The Allman Brothers Band is rock & roll legend. The band was formed in Jacksonville, FL. on March 26, 1969, and consisted of Duane and Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, and Jai Johanny Johanson. Brothers Duane and Gregg Allman grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida., and had been playing music publicly since the early 1960s. They formed a garage band called the Escorts in 1963, which evolved into the Allman Joys in 1965. From there the brothers formed Hour Glass and moved to Los Angeles. The Hour Glass released two failed albums on Liberty Records in 1967 and 1968. They were all released from the contract except Gregg, who Liberty thought might have some commercial potential. Gregg and Duane had previously met Butch Trucks and his band The 31st of February while touring as the Allman Joys, and decided to record an album with them in September 1968, shortly after the breakup of Hour Glass. This album was eventually released as Duane & Greg Allman on the Bold Records label in 1972. Duane Allman played on Wilson Pickett'ss hit version of "Hey Jude" and became the primary session guitarist for FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, recording with Aretha Franklin, King Curtis, Percy Sledge and many more. Allman started jamming with Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks and Berry Oakley in Jacksonville. Eddie Hinton, with whom Duane Allman had played in Muscle Shoals, was considered to play guitar, but Hinton refused in order to join the Muscle Shoals studio band. Duane brought in Jaimoe, a drummer he had played with in the past.
According to Bob Reetz's brother, Steve, the Allman Brothers Band (The Allman Joys) came to Meridian, MS to record at RAP Records in late 1965. The group had phenomenal talent and was just too big for Bob and RAP Records. From there the eventually ended up at Muscle Shoals, AL.
I have recently heard from someone who remembers the Allman Joys coming to Meridian, MS. to
perform at the Hamasa Temple Ballroom in about 1964. If anyone has any more information about the RAP Records connection, please contact Mississippi Music Artists.Com.
To this date no Allman Brothers (Allman Joys) recordings have been discovered in the RAP Records music archieves, but they may yet surface.
Allman Brothers Official Website
