Marty Duda's artist of the week: The Allman Brothers Band

After several false starts, Duane and Gregg Allman formed the Allman Brothers Band in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969. Originally inspired by blues-rock bands of the day such as Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Allman Brothers Band incorporated elements of jazz, Southern soul, country and blues into what would eventually be known as Southern Rock. Led by the stunning dual guitars of Duane Allman and Richard Betts, driven by the double drumming of Jai Johanny Johanson and Butch Trucks and fuelled by the soulful vocals of Gregg Allman, the band became one of the most musically adventurous of the early 70s, jamming for hours at rock palaces such as the Fillmore East. Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1972 and bassist Berry Oakley suffered the same fate a year later. Guitarist Dickey Betts then led the band with country-tinged songs such as mega-hit Ramblin' Man. Drugs, alcohol and the road eventually caught up with them and they disbanded in the mid-70s only to return a few years later. Since then many band members have come and gone and a lot of miles have been travelled. The band finally called it quits in 2014.