On a sun-kissed Saturday afternoon, The Allman Brothers Band, its families and members both current and past, gathered at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles to accept the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement award, alongside other recipients George Jones, Glen Campbell, the Memphis Horns, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gil Scott-Heron, and Diana Ross. The event was a preliminary to the 54th annual Grammy Awards the following evening. After a brief career-spanning video presentation, the band and family representatives took center stage, each receiving a Grammy, and spoke a few words to the 700 in attendance. Gregg Allman thanked the fans for their long and continued support, while Jaimoe detailed the early years. Butch Trucks told of the band’s origins, nicknames, and garnered a standing ovation recognizing Duane Allman’s contribution to his life, the band, and to the history of music. Galadrielle Allman and Berry Oakley, Jr. stood in for their late fathers, Duane and Berry, respectively, while Chuck Leavell acted as the link between the original band and its present and thanked the Academy on behalf of Dickey Betts, whom while expected to appear, did not attend. Active and relatively newer members Warren Haynes, Marc Quinones, Oteil Burbridge, and Derek Trucks rounded out the award winners. The following are the band’s red carpet interviews with jambands.com prior to the ceremony.
Gregg Allman
After a Lifetime Achievement award, where does the band go from here?
We’re slowing down, yeah, but we’ve been gradually doing that for some time. But, every now and then, we’ve got to have our boogie, man.
Any specific highlights from the band’s 43 years come to mind?
Lots of times. We were brothers before we were successful. Just being around each other is still a real kick.
Your latest solo album is nominated for a Grammy this year. Do you ever feel the pull of your solo career over the Allman Brothers Band?
I’ve played with many, many musicians all around the world, all kinds of music, but there ain’t nothing like playing with the Allman Brothers Band. Nothing against my band because I love them like they were my own, but nothing’s like the Brothers.
Butch Trucks
I hope winning the Lifetime Achievement award doesn’t mean that you are planning on retiring.
No! I ain’t stopping now. There have been awards along the way; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They actually gave us a Grammy once. I use it for my front doorstop. As a band in the early 1970s, we kind of changed the face of rock and roll. We took what the Beatles did, and what Cream did, and raised it a notch. Jammed from a blues base and brought in Miles Davis and John Coltrane, adding jazz to the whole thing. Not only that, but we opened the door for Southern musicians to stay in the South. And, on top of that, we were the number-one-selling band in the country for records, tickets, everything. All categories, we qualified for what the Grammys are supposed to be about. You know how many Grammys we got nominated for (in that era)? One. And it was for best cover art. Wasn’t even for music.
So then how important is this Lifetime Achievement award Grammy?
This is a separate thing. This is different. I am proud of this and I am glad to be here.
Not another doorstop?
No.
Jaimoe
Now that you have a Lifetime Achievement award, how much longer do you want to keep playing?
Until my arms and legs fall off. As long as I still have a brain. It’s all about what energy is being produced and getting it out. It doesn’t matter how.
What are the standout moments of the past 43 years with this band?
Watkins Glen. The Fillmore. Transcendental days at the Ludlow Garage. Out of body experiences.
Galadrielle Allman (the late Duane Allman’s daughter)
A great day for the band but tinged with a bit of sadness; that Duane should’ve been here for this.
I think I’ve turned the corner on the sadness. Today is just a purely happy, proud moment. It’s so wonderful to have everyone together. There couldn’t have been a better tribute to his life’s work, that his brotherhood is healthy and happy, moving forward, and playing inspired music. Every day without Duane is sad, but he is still with us. He’s walking with us. I don’t know how many people that before 25 did a body of work as powerful and lasting and relevant as he has. He had a lot of living left to do, but his songs are having the life he should have had.
What do you think Duane would’ve thought of getting dressed up in suits and ties and walking the red carpet?
I think he would’ve had a sense of humor about it and poke fun at them. He definitely had a little fiery streak, but I think he would clean up nice, put a big smile on, and would be so proud. To be here with George Jones and Glen Campbell and the Memphis Horns, he would have had a sense of being a part of the pantheon of great people who have received this award.
Berry Oakley Jr. (the late Berry Oakley’s son)
How do you feel your father would feel about this award?
He would be ecstatic. Considering he passed away when he was very young, to receive such an honor like this, a lifetime achievement, that’s a lot to say. Very happy, definitely.
You’re a musician, as well. Can you wrap your head around a lifetime of work in the music industry?
It makes sense, after this many years, decades of them doing it. Maybe when I’m in my late 60s I can come and pick up my own, too. (Laughs) You never know.
An event like this brings everyone together. How special is that?
It’s nice. Usually for me, I only get to see a handful of people once in a while at different shows. Tonight it’s not just the band members, but the families. It’s kind of like one of those old Southern family reunions. We’re all going to hang out and have a good time.
Warren Haynes
What does it mean to you to accept a Lifetime Achievement award as a member of the Allman Brothers Band?
It’s amazing. The Allman Brothers Band obviously deserves this award. The original band was one of my all-time favorite bands. To be a part of it is an extreme honor. I would vote for them to have this award based on what they accomplished before I even met them. The fact that they have remained together through all this time, the hardships, and still going on stage and sounding amazing every night is a lot.
What have you learned from it all?
It’s hard sometimes to put into words what you learn from your mentors. I learned a lot of how to sing from Gregg Allman before I ever met him. I learned a lot of how to play guitar from Dickey Betts and Duane Allman before I ever met Dickey; I never did meet Duane. After I met the guys, I learned so much that wouldn’t be possible to learn from listening to records. You learn from the inside and that’s a whole different thing. The Allman Brothers Band is at the top of my list of bands that I would want to be a part of. I’m a huge fan.
