Gregg Allman "My Cross To Bear" Signed First Edition/ First Printing w/COA [Fine/Fine]

Personally signed by Gregg Allman, significant primarily for his role in shaping Southern rock music as a founding member, singer, and keyboardist of The Allman Brothers Band. His influence spans several aspects including iconic song writing, live performances, and personal resilience and legacy.

William Morrow (May 1, 2012). Gregg Allman "My Cross To Bear". Signed First Edition, First Printing with full number line. Hardcover book with dust-jacket. Many black/white and color photographs. 390 pages. Personally signed by the author. Fine/Fine. Includes new Mylar archival acid-free dust-jacket protector. Bookseller issued COA.

My Cross To Bear

One of Rolling Stone Magazine's 25 Greatest Rock Memoirs of All Time

For the first time, rock music icon Gregg Allman, one of the founding members of The Allman Brothers Band, tells the full story of his life and career in My Cross to Bear. No subject is taboo, as one of the true giants of rock ’n’ roll opens up about his Georgia youth, his long struggle with substance abuse, his string of bad marriages (including his brief union with superstar Cher), the tragic death of brother Duane Allman, and life on the road in one of rock’s most legendary bands.

My Cross to Bear is an autobiographic memoir of American songwriter-musician Gregg Allman, co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band. It was written by Allman and American journalist Alan Light. The book was published by William Morrow and Company on May 1, 2012. The book's title stems from the Allman Brothers Band song "It's Not My Cross to Bear" (1969). Allman first began keeping a journal in the 1980s, with the intention to possibly write a memoir at some point. He worked with Light to use that, as well as new and old interviews to create the book.

The book chronicles Allman's life and career in music, including his beginnings with the Allman Joys and Hour Glass, finding success and later reforming the Allman Brothers Band, his solo career and albums, and his marriage to pop star Cher. A large portion of the book candidly details the drug and alcohol abuse he dealt with for much of his life. It also covers Allman's brother Duane, his death in a motorcycle crash, and how it affected him.

Upon its May 2012 release, My Cross to Bear achieved high critical reviews, with many praising its tone and honesty. The book was optioned for a feature film, Midnight Rider, which was eventually cancelled after a train accident on set caused the death of a member of the crew.

Reviews

…This book is everything you could hope for: in a grizzled, laconic drawl, Allman provides a rambling backstage account of his five decades with the Allman Brothers Band, and he doesn’t seem to hold anything back. — New York Times Book Review

A soul-searching rumination on a hard-lived life... For generations of fans, Allman’s book provides insights into the many turns in that long road... MY CROSS TO BEAR carries a welcome seal of honesty. — USA Today

In his memoir, the rambling and rambunctious Gregg Allman lays bare his soul… In the end, Allman, writing with music journalist Light, has produced a fiercely honest memoir. — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

This is a story about musical brotherhood. Rich and moving... Nothing less than profound. Life, love and music from one of the most influential American recording artists of the last 40 years. — Kirkus Reviews

“Packed with juicy anecdotes, gripping details and raw energy…Fans of the Allman Brothers Band are certain to relish the revelations... MY CROSS TO BEAR provides a window into Allman’s tortured soul - he presents himself as a man cracked and flawed, yet somehow intact.” — Birmingham News

Gregg Allman

Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman Brothers Band fused it with rock music, jazz, and country. He wrote several of the band's most popular songs, including "Whipping Post", "Melissa", and "Midnight Rider". Allman also had a successful solo career, releasing seven studio albums. He was born and spent much of his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee, before relocating to Daytona Beach, Florida and then Macon, Georgia.

He and his brother Duane Allman formed the Allman Brothers Band in 1969, which reached mainstream success with their 1971 live album At Fillmore East, but shortly thereafter, Duane was killed in a motorcycle crash. The band continued, and released Brothers and Sisters, which became their most successful album, in 1973. Allman began a solo career with Laid Back the same year. He gained some additional fame for his 1975 to 1979 marriage to pop star Cher. He had an unexpected late-career hit with his cover of the song "I'm No Angel" in 1987, and his seventh solo album, Low Country Blues (2011), saw the highest chart positions of his career. Throughout his life, Allman struggled with alcohol and substance use, which formed the basis of his memoir My Cross to Bear (2012). His final album, Southern Blood, was released posthumously on September 8, 2017.

Allman performed with a Hammond organ and guitar, and was recognized for his soulful voice. For his work in music, Allman was referred to as a Southern rock pioneer[1] and received numerous awards, including one Grammy Award; he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. His distinctive voice placed him 70th in the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time".

Q&A with Gregg Allman

Q: Why did you want to write this book and tell your story?

Allman: I’d actually been thinking about doing a book for a long time, and since the 80s, I’d been putting bits and pieces of the story together. Just a bit here a bit there, that sort of thing. There have been a few books about the Allman Brothers over the year, and they all seem to tell one of two stories—either we were all out there sowing our wild oats, or we were constantly surrounded by tragedy. None of them really got the feeling of the band right, and that was what I set out to do.

Q: What impact have your health struggles over the last few years had on the way you think about your life and history?

Allman: Well, as I said, I’ve been working on this book for a while, but my health being what it has been over the last couple of years gave me an extra push to get the whole story down on paper. Last fall I was pretty sick, and I had this thought that it just wasn’t my time yet. I’ve still got more songs in me, more stories to tell. I guess this is one of ‘em.

Q: Was it hard to make yourself think about the darker times in your life?

Allman: It was. I wanted to be as honest as I could, but at the same time, looking back like this was tough. Facing the past isn’t easy. I threw down though, and didn’t hold back. I didn’t want anything colored up.

Q: What do you hope an Allman Brothers fan would learn about you from this book?

Allman: As I said before, for years, when people have talked about the band, they’ve tended to focus on the tragedy or the insanity of our history. Make no mistake, those are in the book and they’re very real. But a lot of people don’t understand just how much fun we had—especially in the beginning. I tried hard to include the good as well as the bad.

Q: Has spending this time looking back at the band's history given you a different appreciation for what the Allman Brothers have accomplished?

Allman: I’m not so sure it’s a different appreciation so much as just amazed and proud that we’re still here today. In the book, I talk about when my brother first called me about being in the band he said he had these two drummers and two lead guitarists, and I remember thinking that sounded like a train wreck. But somehow it worked then and it’s worked ever since. It’s an incredible band, filled with incredible musicians, and I’ve been very lucky to be a part of it.

Q: Do you think that your kids will learn about you from reading this story? How about your bandmates?

Allman: Sometimes when you’re on the road with someone, it’s easy to lose sight of just how far you’ve come. I’ve lived with these stories for a long time, but having them together, all in one place, is something else. Everyone always takes something different away from what they read. I can’t say what people will learn, but my hope is they have some fun along the way.