BY MELISSA RUGGIERI/AJC Music Scene
(This story was originally posted at 6:19 p.m. May 27, 2017)
Shortly after the news arrived Saturday afternoon that Gregg Allman had passed away from complications due to liver cancer, fans, musicians and his ex-wife, Cher, chimed in on social media to express their grief.
Cher returned to Twitter later in the day with more sweet messages, as did many rockers who have respected and been influenced by Allman and The Allman Brothers Band.
Warren Haynes, who spent decades performing in ABB with Allman, posted a lengthy, heartfelt eulogy on his Facebook page, which said in part, "Every guitar player in every Southern town was listening to the Live at Fillmore East record and worshipping at the altar of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts. But the icing on the cake was always Gregg's voice. That's what separated the ABB from being a band that only connected with music freaks. Women whom previously had only listened to the radio would tolerate the long jams to get to the parts where Gregg melted their souls with that angelic voice."
Chuck Leavell, another veteran of The Allman Brothers Band, also posted a remembrance of the man he calls his "hero." Among Leavell's recollections was Allman's generosity during the 2014 "Celebrating Georgia with Chuck Leavell and Friends" concert at Atlanta Symphony Hall.
"That was one of the most special and memorable shows I’ve ever done, and Gregg’s participation certainly made it a major event. That just shows the kind of friend Gregg was. He certainly didn’t have to do that, and he didn’t take a dime for his participation," Leavell wrote.
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