Marc Quinones
How does it feel to be here as a member of the Allman Brothers Band?
It’s pretty special because I wasn’t expecting to be in this band at all. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be a part of a rock and roll band of this level, this magnitude. To be here for a Lifetime Achievement award is unbelievable. I’m on my 21st year with the Allman Brothers, 21 of their 43 years, basically half, and it’s been a magical run.
You’ve been a part of the band’s resurgence. What are some moments that stand out?
Being there for the induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We won a Grammy for Best Instrumental in, I think, 1994. So, I’ve been a part of all the milestones they have reached in the second coming of the Allman Brothers. Just being a part of this crazy world that is music, that is rock and roll.
What experiences do you take away from the Allman Brothers when you perform with other musicians?
The other scenes I play in are Latin music, like Ruben Blades, and it’s not as organized as these upper level gigs like the Allman Brothers. It’s such a difference in the way they treat musicians. I appreciate what I have.
Oteil Burbridge
What does this day mean to you?
I’m just tickled they included us. I think it is a real testament to the same level of band spirit that Duane started out with; putting the roadies on the cover of At Fillmore East. They said, ‘If it’s a Lifetime Achievement award it has to be for the life of the band. Bert (Holman, the band’s manager) said, ‘You’ve been the bass player longer than any of the others, out of all of them.’ I was like, ‘Holy shit, I have.’ But, still, they didn’t have to do that. They could have rightfully, and I wouldn’t have had any bad feelings, given it to Gregg, Dickey, Jaimoe, and Butch. Derek and I were thinking that we might be the youngest recipients of the Lifetime Achievement in the history of the Grammys. I mean, my God, it’s insane. I’ve never been to the Grammys, and for the first one, I know I’m going home with one before I even get on the plane, for something that started when I was five, six years-old.
What have you learned from over 15 years with this band?
I was a jazz snob when I joined the band. I ended up learning quite a lot about other forms of black music like blues, R&B, and even gospel from some really long-haired white dudes with tattoos. I didn’t even own a four-string (bass guitar) when I joined, and now I play a lot of vintage stuff, even on my own music. It’s reconnected me with deep parts of my own black history. I’m really grateful.
Derek Trucks
You’ve got a lot of your own career left. Are you ready for a Lifetime Achievement award?
It’s an honor to be a part of the legacy. I don’t pretend that this is my Lifetime Achievement award. At 32, it feels crazy to even be here. To support the guys, there is no band that deserves it more. There have been a lot of incarnations, and this current lineup has been together for 12 years, so it was nice of the original members to make sure the young guys were here. I appreciate the nod but it’s their night. Duane, Berry, Dickey, and everybody that wrote the playbook.
But, in essence, being the nephew of founding and current member Butch Trucks, this has been the music of your entire lifetime.
My Dad was at the Fillmore when he was young. Those stories, seeing Duane, it was his religion. Growing up, even when I started playing, I never once thought I would join the band. A lot of it has come as a huge surprise and honor along the way. You never know what is going to happen. I’ve been fortunate that a lot of my earliest musical heroes, that I’ve listened to and studied, I’ve ended up on stage with them. When you put all the work and time in, sometimes crazy shit happens.
What do you take from the Allman Brothers Band and apply to your current Tedeschi Trucks Band?
The honesty of the music that they have always created. The family aspect. The traveling circus aspect. Much in the spirit of the early group, you take people from different backgrounds, musical and personal, and throw them together. The common thread is the love of what you’re doing and trying to make magic on stage. The brutal honesty of it, personally and musically, is definitely a lesson I’ve learned. You learn from your mistakes. To keep the drama out of it you have to face issues when they come up. You can’t bury them for 20, 30 years. You can’t have arguments like, ‘Remember in 1975…’ You have to get that out right now. There is good and bad and you learn from all of it. The Allman Brothers Band and others from that era really paved the way. It was an experiment; from what they were doing to their bodies, to musically, to the whole rock stardom thing. Some of it went amazingly well and some of it not so well. We put the band in a certain spot and the family in a certain spot and try to make it all harmonious and work together. We’re trying to find that sweet spot.
Chuck Leavell
As a member of the band during its most commercially successful period, what does this award mean to you?
It’s a tremendous, tremendous honor. It really is. To be included is very special for me. It was a golden era, in the ‘70s, when I worked with the Allman Brothers. We had a ton of fun and I think we made some great music. It’s an amazing feeling.
You were very young when you joined the group. Was there anything about the band at that time that would’ve indicated this was a group that might be accepting an award like this today?
I was barely 20. My focus was on the music. It was a great honor for me to come in and a great opportunity. I think it was a clever move on the band’s part because you’re never going to replace Duane Allman. Duane was such an iconic player and such an amazing leader. If they would’ve tried to replace him with another guitar player at that time I think it would have probably fallen on its face. So, it was an interesting twist to say, ‘Let’s put a piano player in the mix.’ I think a lot of people scratched their heads, but fortunately for me the guys gave me some room to play. They pushed me as a musician and gave me great opportunities in songs like “Jessica” and on the Brothers and Sisters record, and of course, the live performances.
Are there moments in the studio or on-stage that stay with you?
We were recording Gregg Allman’s Laid Back record at the same time we were recording Brothers and Sisters, so there were so many great moments. The music was wonderful and both projects turned out to be very popular. It was an honor to be involved. We were a stadium band back at that time so some of the shows that took place were in RFK Stadium and JFK Stadium and, of course, Watkins Glen with the Grateful Dead and The Band with 600,000 people in attendance. There were shows out here in California that stand out. It was a special time for me. My wife Rose Lane and I had just gotten married and we had our first child in 1975 and we were carrying her around with us and the Allman Brothers Band. I have nothing but tremendous memories.
