Earlier this year, the Allman Brothers Band's namesake and founding member Gregg Allman released his autobiography, My Cross to Bear. The book joins a rash of rock 'n' roll bios by aging stars like the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards or punk goddess Patti Smith, to name but two, that document the artist's career...or at least get their individual version of the story on the record. Even blues artists are getting in on the action, as displayed by the release in May of Buddy Guy's best-selling tome When I Left Home.
Where Allman's book differs from the others, however, or at least those read by the Reverend, is in the easy way he lays out his stories, in his own folksy voice, and in the humor and self-effacing manner with which he shares his memories. Allman covers lots of ground over 400 pages, from his childhood with brother Duane through the struggles of their early bands to the formation of the Allman Brothers Band, their ascent to fame, and the drug addiction that nearly derailed everything the two brothers had worked towards. It's an engaging read for any fan of Gregg Allman, the Allman Brothers, or just the casual blues-rock fan who wants a little insight into the backrooms of fame. Read our review of Gregg Allman's My Cross to Bear...
Photo courtesy William Morrow
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