to have one, please take a picture and email it to rareboard@aol.com. Or call 310-346-1965. Any condition accepted.

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