Young Duane Allman: The Jim Shepley Interview

[JasO]

I've really appreciated all the welcoming comments! What a great community you have here.

 

If no one minds, I'd like to share three previously unpublished interviews about one of my all-time favorite guitar players, Duane Allman. (I found these guys after I wrote Guitar Player's Duane Allman Special issue in October 1981.)

 

According to Gregg Allman, Jim Shepley was his brother Duane's best friend while they were teenagers in Daytona Beach. Jim inspired Duane to play guitar, taught him his first licks, and they had many crazy adventures together. Here, for the first time, is this interview:

 

http://jasobrecht.com/young-duane-allman-the-jim-shepley-interview/

 

Bob Greenlee was the leader of the first band Duane and Gregg played in, the Houserockers, and he was also one of Duane's first inspirations:

 

http://jasobrecht.com/young-duane-allman-bob-greenlee-interview/

 

Floyd Miles was the singer in the Untils, who were backed by the Houserockers with Duane on guitar. He was also a huge influence on Gregg's singing style.

 

http://jasobrecht.com/young-duane-allman-floyd-miles-interview/

 

I hope you like 'em!

[Kevman]

Welcome to our forum Jas.

I feel like you have been here for decades already. Great interviews, great blog. Keep coming around, it is a pretty killer online community here. A finer bunch of folks you'd have a tough time finding on the www.

 

My brush with Duanes legacy:

In 86 My folks moved to CT with my brother and me.

I ended up getting my first job at Unlimited Music in Clinton, Ct a small little music store with some cool folks hanging about. The owner at the time was Eric Blicker who is still in the music production field in NYC. I guess Shepley sold the store to Blicker. It makes sense to me now.

Eric was a huge Allmans fan and loved it when I wore my Greg Allman Band/ Dicky Betts Band tour jersey to work. I saw both of those bands @ 15 a year or two before they reformed the Allman Brothers with Warren. Warren was playing in Greg's band then. Just as a shout out to Eric: Thanks for turning me on to Frank Zappa and Steely Dan too!

 

Pretty remote brush but a brush nonetheless with Duanes legacy.

 

I miss that music store.