The Allman Brothers Band Essentials

Even on their 1969 debut, The Allman Brothers played like a seasoned crew of musical vagabonds. Their dusty blues, rock, and country had an eerie gospel groove and a freeform feel that carried them throughout their career. Led by soulful rock outlaw Gregg Allman, the band offset tragic deaths—guitar hero Duane Allman (in '71) and bassist Berry Oakley (in '72)—with musical triumphs, like 1974's platinum-selling breakthrough Brothers and Sisters and a 1995 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Along the way, they forever changed rock 'n' roll, helping to shape the sound of Southern rock in the ‘70s and inspiring the free-spirited jam-band movement a generation later.