My Cross to Bear
My Cross to Bear book cover

My Cross to Bear

Paperback – Illustrated, February 26, 2013

by
Price
$15.99
Format
Paperback
Pages
400
Publisher
William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0062112057
Dimensions
6 x 1 x 9 inches
Weight
1.06 pounds

Description

…This book is everything you could hope for: in a grizzled, laconic drawl, Allman provides a rambling backstage account of his five decades with the Allman Brothers Band, and he doesn’t seem to hold anything back. — New York Times Book Review A soul-searching rumination on a hard-lived life... For generations of fans, Allman’s book provides insights into the many turns in that long road... MY CROSS TO BEAR carries a welcome seal of honesty. — USA Today In his memoir, the rambling and rambunctious Gregg Allman lays bare his soul… In the end, Allman, writing with music journalist Light, has produced a fiercely honest memoir. — Publishers Weekly (starred review) This is a story about musical brotherhood. Rich and moving... Nothing less than profound. Life, love and music from one of the most influential American recording artists of the last 40 years. — Kirkus Reviews “Packed with juicy anecdotes, gripping details and raw energy…Fans of the Allman Brothers Band are certain to relish the revelations... MY CROSS TO BEAR provides a window into Allman’s tortured soul - he presents himself as a man cracked and flawed, yet somehow intact.” — Birmingham News One of Rolling Stone Magazine 's 25 Greatest Rock Memoirs of All Time One of Publishers Weekly 's Best Books of 2012 As one of the greatest rock icons of all time, Gregg Allman has lived it all and then some. Now he tells the unflinching story of his life, offering the definitive account of the legendary Allman Brothers Band. From run-ins with the law to meeting girls on the road to experimenting with drugs, Gregg holds nothing back, while also speaking, for the first time, about the painful deaths of his brother, Duane, and bassist Berry Oakley. Describing the powerful impact that Duane's death had on him, Gregg explains how the band's decision to persevere came with a heavy price—for the band and for Gregg—as he fought a battle with substance abuse that led him to rehab eleven times before he finally cleaned up for good. Capturing the Allman Brothers' ongoing, triumphant resurgence, My Cross to Bear is an honest, fascinating glimpse inside one of the most beloved and notorious bands in the history of rock music. Gregg Allman is one of the original members of the Allman Brothers Band, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He continues to make music as a solo artist and with the Allman Brothers and lives in Georgia. Alan Light is a former editor-in-chief of Vibe and Spin magazines, and a frequent contributor to the New York Times and Rolling Stone . Read more

Features & Highlights

  • One of
  • Rolling Stone Magazine
  • 's 25 Greatest Rock Memoirs of All Time
  • For the first time, rock music icon Gregg Allman, one of the founding members of The Allman Brothers Band, tells the full story of his life and career in
  • My Cross to Bear
  • . No subject is taboo, as one of the true giants of rock ’n’ roll opens up about his Georgia youth, his long struggle with substance abuse, his string of bad marriages (including his brief union with superstar Cher), the tragic death of  brother Duane Allman, and life on the road in one of rock’s most legendary bands.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(1.8K)
★★★★
25%
(762)
★★★
15%
(457)
★★
7%
(213)
★
-7%
(-213)

Most Helpful Reviews

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An epic tale

How lucky I was to be a teenager in the late 60's and 70's. My generation grew up with the very best music and it permeated our lives completely. (I loved it when our children discovered it on their own and excitedly wanted to turn us on to these great bands of the past. Yes, we KNOW!)

So many great bands of that era, but one of the best was The Allman Brothers Band. Their sound was so distinctive, so lush, sensitive and moving.

Me being from the South, I loved the Southern tones that were so familiar and comforting, yet their music was so different. It was rock and roll, and so much more. It was in a category of its own. It got under your skin...and still does all these years later.

Such talent in the band, especially that of the two Allman brothers! Different, but equal in their genius. Every teenaged girl was in love with Gregg Allman. To hear that voice and those words, that of an old man who's seen it all, coming from a kid who looked like an angel.

The book does not disappoint. Here you get the story from the man himself, relayed like a conversation,
a frank and forthcoming one. I read it compulsively until it was finished. It fleshes out so much of the back story to the band and of Gregg himself. There was no internet in the 70's, information was gleaned from the news and magazines, or word of mouth. I knew the rough outline of what occurred in the band and the lives of its members, but so much I did not know. So grateful to Gregg for sharing his story.

I must admit that I'm brought to tears these days listening to old Allman Brothers music, knowing what I know now. Their story is an epic one, filled with the highest highs and deepest lows, None more so than Gregg Allman's life itself.

