My Cross To Bear

My Cross To Bear is the title of Gregg Allman's recent memoir and the story of the musician's lonely childhood, loss of his beloved brother, his string of divorces and the decades lost to drugs and alcohol justify the title's evocation of struggle and pain. The book does include the mandatory sex, drugs and rock & roll anecdotes associated with the rock star memoir, and they're generally amusing. The guys in the Allman Brothers Band took their music as seriously as their excess and definitely had some great times. Fans of the band will read about the rise and fall and rise of the storied group, along with accounts of great shows at the Beacon Theater, the stunning success of the "Fillmore" and "Brothers and Sisters" recordings, as well as the tragic deaths, imprisonments and betrayals that darken their history. Mr. Allman comes across as a lonely, somewhat unsophisticated man whose only true love was the music that sustained him through his difficult life. Whatever wisdom he has achieved is expressed in a few tired affirmations and worn aphorisms. His life may not have been all glamor and success but he did live to tell about it and seems to enjoy sharing the memories he retains. A fine telling of a familiar, but still compelling, tale.

The library owns many of the recordings discussed in the book.