more. You can’t put this thing down, and best of all, it makes you want to listen to music. Not just the Brothers, but all music. Red Dog really caught some- thing with his writing. This book, and a copy of “Live at Fillmore East” belong in the time capsule reading — Kick back and see what you missed. Two centuries from now I doubt anybody will have said it better. As you can tell, I’m still a fan. Love you Dog. Best, Cameron Crowe Vinyl Films, Los Angeles, CA I spoke with Red Dog via the land line


from his home. He was deeply involved in rig- ging a ‘squirrel trap’ at the time. He had sus- pended a peanut from a string that hung from the branch of a tree. When the squirrel would move toward the peanut, Campbell’s German shepherd would dive for the squirrel. “Evening up the odds,” he called it. All in a day’s work for the mighty Red Dog. I was extremely grateful to be granted an interview with the Crimson one, and for his personal insight into the legendary Allman Brothers Band.


The book is really good. I had a ball read- ing it. What I like is that you wrote it in much the same way that you talk. It’s not over anybody’s head. What inspired you to write this book? I have always wanted to. Duane probably put it in my head when he said I’d be the one to write the book if there ever was one. we were stand- ing in the yellow house one day and Duane walked by me and said “You’ll be the one to write the book, right?” But my gosh, that was thirty years ago. I used to have a real good memory. Duane used to come over and say ‘Red Dog, can you tell me the gigs we’ve played in order?’ and I’d tell him. Finally one day he asked me and i said “No, I can’t do that no more, because there were just too many then. But I think that’s why he said I’d be the one to write the book.


Do you have one particular band mem-


ber you work for, or do you just do it all? Well, in the early days you did it all. Matter of fact, when I started, nobody actually took care of drums. In those days they didn’t real- ly have a drum roadie- or technician- whatever they want to call ‘em these days. Everybody has got to have a title. That’s why in the book it says “roadie” by my name. I was a roadie thirty years ago and I’m a roadie today. It hasn’t changed none. In the old days, we used to have to do it all, drive and everything. I’d set up the drums, and if Kim still needed some help with the amp line, I’d just jump over and start setting up the amp line with him. Or I’d help Callahan with the P.A., you know. And vice-versa. if one of them finished before I did, they’d jump right in and help me. In those days, you didn’t have to say ‘Hey, can you help me?’ There was some- body right there. But nowadays everything is what I guess they call specialization. Everybody has there job. I just take care of the two drum- mers and the percussionist. (Laughs) Well, it’s three-fourths of the truck. we only have a cou- ple of guitar amps and three or four cabinets, and about four bass cabinets. That ain’t too much stuff. We have two guys to do all the gui- tars and one guy to do all the drums. But I still jump in, like if Gregg needs something, I jump in and help. But everybody does their job pretty good. It works.


When you’re not on the road, what do you do for fun? I play golf. I used to play a lot of soft ball and baseball. I tore my knee up playing basketball about eight years ago. So soft ball and all that’s out of the picture now. I’ve had a couple of op- erations on that. and I have a slipped disc in my back, and I’ve had a couple of operations on that, so my activities are limited to golf now. I’m pretty athletic though. I like to play a lot of sports when I’m home. also, I’m in an organiza- tion called the I.A. It’s a stage hand union all over the country, Broadway and everything. I’ve been in that over twenty years. Before I got hurt, that’s what I’d do when i was at home-


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