My Cross to Bear

By: Gregg Allman, Alan Light

Narrated by: Will Patton

Audie Award Nominee, Biography and Memoir, 2013

As one of the greatest rock icons of all time, Gregg Allman has lived it all and then some. For almost 50 years, he's been creating some of the most recognizable songs in American rock, but never before has he paused to reflect on the long road he's traveled. Now, he tells the unflinching story of his life, laying bare the unvarnished truth about his wild ride that has spanned across the years.

The story begins simply: with Gregg and his older brother, Duane, growing up in the South, raising hell with their guitars, and drifting from one band to another. But all that changed when Duane and Gregg came together with four other men to forge something new - a unique sound shaped by soul, rock, and blues and brimming with experimentation; a sound not just of a band, but of a family.

Bringing to life the carefree early days of the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg holds nothing back - from run-ins with the law to meeting girls on the road, from jamming at the Fillmore East to experimenting with drugs. Along the way, he goes behind the scenes of some of greatest rock music ever recorded, without shying away from the infamous and painful deaths of his brother, Duane, and Allman Brothers bassist Berry Oakley. Speaking for the first time about the profound impact that his brother's death had on him, Gregg offers a tribute to Duane that only a younger brother could write, showing how, to this day, he still confronts the grief of losing his big brother, even as Duane continues to guide and inspire him.

Setting the record straight about the band's struggles in the face of death, Gregg shows how the decision to persevere came with a heavy price. While the rock-and-roll excesses of drugs, alcohol, and personality clashes led to a series of breakups that culminated with the band's permanent reunion in 1989, Gregg fought his own battle with substance abuse, going to rehab no less than 11 times and floating through a string of failed marriages, including his tabloid-frenzied relationship with Cher, before finally cleaning up once and for all.

Capturing the Allman Brothers' ongoing, triumphant resurgence as well as his own recent fight against hepatitis C, Gregg presents a story as honest as it is fascinating, providing a glimpse inside one of the most beloved and notorious bands in the history of rock music and demonstrating how, through it all, the road goes on forever.

©2012 Gregg Allman (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

A Very Honest Telling

This was a very enjoyable book, honest, funny, detailed. the narration was perfect. I highly recommend it.

First Audible book I couldn't put down.

Where does My Cross to Bear rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Story is great and answered questions I'd had since the 70s. If you loved the music, it's a must read. Will Patton did a wonderful performance, as well.

Just fantastic.

If you're a fan of the Allman Brothers band, this is something that you should absolutely listen to/read. Loved it.

An Honest Look Into The Allman Bros Band

An inside look into the history of Allman's band. The story is tragic, sad, funny, uplifting, sobering and heartwarming. Greg's words give you the feeling he is talking directly to you. If you are offended by filthy language or unsavory lifestyles, tough sh*t. That's the way it was. The narrator's reading style and Southern accent is top notch. I appreciate the Allman's much more after this listen. Their music lives on through the likes of Govt Mule and Derek Trucks. We were blessed to have them...

fly on the wall

Very entertaining. I felt like he was telling me his unfiltered story. Just enough detail to keep engaged without barfing out every personal moment of a real relationship. Surprisingly funny, and delivered in a language with which I am all to familiar.

Inspiring!

I learned about many things in this book.
I heard of forgiveness, love, pain...
I am such a NEW FAN AT 65 YRS OLD.
THANK YOU GREGG ALLMAN..I wept at the end because I understood.

I’m so glad that I listened to this

This book touched my heart in so many ways. There was a lot more to Greg Allman than I knew. The music created by him and his brother and band members has been a big part of my life and always makes me feel good and brings me down to my roots. Thank you, Greg. Thank you, Will, for a good job of reading this.

love you always

I love the band , grew up with the allman brotherso man this book was amazing . thank you Greg for sharing your life with us . love you always Patti K Laughlin NV

Enlightening and entertaining!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely would recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about Gregg Allman. My spouse knew some of the folks with the Allman Brothers band and knew most of this history. He was curious how much Gregg would put out there and in my spouse's opinion, Gregg really put it ALL out there.

What did you like best about this story?

I shared listening to this with my husband and we enjoyed just talking about the book together. It's just funny and sad and all those things that happen in a real person's life.

Have you listened to any of Will Patton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but he did a great job with this reading and sounded very similar to Gregg.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When he talks about his attempts to reconcile with his children and does so honestly and sometimes it is heartbreaking - but real.

SO great!

Where does My Cross to Bear rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

If you are any kind of ABB fan you will love this book and the history. I loved everything about it and felt like I was right there with him.