Southern Rock pioneer Gregg Allman dies

Gregg Allman, whose hard-jamming, bluesy group the Allman Brothers Band was the pioneering unit in the Southern rock explosion of the '70s, died Saturday due to complications from liver cancer, his longtime manager Michael Lehman confirmed. He was 69.

Reports surfaced on April 24 that Allman was in hospice, although Allman substantiated a denial in a Facebook post. However, he had suffered a number of ailments in recent years — including an irregular heartbeat, a respiratory infection, a hernia and a liver transplant — and cancelled many scheduled tour dates in recent months for health reasons.

For his work with the Allman Brothers and as a solo artiste, Allman is considered one of the leading lights of Southern Rock. They were a top-drawing touring outfit until October 2014, when the group finally closed the book on their career.

As a member of the Allman Brothers Band, Allman was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Source: Variety