Please Be with Me
A Song for My Father, Duane Allman
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
A deeply personal, revealing, and lyrical portrait of Duane Allman, founder of the legendary Allman Brothers Band, written by his daughter
“Duane Allman was my big brother, my partner, my best friend. I thought I knew everything there was to know about him, but Galadrielle’s deep and insightful book came as a revelation to me, as it will to everyone who reads it.”—Gregg Allman
Galadrielle Allman went to her first concert as an infant in diapers, held in her teenage mother’s arms. Playing was her father—Duane Allman, who would become one of the most influential and sought-after musicians of his time. Just a few short years into his remarkable career, he was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of twenty-four. His daughter was two years old.
Galadrielle was raised in the shadow of his loss and his fame. Her mother sought solace in a bohemian life. Friends and family found it too painful to talk about Duane. Galadrielle listened intently to his music, read articles about him, steeped herself in the mythic stories, and yet the spotlight rendered him too simple and too perfect to know. She felt a strange kinship to the fans who longed for him, but she needed to know more. It took her many years to accept that his life and his legacy were hers, and when she did, she began to ask for stories—from family, fellow musicians, friends—and they began to flow.
Galadrielle Allman’s memoir is at once a rapturous, riveting, and intimate account of one of the greatest guitar prodigies of all time, the story of the birth of a band that redefined the American musical landscape, and a tender inquiry of a daughter searching for her father in the memories of others.
Praise for Please Be with Me
“Poignant and illuminating . . . brings Duane Allman to life in a way that no other biography will ever be able to do.”—BookPage
“Galadrielle Allman offers a moving and poetic portrait of her late father.”—Rolling Stone
“[Allman’s] descriptions and scenes are vivid, even cinematic. . . . The pleasure of reading Please Be With Me lies as much in its lyrical prose as in its insider anecdotes.”—Newsweek
“An elegantly written, heartfelt account.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Evokes a wistful, elegiac atmosphere; fans of the ’70s music scene may find it indispensable.”—San Jose Mercury News
“A compelling and intimate portrait of Duane.”—The Hollywood Reporter
“Illuminating.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Frequently touching . . . Readers will come away feeling more connected to the man and his music.”—Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In her first book, Allman chronicles the life of her father Duane, the famous guitarist and founder of the Allman Brothers band. Duane, a big fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, named his daughter after a character in Lord of the Rings. Allman works to recast her father's story as "more than a tragedy; it is a true romance." He died in a motorcycle accident before she ever had the chance to get to know him. He was only 24-years-old and she was barely a toddler. In writing the narrative of her father's life, she pieces together a portrait from bits of memorabilia, letters, and interviews with musical collaborators. But it's not just about the band, Allman also tells the history of her grandparents and her mother, Donna. We see a young Duane and his brother Greg catch "the fever" for the guitar, follow the two brothers to Los Angeles in search of a record deal, and then track Duane back to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where he begins putting together the band that made him famous. In this frequently touching book, Allman "make a feast of the scraps" in presenting the story of her father's short life and readers will come away feeling more connected to the the man and his music.
Customer Reviews
Excellent.
I can’t say much more after reading this book. I’m passionate about the history of the music that changed music forever. To read such a raw account of the phenomenal lives of not only the band, but the families and friends that guided and struggled and lived the life with them. What an excellent read from the one person that shares such a personal connection with Duane. I will probably reread the book after listening to as much of the Allman catalog as possible. I will also visit and pay homage to the remarkable humans lying silent at Rose Hill. I’m truly moved by the words in this book.
artist
A four star piece from an author's first publishing! One can revisit this book as with an ole friend...great book
Super Informative and Heartwrenching
The BEST perspective on Duane Allman and Co. I've ever experienced! EVER!!!