Shawn RyanIt was 1994 and Gregg Allman sat on a bench in front of a baby grand piano in Birmingham, Ala.
He was set to perform a few days later with musicians from the famed Muscle Shoals music scene as part of the Birmingham Jam, an annual three-day festival of blues, jazz and gospel.
Doing an interview for the local paper, he was gracious, gentlemanly and warm. In any conversation with Allman, who died this past weekend at age 69, he always brought up his brother, Duane, who died in 1971, whether prompted or not. He continued the habit that day.
A few months earlier, Allman had played some songs with Muscle Shoals guys as part of the induction ceremonies for the Alabama Hall of Fame. Knocked out by how much fun he had, Allman agreed to do a full, 90-minute show with them at the Birmingham Jam.
But, Allman being Allman, and still having some of his issues with various substances, vanished for a day or so while in Birmingham. Vanished as in nobody could find him.