Duane Allman, ranked by Rolling Stone as the second greatest guitar player of all time (behind Jimi Hendrix), was a pioneering musician and founder of The Allman Brothers Band. Allman would become a music legend by the time he was 24 years old. 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, Wilson Pickett, and Herbie Mann. He also contributed greatly to the 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, by Derek and the Dominos.
Sadly, we lost Duane Allman on this day in 1971, when he was killed in a motorcycle crash. Allman was riding his Harley Davidson Sportster at high speed when a flatbed truck carrying a lumber crane stopped suddenly in the intersection, forcing him to swerve sharply. He struck either the back of the truck or the ball on the lumber crane and was thrown from the motorcycle, which landed on top of him and skidded another 90 feet with him pinned underneath it, crushing his internal organs. He was alive when he was taken to a hospital, but despite immediate medical treatment, he died several hours later from massive internal injuries.
In his memory, learn more about the legendary guitarist, and to hear his isolated slide solo on Layla.