Duane Allman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Duane Allman
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Allman performing at the Fillmore East in 1971
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Howard Duane Allman |
| Also known as | Skydog |
| Born | November 20, 1946 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | October 29, 1971 (aged 24) Macon, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1961–1971 |
| Labels | |
Howard Duane Allman (born November 20, 1946 – died October 29, 1971) was an American rock guitarist. He was also a session musician, meaning he played guitar for other artists' recordings. Duane Allman founded and led the famous Allman Brothers Band. Because of his amazing music, he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Duane was born in Nashville, Tennessee. He started playing the guitar when he was 14 years old. In 1969, he formed the Allman Brothers Band with his brother, Gregg, in Jacksonville, Florida. The band became very successful in the early 1970s. Duane is remembered for his short but very important time with the band. People especially loved his unique slide guitar playing and his creative way of making up music on the spot.
Before and during his time with the band, Duane Allman was a popular session musician. He played with famous stars like Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. He also played a big part in the 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominos. Sadly, Duane died in a motorcycle accident in 1971 when he was only 24 years old.
In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him as the second greatest guitarist of all time, right after Jimi Hendrix. Later, in 2011, he was ranked number nine. His special guitar sound, made with a Gibson Les Paul guitar and Marshall amplifiers, was called one of the best ever by Guitar Player magazine. Fans still lovingly call Duane Allman by his nickname, "Skydog."
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Duane Allman's Early Life
Duane Allman was born on November 20, 1946, in Nashville, Tennessee. He was the older son of Willis Allman and Geraldine Allman. His younger brother, Gregg, was born in December 1947. Their father, Willis, passed away in 1949.
After their father's death, Duane and Gregg went to a military school called Castle Heights Military Academy. They did not like it there very much. In 1957, their family moved to Daytona Beach, Florida. The boys then went to Seabreeze High School.
During summers, the brothers visited their grandmother in Nashville. There, Gregg learned how to play basic guitar from a neighbor. In 1960, Gregg bought his first guitar. Duane bought a motorbike around the same time. Even though Duane was left-handed, he played the guitar right-handed. Duane soon became very interested in the guitar. He eventually traded his motorbike for his own guitar. His mother later bought him a Gibson Les Paul Junior guitar.
In Nashville, the brothers were greatly inspired by a rhythm-and-blues concert. They saw the famous blues guitarist B.B. King perform. Duane told Gregg, "We got to get into this." Duane learned to play guitar very quickly. Soon, he became the better guitarist of the two.
Duane Allman's Music Career
Starting Out: The Allman Joys and Hour Glass (1961–1968)
Duane and Gregg started playing music for the public in 1961. They joined and formed several local bands. Around this time, Duane left school to focus on playing his guitar. His early band, "The Escorts," even opened for the Beach Boys in 1965.
After "The Escorts" broke up, some members formed the Allman Joys. Once Gregg finished high school in 1965, The Allman Joys began traveling and performing. They played all over the Southeast United States. The Allman Joys later changed their name to Hour Glass. In 1967, they moved to Los Angeles. Hour Glass recorded two albums there. However, they were not happy because the record company wanted them to be a pop band. The band wanted to play more blues music. Hour Glass broke up in early 1968. Duane and Gregg went back to Florida.
Duane started learning to play slide guitar on his birthday in 1968. He was recovering from an elbow injury from falling off a horse. Gregg brought him a birthday gift: the first album by Taj Mahal and a bottle of Coricidin pills. Duane poured out the pills and used the empty bottle as a slide. He played along with the song "Statesboro Blues" from the album. Gregg said Duane had never played slide before but "he just picked it up and started burnin'." Duane was a natural. This song became a key part of the Allman Brothers Band's music. Duane's slide guitar became very important to their sound.
Playing for Other Artists: Session Musician (1966–1969)
Duane Allman's first big recording session was in 1966 in Nashville. Later, in 1968, his playing caught the attention of Rick Hall, who owned FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Hall bought Duane's contract, and Duane began playing on albums for other artists.
Duane's work on Wilson Pickett's album, Hey Jude (1968), made him a full-time session musician at Muscle Shoals. It also made other musicians notice him. Eric Clapton heard "Hey Jude" and was amazed by the guitar solo. He immediately wanted to know who was playing it.
Duane's playing on "Hey Jude" also impressed Atlantic Records executive Jerry Wexler. Wexler bought Duane's recording contract. He wanted Duane to play on sessions with Atlantic's rhythm and blues artists. While at Muscle Shoals, Duane played on recordings for many artists. These included Aretha Franklin, King Curtis, and Herbie Mann.
Forming The Allman Brothers Band (1968)
Duane explained how the Allman Brothers Band came together. He was in Muscle Shoals and went to Jacksonville to jam with other musicians. His friend Jaimoe came with him. Gregg was in California at the time. They all got together and played music for a few months. They needed a singer, and Gregg was the perfect person. Two weeks after Gregg returned from California, they went to New York to record. They played live shows before their first album came out in November 1969.
