The music world missed a beat today with the passing of Butch Trucks, co-founder and drummer of the legendary Allman Brothers. Butch’s career began in 1964 with a simple 7″ record, made in Jacksonville, Florida, with his band The Vikings. When the Vikings went their separate ways, Butch moved on to join The 31st of February, which only lasted four years.
But in that four years, The 31st of February eventually included a young guitarist named Duane Allman, and a vocalist/organist named Gregg Allman. When The 31st of February broke up, Butch and the Allman Brothers formed a new band, which would be known as, well, The Allman Brothers.
Butch found himself in a unique situation, sharing the stage with fellow drummer Jai Johanny Johanson. Butch’s hard driving style was the shout that perfectly complemented Jai’s jazz-inspired whisper.
The Allman Brothers would go on to perform for 25 years, splitting up in 2014. During that time, the band was a defining force in the rapidly growing southern rock genre. They would go on to influence bands like The Marshall Tucker Band, Wet Willie, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. They would also earn Grammy Award for their 1996 instrumental, “Jessica,” and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Perhaps the greatest tribute to Butch Trucks and the Allman Brothers came from ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, writing for Rolling Stone, “The (Allman Brothers) band defined the best of every music from the American South at the time,” he wrote. “They were the best of all of us. It was a thing of beauty.”
So now Butch Trucks has rambled on, leaving us with a lifetime of amazing music and a legacy that will last well into the future. Not bad for a drummer who was “tryin’ to make a livin’ and doin’ the best I can.”