the band as did Oteil Burbridge, who was a Colonel Bruce alumnus. Oteil is a fabulous bass player and a really nice dude.
Scott gets a private lesson from Dickey.
came back for the encore, he called Jaimoe to the stage. Jaimoe went up and seemed to take forever adjusting the drum kit to his liking. Dickey was obviously getting impatient while everyone waited. Jaimoe was finally ready and Dickey counted off “Ramblin’ Man.” And from the first crash of the cymbal, that song’s groove was right in the pocket. Dickey was grinning, the crowd was going crazy and Jaimoe seemed to feel redemption, like he’d just shown Dickey what he had brought to the Allman Brothers Band and what went missing after he was fired. And make no mistake: Butch may have given the rhythm section power, but Jaimoe gave it groove.
Warren Haynes and Allen Woody, two fundamental artists for the Allman re- birth, did you meet them before the great success? and what were your im- pressions about them? I think they both helped re-vitalize the band when it reunited in 1989, Warren in particu- lar. I remember at the beginning of the 1989 comeback tour, Warren coming up to Jaimoe the day after one of the first shows of the tour and humbly asking, “Did I do okay last night?” Warren gave them what they’d needed ever since the death of Duane Allman -- a guitarist who was good enough to push Dickey for the spotlight. Allen brought a lot to
I have in my mind a very cinematic image of you, very similar to that of the young journalist in the film Almost Fa- mous, always intent on chasing the singer and guitarist of the band Stillwa- ter to interview them. Knowing the personalities of the band leaders, how much energy did it require to put to- gether all the information, and was there ever a moment when you thought you wouldn't be able to complete it? Almost Famous is one of my favorite films be- cause it echoes so many of my own experi- ences. The fictional band Stillwater was partially based on the Allman Brothers Band, and I felt a deep kinship with the young jour- nalist in that movie. And, yes, I did once spend a week chasing Gregg across Florida trying to get him to sit down for an interview. I did have a lot of doubt when I first
started the book. I’d never written a book be- fore. I was stung by the band’s angry reaction to even the idea of a book. But I received so much encouragement from others in their cir- cle who wanted the story told, and their parts in it. A lot of those folks were friends of mine, and still are, and I will always have gratitude for their support. Particularly Chank Middle- ton, who was Gregg’s best friend, Kim Payne from their road crew, Candice Oakley, Johnny Sandlin, Paul Hornsby and many others. After a while, I really got immersed in
the thrill of discovery. I heard stories from people in the inner circle that they’d never shared before. I heard tapes Duane and Gregg recorded with one of their first bands, includ- ing a live concert when they opened for The Beach Boys. I found a trove of court docu- ments no one had ever looked at before. Once I sat down to write, I had no doubt that I would finish the book. It’s an enthralling story that I loved putting down on paper. I’d
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