You're transported back to that era: the Vietnam War, the social upheaval, the youth rebellion, the racism. The Allman Brothers were in the thick of it all. This book has me thinking of things I haven't considered in years.

Rest In Peace, Gregg. Your music continues to live.
33 people found this helpful
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Very well written, seems to be very truthful--you still rock Mr. Gregg Allman-God Bless you--even more:0

This book really grabbed a hold of and kept my attention. I received the book on a Friday afternoon. I finished to book by Saturday morning! I did not stay up all night reading this either----it just really was fascinating. Gregg Allman realizes how incredibly blessed he is to be alive, and has found a way to not live in regret-yet take full (I think) responsibility for both his great achievements and his sometimes knee-jerk type decision making that were/are apart of his personality. Not to give too much away--he has a big regret of something he did and said right before Duanne had his life-taking accident. I think trying to live with this guilt, he made some other bad decisions trying to hide from that guilt. I know the guilt in the regrets of something said right before losing someone dear. Time does little to get rid of that horrible feeling. This book is very uplifting in showing that a life can be turned around--and the music only gets better as the peace finally settles in this surprisingly deep man. We are rooting for you!! Mr. Allman :0
27 people found this helpful
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Because I love the Allman Brothers

Because I love the Allman Brothers, I was very disappointed in this book. Most depressing book I've ever tried to read. I quit about half way through. I know many talented artists (and Greg was very talented!) are tortured souls, but the book was literally filled with the "F" word, and vulgar sexual and drug experiences, which in my mind, could have been just as effectively related with less detail. I knew he was no angel, but I didn't want to know all the gory details. It seemed like a bragging book about the reckless, excessive, out of control life he lived, and a feeble attempt to justify it. I read Eric Clapton's biography, and although he live a similar lifestyle, he was able to portray it without all the vulgarity. I realize it is his story and he had the right to write it as he saw fit, but it surely wasn't my cup of tea. To each his own. It felt like I was reading just some trashy novel. Wishing I hadn't read it.
10 people found this helpful
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gerg allmans mind is gone

it was like reading a book by a fifth grader duane must of been the smart one what a jerk off
9 people found this helpful
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Not too good...

This book seemed to me all about pointing the finger and blaming others for whatever issues he has had in life. He occasionally says nice things about people, like he is handing out a gift. The worst line? "Music soothes the savage beast"... are you kidding me? Who edited this dreck?
8 people found this helpful
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Gregg turns out to be a jerk

OK, so it’s not nice to criticize the dead. Sorry, Gregg. However, he was very much alive when he dictated this autobiography. I have to give Allman credit for being pretty honest. Sadly, he comes across over and over as a boorish jerk. He puts down his band members (especially Dickey Betts), the Grateful Dead, and just about anyone he came across. Lynyrd Skynyrd gets dissed, just because they had more hits and appealed to “rednecks.” He does not come across as someone I would want to have spent any time with. Prior to this I had read a biography of Tom Petty, who also could be a bit blunt, but that was due to his shyness. I still listen to my old ABB albums. They made great music, even if the bandleader was a jerk.
7 people found this helpful
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Not worth the money

Gregg comes across as a self centered egomaniac, womanizer, dope/alcohol addicted fool. He used the book to beat on the people he did not like it had a problem with. It's a shame because there are some good tidbits of the band(s) here and there.

I thought it was funny he blamed president Carter and the Cubans for crack cocaine, this coming from a dope head.
7 people found this helpful
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I don't think he thinks of women as people. ...

I don't think he thinks of women as people. He calls them pussies and he does not entirely speak well of the women he himself agreed to marry. His current choice, a 24 yr old renders him on the very edge of being a pedophile in my book. He has many excuses for his behavior and I am not convinced that any of his past behavior has changed to this day, just another "dry drunk" hiding behind a cross hung around his neck. He is very lucky that his neglected , seldom thought of children have anything to do with him today. A very self absorbed, narcissistic man wishing to put forth something different to the reader.
7 people found this helpful
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Creepy guy

After reading about the guy, I don't like him! Wasn't a favorite musician but I really enjoy reading about people's lives and usually like the person but not this time.
7 people found this helpful
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You won't like him.

OK, it's fun to read about how the Allman Brothers "made it". It's fun to read about the drugs, sex and rock & roll. But I found that I really don't like Greg Allman. He's not somebody I would care to know. His "voice" in this book is that of a self-absorbed airhead who takes no responsibility for the damage he's caused. The way he dismisses the two girlfriend suicides as "not my fault" is especially reprehensible. So when he finds God in the last chapter, I just wanted to vomit.
6 people found this helpful

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