WILMINGTON — A Southern rock legend is taking the local spotlight.
Gregg Allman and his eight-piece band will take the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater stage this summer, 98.3 FM The Penguin announced today. The concert, set for Friday, July 29, is presented by The Penguin and Huka Entertainment.
The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer is best known as one of the founding members of The Allman Brothers, a band he founded with brother Duane. The Allman Brothers burst onto the rock scene in the late ’60s, achieving critical acclaim soon after for the unique Tennessee-born and Georgia-bred sound, one that showcased both Gregg Allman’s keyboard and vocal prowess and Duane’s guitar skills.
After Duane Allman’s sudden death in 1971, the band agreed to stay together but split up in 1975. They reunited more than a decade later and played together until 2014. During the hiatus, Gregg Allman had a major solo hit with 1987’s “I’m No Angel.”
Even as a member of The Allman Brothers, Gregg Allman maintained a steady solo career. He recorded “Low Country Blues” with producer T-Bone Burnett that was released in 2011 and went on to reach number five on Billboard’s Top 200 and hit number one on the blues charts. He went back to his Macon, Georgia roots to record a 2015 live CD and is in the process of recording a new studio album.
On his own Gregg Allman makes no bones about it being his direction and inspiration.
“There’s only one cook in the kitchen, only one chef,” he writes on his website. “I let the soloists do their thing – you’ve got to let a man do a solo the way he wants – but as far as picking the tunes and working on the arrangements, I take full responsibility for it.”
It’s an approach that must work, considering the 68-year-old icon has received numerous Grammys and, in addition to his Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction, earned a spot in Georgia’s version of the prestigious designation.
Tickets for Gregg Allman’s local show go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 13, through Port City Daily’s Concerts tab. General admission is $62.50 and gold circle seated tickets are available for $89.50.
Hilary Snow is a reporter at Port City Daily. Reach her at hilary.s@portcitydaily.com.
