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My Cross to Bear Paperback – Illustrated, February 26, 2013

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,190 ratings

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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.


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Editorial Reviews

Review

…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

From the Back Cover

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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks; Illustrated edition (February 26, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062112058
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062112057
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,190 ratings

About the author

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Gregg Allman
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One of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman has been making music for almost fifty years, and during that time he has recorded some of the most iconic songs in American rock. Inducted into of the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, Gregg Allman continues to make music as a solo artist and tour with the Allman Brothers Band. He lives in Georgia.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
3,190 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and enjoyable. They appreciate the candid and honest storytelling, as well as the insightful insights into life and music. Readers praise the music quality and musicians as awesome. The history of the band is interesting and the pictures are appreciated.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

525 customers mention "Readability"506 positive19 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it interesting and fun to read, with stories about how the Allman Brothers Band started and progressed. The memoir recounts a life fully-lived and rewarding, though it has its demons. It keeps their attention with an insider perspective that's not a tell-all trash book.

"...I read it compulsively until it was finished. It fleshes out so much of the back story to the band and of Gregg himself...." Read more

"...the chapters, especially those that involved his brother, Duane, are enjoyable...." Read more

"Gregory Allman lived a full and rewarding life, though he did have his own "demons" to deal with, as many people do when they turn to alcohol or..." Read more

"This is an "OK" read and I am surprised Greg Allman did not have a ghost writer or another writer to help him...." Read more

235 customers mention "Honesty"214 positive21 negative

Customers appreciate the author's candid and honest account of his life. They find the story balanced, humorous, and respectful. The details he recalls are vivid and the writing style brings him to life.

"...a frank and forthcoming one. I read it compulsively until it was finished...." Read more

"...YET READ AND CHOSE THIS ONE AND AM GLAD I DID, BECAUSE IT IS SUCH AN EASY READ AND I FEEL NOW, EVEN THOUGH I STILL DON'T LIKE HIS KIND OF MUSIC AND..." Read more

"...I needn't have worried. This is a very good autobiography written in an easy-to-read syle...." Read more

"...Gregg tells all in a casual, narrative style that at times jumps around a bit and yet is easy to follow...." Read more

152 customers mention "Insight"140 positive12 negative

Customers find the book uplifting, honest, and humorous. They appreciate the author's spirituality and how it helps him overcome struggles. The stories touch them on a personal level and are entertaining at times.

"...from the South, I loved the Southern tones that were so familiar and comforting, yet their music was so different...." Read more

"...SHORTENED HIS LIFE, I LIKED THAT I FOUND BY READING THIS, HIS PEACEFUL NATURE ." Read more

"...whenever my husband and I could get down there---just such a peaceful paradise...." Read more

"...I found the book entertaining and at times, enlightening...." Read more

108 customers mention "Music quality"108 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the music quality. They praise the musicians as awesome, powerful songwriters, and musicians themselves. The band is described as astonishing, and the life stories of the musician are interesting. The combination of blues and guitar licks is appreciated.

"...My generation grew up with the very best music and it permeated our lives completely...." Read more

"...He was perhaps the greatest rock guitarist ever, Hendrix notwithstanding, but he would have had a larger hole to fill had Gregory been taken out...." Read more

"...And what became Southern Rock, that sweet, sweet combination of Blues and guitar licks ~ took my world by storm...." Read more

"...The number of influential people in his life and the band's is quite astonishing, and a considerable effort is given to recall every one of them..." Read more

79 customers mention "History"79 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful into the history of one of the greatest rock bands. They find it interesting to read about Gregg and Duane's childhood, family life, education, and backstage stories from the band's beginnings. The book recounts the history of the band from someone who was there from the very start. It helps them relive their past.

