Singer-songwriter Gregg Allman, who helped pioneer the Southern rock genre as a founding member of the Allman Brothers, has died.
According to Allman's official website, Allman died Saturday at his home in Savannah, Georgia. He was 69 years old and had been battling health issues for some time, though he continued to perform and record.
Allman and his brother Duane began performing together as teenagers as the Allman Joys, then as the Hour Glass before becoming the Allman Brothers Band in 1969.
The band broke through with their 1971 live album At Fillmore East, though the enjoyment of the success was cut short by Duane's death in a motorcycle accident that year. Bassist Berry Oakley would also die in a bike wreck the following year.
The band's 1973 album Brothers and Sisters featured the hit single "Ramblin' Man", which went to number two on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. The album itself was number-one on the album chart for five weeks. Stadium tours followed, though a subsequent album, Win, Lose or Draw did not draw the same commercial or critical acclaim.
Allman tried to reboot the band several times throughout the rest of his life and found hit-and-miss commercial success, particularly with the 1987 hit "I'm No Angel". The Allman Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Allman was married six times, including once to actress-singer Cher in the late 1970s. His most recent work was the album Southern Blood, released earlier this year.
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