and ‘70s rock drummers.
Did you guys ever tour with or see any of the other big bands live? Cream, Zeppelin… After The Yardbirds broke up, we heard that Jimmy Page was coming up with his new band. We were in Boston playing at The Boston Tea Party and had a little time off. We went to see Zeppelin on our off weekend, and Duane was really thrilled. Page was rocking out, and then he pulled out a fiddle- bow and started beating on his guitar, and Duane lost it. He just lost it. He said, “I’m going to either leave, or go up there and kick the shit out of him.” So we all left. (Laughs). Duane just thought it was cheesy, and it blew his entire image of Jimmy Page. That was the only time I can re- member.
A lot of us were really disappointed when the band retired in 2014. Did you see that coming? We had been planning it for about three years. But I would have kept going longer, but Gregg, Warren and Derek were all itching to work more with their own bands. I think they all agreed that 45 years was a good enough run for the Brothers. They were probably right. We had not recorded any new material in quite a long time, and we were basically just playing all of the old songs, and many of them were beginning to sound the same at every show. Back in ’89 when Warren first joined, we were really shaking it up, rework- ing sections of the songs, and doing more of the free style jamming like Duane used to do.
What were your thoughts right after the final show of the Allman Brothers Band in October 2014?
I knew I’d have to get with another band. Music is my life. But first, I would spend most of 2015 with my wife at our home in France. We took time off following the last Allman Brothers show, and just enjoyed France for a while, working in the garden, socializing and such. Got a lot of reading done as well. I had fallen seriously behind on my reading. But you know Buffalo; it was so nice over there. Peaceful. I considered just retiring and grow-
The final lineup of The Brothers.
ing old in the French countryside with my wife. But then, as always, I could hear my drums calling to me from across the sea. I mean, I have drums in the house in France, but nobody to play with, and playing by your- self is akin to masturbation, and I really choose to have the real thing, you know?
Boy, do I ever. What are your thoughts on being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Well, truth be told, it was an honor, but also kind of bittersweet being honored like that and Duane not being there to share it. I mean, hell, Duane started this thing. And being hon- est, I am not sure what I think of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The more I look at it, it seems to be much more political than it should be. Maybe if they called it the Rolling Stonemagazine Hall of Fame, that might be more appropriate. I mean, it’s a clique. Jann
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