Thursday, August 6, 2015

Mama A

Gregg Allman's mother died on July 26 at the age of 98.

Geraldine Alice Allman raised the Allman brothers on her own after her husband was murdered in 1949. At the time Gregg was 2years old and Duane was 3.

She was known as "Mama A" and was very supportive of her sons' career plans.

Great story - When Gregg wanted to buy his own guitar, his first guitar, the people at Sears wouldn't sell it to him because he was 95 cents short.

When he got home his mother was pissed because she felt he worked hard to get it and he deserved it.

As Gregg tells the story:"She said, Boy get in the car. I swear we 85-ed it down to Sears and Roebuck. She was steaming by the time she got there."

She slammed quarters down on the counter when she got there. Gregg got the guitar.

When you are deeply into and affected by a band you feel like they are family and you are interested and caring about what happens to their own families.

I think it varies by the band, but in The Allman Brothers case they were all about family and friendships and they drew you into their circle. There was a bond with this band between each other, with their families and especially with their fans that made the whole musical experience much more personal.

When The Allman Brothers were starting out and were completely broke they ate at a restaurant called H&H Restaurant in Macon, Georgia.

That was because the owner, Mama Louise, took a liking to the boys and served them for free when they had no money. They always came back after the fact and paid up when they had the cash.

I used to own an H&H Restaurant T-shirt because I thought that was such a cool story. The place is still around although it is now under new ownership as of 2014. I wouldn't mind popping in there one day.

Mama Louise still stops in.

This is the kind of legacy that surrounds The Allman Brothers and it suggests a sensitivity and an old school Southern loyalty, charm and manners that superficial fans would know nothing about.

Just listen to Gregg's voice in song once and you will know that he is hurting over the death of Mama A.

His soul and his emotions have always been out there for all to feel, and that soul and those emotions run deep.

Geraldine Alice Allman was mother to Gregg and Duane Allman and because of that she was family to every true Allman Brothers fan.

Rest in peace and thank you for having the open mind and open heart to support your sons in pursuit of their dream.





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