"...time Allman Brothers fan Gregg Allman's autobiography tells the backstage story of the band and fills in many of the blanks that fans probably did..." Read more

"...But if you want to read a very insightful book into the history of one of the greatest rock bands of all time, look no further...." Read more

"The two things I loved about this book were the narrative and the deep love that Gregg had for his brother Duane...." Read more

"...Couldn't invent this story, and it's all here, every bit of it, from the tragic to the laugh out loud funny...." Read more

43 customers mention "Picture quality"43 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pictures. They find it helpful to put faces to the names mentioned in the text. The words paint a realistic background of a time span, providing a true depiction of the life of a rock star. Readers appreciate the candid and honest portrayal of the musician's struggles and colorful life.

"...Their sound was so distinctive, so lush, sensitive and moving...." Read more

"...The book has many photos that the other 2 don't, another bonus...." Read more

"...in Nashville and ends like yesterday, and there are many pictures to help round the story out...." Read more

"...The autobiography also provides an inside view of what was like to be rock stars in the late 60s and early 70s with all of the drugs and sex that..." Read more

36 customers mention "Humor"29 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find it funny and tear-jerking, with some parts making them laugh out loud. The book is written in a conversational tone and is a good read. Readers appreciate the author's intelligent and thoughtful writing style.

"...Some of the stories are quite humorous such as Greg and Duane's attempts to avoid the draft for Vietnam...." Read more

"...were present, overall, the story-telling was very balanced, often humorous, and respectful...." Read more

"...this story, and it's all here, every bit of it, from the tragic to the laugh out loud funny...." Read more

"...Gregg Allman and thank him for sharing his story so beautifully and so boldly. RIP." Read more

57 customers mention "Pacing"37 positive20 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing. Some find it engaging and down-to-earth, with a humble and introspective style. Others find it boring after a while, lacking intellectual depth, and repetitive details that don't make up for the positive aspects.

"...Keith Richards, I was well and truly prepared for more of the eye-opening bizarreness of what my music idols lived...." Read more

"...I skimmed though a lot of the book as I found it tiring, boring, egotistical, immature and very sad at times...." Read more

"...Gregg tells all in a casual, narrative style that at times jumps around a bit and yet is easy to follow...." Read more

"...It has a casual, relaxed flow and that adds to the experience of the read, but not so slow it puts you to sleep...." Read more

