Gregg Allman, photo by Sidney Smith

Savannah College of Art and Design has announced a premiere screening of Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul, the forthcoming documentary on the late Allman Brothers Band co-founder and guitarist. On June 17, the same day that the film opens for a week of screenings in New York and Los Angeles, and prior to one-night-only showings in theatres nationwide, the historic Lucas Theatre for the Arts will host a special event featuring a musical performance, a Q&A with members of the documentary’s production team and a pop-up from the Allman Brothers Band Big House Museum in nearby Macon, Ga., amon other surprises.

“Gregg Allman’s music and artistry helped define an era of American rock and roll while leaving an indelible mark on the cultural fabric of Georgia and the South,” said Christina Routhier, Senior Executive Director of SCAD Theaters and Festivals. “As someone who called the Savannah area home for many years, Gregg held a special connection to this community and generations of music lovers throughout the South. We are honored to welcome audiences to the Lucas Theatre for this powerful celebration of his extraordinary life, creative spirit, and enduring legacy.”

Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul explores the lengthy career of one of rock’s foundational figures. Directed by James Keach, the film incorporates archival recordings, unseen interviews and rare Allman Brothers Band live footage to chronicle his life’s challenges and achievements on and off the stage with the ABB’s many eras and his prolific solo career.

“Not everyone works this way, but I believe that understanding trauma from the formative years of a person’s life is central when telling their story in a documentary,” Keach detailed about the film and his narrative process. “A lot of incredible artists have these shattering experiences in their past that inform every aspect of their lives and talent. Gregg had those demons inside his amazingly creative brain. He dove deep into his addiction when Duane died, but later in life, when he was sober, he faced his own mortality with dignity and acceptance. It’s personally important to me to carry Gregg’s message of trying to change the trajectory of people consumed by addiction. You can hear the ache in his voice in his brilliant music.”

Tickets for the Savannah, Ga. premiere of Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul are available now.