Success with Layla and At Fillmore East (1969–1971)
The Allman Brothers Band became one of the most important rock groups of the 1970s. After many months of practicing and playing shows, they were ready to record. Their first album, The Allman Brothers Band, was recorded in New York in September 1969.
Their second album, Idlewild South, was released in August 1970. This album helped them get onto the Billboard music charts for the first time.
After a concert in Miami, Eric Clapton and his band, Derek and the Dominos, saw them play. The two bands then went to a studio where the Dominos were recording Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Members from both bands played together. Duane Allman and Eric Clapton stayed up all night sharing guitar tricks. They realized they had a strong musical connection. Duane played on most of the songs on the Layla album. He contributed some of his most famous guitar work. Even though Eric Clapton offered him a permanent spot, Duane never left the Allman Brothers Band.
The Allman Brothers Band recorded their famous album At Fillmore East in March 1971. During this time, Duane also continued to play on other artists' albums whenever he could. He was known for his long and interesting guitar solos. He said that Miles Davis and John Coltrane were two of his musical inspirations. He listened to Miles Davis's album Kind of Blue for two years.
Duane's special electric slide guitar sound grew into what is now called Southern rock. Other slide guitarists, like his bandmate Dickey Betts and Derek Trucks, were influenced by him. Duane also taught a young Don Felder how to play slide guitar.
Duane Allman's Family
Duane Allman had a daughter named Galadrielle Allman, born in 1969. In 2014, Galadrielle Allman wrote a book about her father and family called Please Be With Me: A Song for My Father.
Duane Allman's Death
Duane Allman died in a motorcycle crash. This happened shortly after the album At Fillmore East was released and became successful.
Remembering Duane Allman
Duane Allman's funeral was held on November 1, 1971, in Macon, Georgia. Many musicians and friends gathered to remember him. Record producer Jerry Wexler spoke at the service. He praised Duane's musical achievements and his dedication to Southern gospel, country, and blues music. The band and other musicians played several songs, ending with "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."
Duane Allman's Legacy
After Duane's funeral, the five remaining members of the Allman Brothers Band decided to continue playing. They finished recording the music that Duane had started. Their next album was called Eat a Peach. This name came from Duane's answer when someone asked him how he was helping the revolution. Duane replied, "I'm hitting a lick for peace, and every time I'm in Georgia I eat a peach for peace."
Less than 13 months later, the Allman Brothers Band's bassist, Berry Oakley, also died at age 24. He was in a similar motorcycle crash, just a few blocks from where Duane's accident happened. Berry Oakley was buried next to Duane Allman in Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia.
You can hear Duane's amazing guitar playing on two albums released after his death: An Anthology (1972) and An Anthology Volume II (1974). There are also many live recordings of the Allman Brothers Band from when Duane was with them.
After Duane's death, Ronnie Van Zant of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd dedicated their song "Free Bird" to Duane's memory. Sometimes, during concerts, Van Zant would say, "Play it for Duane Allman." (The song was actually written before Duane died and was not originally about him.)
In 1973, some college students carved the words "REMEMBER DUANE ALLMAN" into a large dirt wall next to Interstate 20. A picture of this carving was published in Rolling Stone magazine. The carving stayed there for over 10 years.
In 1998, the state of Georgia named a part of Highway 19 in Macon "Duane Allman Boulevard." This road goes near The Allman Brothers Band Museum and a restaurant where the band often ate.
In 2013, a seven-CD box set called Skydog was released. It showed off Duane Allman's incredible guitar skills. His daughter, Galadrielle Allman, helped create this collection.
Duane Allman was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 as a member of the Allman Brothers Band.
Duane Allman's Equipment
Duane Allman used different guitars and amplifiers throughout his career to create his unique sound.
- Guitars:
- Fender Telecaster (modified)
- Fender Stratocaster
- Gibson Les Paul Standard (he had several, including a goldtop and a cherry sunburst)
- Gibson ES-345 semi-hollow body
- Gibson SG (used for slide guitar)
- Gibson L-00 acoustic guitar
- Amplifiers:
- Marshall amplifiers (often 50-watt heads with Marshall 4x12 cabinets)
- Fender Twin Reverb
- Fender Bassman
- Fender Champ combo amplifier
- Other Gear:
- Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face (for distortion)
- Maestro Echoplex (for echo effects)
- Coricidin medicine bottle (used as his famous slide)
Discography
- The Allman Brothers Band
- The Allman Brothers Band (1969)
- Idlewild South (1970)
- At Fillmore East (1971)
- Eat a Peach (1972) (Duane is on tracks 4–9)
- Derek & the Dominos
- Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970) (Duane is on tracks 4–14)
See also
In Spanish: Duane Allman para niños
