Howard Duane Allman

 Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971)

He was a guitarist, session musician, and founder and leader of the Allman Brothers Band. The Allman Brothers Band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969, and achieved its greatest success in the early 1970's. Allman is best remembered for his brief but influential tenure in the band and in particular for his expressive slide guitar playing and inventive improvisational skills. In 2003, he was ranked number 2 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. In 2011, he was ranked number 9. His guitar tone (achieved with a Gibson Les Paul and two 50-watt bass Marshall amplifiers) was named one of the greatest of all time by Guitar Player A sought-after session musician both before and during his tenure with the band, Duane Allman performed with such established stars as King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Mann, Wilson Pickett, and Boz Scaggs. He also contributed greatly to the 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, by Derek and the Dominos. Allman was killed in a motorcycle crash on October 29, 1971, shortly after the release and initial success of At Fillmore East. He struck a truck, which had stopped suddenly, and was thrown from his motorcycle trying to swerve. His motorcycle landed on him, crushing his internal organs. Allman was 24 years old, and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia. Sadly, Allman Brothers Band bassist Berry Oakley died less than 13 months later, also at the age of 24, in a similar motorcycle crash with a city bus, close to the site of Duane's accident. He is buried next to Duane.