memorial
Our Final Conversation with the Allman Brothers Drummer BUTCH TRUCKS
by Michael Buffalo Smith In late December 2016, I had decided
to conduct a new interview with Butch Trucks. After all, he was out and playing with his band Freight Train, and the group had ap- peared in several venues close to where I live, and I was planning to go and see them on their upcoming tour. Also, I felt that my for- mer interview with Butch in 2009 had pretty much been a glorified commercial for his Mo- ogis video platform, one that allowed me to watch multi camera live shots of every night’s performance at the 40th anniversary Beacon run. I am forever grateful to Butch for gifting me with an all access pass to Moogis. I watched every moment of every show and re- viewed them for my magazine. I hoped to dig a little deeper into what made Butch tick this go ‘round. The interview went very well, and
Trucks was in a great mood, full of life and laughter and appeared to be quite happy.We both seemed to have fun with it. I had no way of knowing that he would be dead in a little over a month from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. An event that remains a mystery to most of us. It was heartbreaking, which is why it has taken a year for me to finally post our conversation. We spoke by phone from his Florida home.
Buffalo: It’s kind of hard to believe that the last time I spoke with you was al- most seven years ago.
9
Butch: Yeah! The 40th Anniversary Beacon run. 2009. I remember talking to you about Moogis. It was a good idea, but we never got the support for it we needed.
How were your Holidays? Oh, great. We got a little rest in and had some very special personal time.
Butch, forgive me if I repeat any ques- tions we went over in 2009. Oh, like I would remember? Fire away.
How did you first join the band? Duane, Gregg and I had played in a band to- gether in ‘67-‘68. When that ended, Duane went to Muscle Shoals and did all of that ses- sion work that included Wilson Pickett’s “Hey Jude,” Aretha, all of that great soul music.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62
