How Did Blues Music Influence the Allman Brothers?

Gregg Allman was exposed to music through Jimmy Banes, a mentally handicapped neighbor of his grandmother, who introduced him to the guitar.

He got a paper route to earn money to buy a Sears Silvertone guitar, which both he and his brother Duane played.

Another influential event occurred in 1960, when Gregg and Duane attended a concert in Nashville with Jackie Wilson headlining alongside Otis Redding, B.B. King, and Patti LaBelle.

A Daytona Beach area electric blues and soul guitarist, Floyd Miles, was also an influence. They began to jam with his band, the Houserockers. “I would just sit there and study Floyd … I studied how he phrased his songs, how he got the words out, and how the other guys sang along with him”, Gregg recalled.

The Allman Brothers Band was a mixture of blues, rock, gospel, jazz, and country which became known as southern rock.

Besides their own original compositions, they often covered blues songs re-arranged in their own style. The following videos are a sampling of these blues originals. We encourage you to explore these blues artists and other blues covers by the Allman Brothers further – maybe you’ll be inspired too.

Want more blues insights?

Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Blues!

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