A teaser has been released for Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul, the upcoming documentary about the late Allman Brothers Band guitarist and keyboardist.
The film, which will hit cinemas in the US on June 17, is directed and produced by James Keach, brother of the actor Stacy Keach. James also worked on the Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line as well as Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me, David Crosby: Remember My Name, and Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice – and Michael Lehman, Allman's longtime manager.
“Gregg’s story totally resonated with me, especially his relationship with his brother, Duane," says Keach. "I have a very close relationship with my brother. We worked together for years on a lot of great projects – The Long Riders [the 1980 Western notable for having four sets of brothers play the four sets of brothers in the James-Younger Gang] was formative for us as well as for the Carradine and Quaid brothers – and the thought of losing my brother at such a young age really got me.
Article continues below“Not everyone works this way, but I believe that understanding trauma from the formative years of a person’s life is central when telling their story in a documentary. A lot of incredible artists have these shattering experiences in their past that inform every aspect of their lives and talent. Gregg had those demons inside his amazingly creative brain.
"He dove deep into his addiction when Duane died, but later in life, when he was sober, he faced his own mortality with dignity and acceptance. It’s personally important to me to carry Gregg’s message of trying to change the trajectory of people consumed by addiction. You can hear the ache in his voice in his brilliant music."
“I was Gregg’s friend,” says Lehman. “This movie is personal to me because I want the world to know the Gregg behind the music.
“Gregg was impacted by, among other things, his profoundly close relationship and the tragic loss of his brother Duane. His music reflects the joy and the pain of his life experiences. I chose James Keach to direct this film because James is both an incredibly talented director and has a close relationship with his own brother, Stacy.
"I knew from the start that he would bring to life Gregg’s story, including the relationship with Duane and with his band, The Allman Brothers Band, and that James would be able to create both an enjoyable and deeply memorable film.”
Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul will premiere on June 9 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City, NY, and will feature live music from Devon Allman and Duane Betts. A second showing will take place on June 11 at the Grand Opera House in the Allman Brothers Band's hometown of Macon, GA, and will include an appearance by the band's longtime keyboardist Chuck Leavell.
Both screenings will also include Q&A sessions with the filmmakers.
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