Book was damaged.
2 out of 5 stars
Book was damaged.
I was disappointed to see the damage to this books spine and the fact that it came from a library. I like to keep all the biography’s that I’ve read but won’t be keeping this one. I guess that’s why the price was somewhat cheaper than a new one.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2017
    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.
    35 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2024
    THOUGH I'VE NEVER BEEN A FAN OF GREGG ALLMAN, I SIMPLY "HAVE" TO HAVE BIOGRAPHICAL BOOKS TO READ AND THE ONE I WAS READING WAS ALMOST FINISHED, SO WENT THROUGH BIOGRAPHIC BOOKS ON AMAZON THAT I HAVEN'T YET READ AND CHOSE THIS ONE AND AM GLAD I DID, BECAUSE IT IS SUCH AN EASY READ AND I FEEL NOW, EVEN THOUGH I STILL DON'T LIKE HIS KIND OF MUSIC AND I TRULY BELIEVE HIS ALCOHOL ABUSE SHORTENED HIS LIFE, I LIKED THAT I FOUND BY READING THIS, HIS PEACEFUL NATURE .
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2015
    I wanted to be opened minded about My cross to Bear", but to be honest I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew he had a co-writer, and I wasn't sure how much he actually contributed to the book; I mean he could of recorded just enough personal and pertinent information about his life to have filled his contract with his publisher and let his co-writer do the heavy lifting and most of the actual writing.
    But I must say, some of the chapters, especially those that involved his brother, Duane, are enjoyable.
    It's clear from the start that though Duane was just a little over a year older than Gregg,, he was a father figure for his younger brother.. Gregg also claims that his brother kicked his butt every day of his life as he was growing up. (Having an older brother myself, I tend to believe his claims has some validity, though I think Gregg probably exaggerated some.) I mean, couldn't Duane had been doing something a little less violent one or two days a week, like knitting socks or something? But that being said, it's obvious that there was a tremendous bond and love between the two brothers.
    Gregg tells some amusing stories in the book concerning Duane and Gregg. According to Gregg, he and Duane went horse back riding once and Duane got dumped on his butt along with the horse he was riding. Duane hurt his left elbow and left the stables really pissed-off at Gregg and told his brother to stay away from him.
    Gregg stayed away away for a few weeks and then went and bought the LP album by Taj Mahal and a bottle of coricidin cold medicine, because Duane had a bad cold. According to Gregg, he knocked on Duane's door, left the goodies on the welcome mat, and hauled ass. An hour or two later, Duane called Gregg and said, "Babybra, get your ass over here, I have something to show you. Well, Gregg goes over to his brother's place, and Duane had poured all the cold pills out of the bottle, washed the label off and put the bottle on his finger and was burning it up and cooking to the tune "Statesboro blues". So a legend and the king of the side guitar was born,
    As brother's, once they started playing music, they were pretty much inseparable and played gigs together all across the south.
    Gregg picked up the guitar first and showed Duane a few chords and licks; soon after that, Duane quit school and quickly passed Gregg as a guitar player.
    Another amusing story was about when Gregg got his draft notice. Gregg did not want to be drafted, so Duane decided to have a toe shooting party so Gregg could get out of the draft. It worked. Gregg shot himself after Duane put a target on his toe. Well, the toe shooting party was successful, and Gregg was classified 4-F.
    When the Allman Brother's started to make a name for its self, the drugs kicked in.
    We find out that Gregg had a propensity for hard drugs as his brother, Duane, did. (In the 1970 they played 300 hundred gigs across the country and were on the road for 33o days; I guess they needed something to chill out with.
    Just before Duane's death on October of 1971, Duane and Berry went to a drug rehab program to get clean; Gregg stayed in Macon and continued to do heron.
    I thought Gregg would come off sounding more like a whiner than he did. The lost of his father at the age two, and then the lost of Duane in a motorcycle must of took a toll on Gregg. He does come across as an alcoholic and a womanizer. But also like a man who loved music more than just about anything and would be happy playing for one person, or twenty-thousand. All and all, you're going to find the the book is worth the read. I enjoyed it.
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2024
    Gregory Allman lived a full and rewarding life, though he did have his own "demons" to deal with, as many people do when they turn to alcohol or drugs for long periods of time. A great deal of his life was spent living in the Sarasota/Bradenton area of Florida, which is where much of my family lived back in the day, and have since died there as well...great grandmother, grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins. We all especially loved Ana Maria Island, which was a big favorite of mine whenever my husband and I could get down there---just such a peaceful paradise. Such a shame that the music scene during those days was so full of "devices" that he succumbed to, but he was a great performer and very talented---wrote so many great songs and music. I read the entire book in two days, and could barely put it down...as it resonated with so much of my own life during those years.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Gerold Futschik
    5.0 out of 5 stars beste Biografie, die ich jemals gelesen habe
    Reviewed in Germany on January 6, 2022
    Purer Rock‘n‘Roll. Nach der Lektüre dieses Buches hat jeder, der es vorher noch nicht hatte, eine Ahnung davon, was Sex Drugs and Rock‘n‘Roll bedeutet. Ich habe das Buch bereits fünf mal gelesen und es büßt nicht an Spannung ein
  • Ricardo Alonso
    5.0 out of 5 stars te tienen que gustar allman brothers band.
    Reviewed in Spain on November 25, 2013
    titulo de un blues que toca con allman brothers band. entretenido lllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllll lll llllllllllllll lllllllllll llllllllllllllllll
  • RIGGER1
    5.0 out of 5 stars Finally! The real deal, couldn't put it down!!
    Reviewed in Canada on May 23, 2012
    First up, I'm a new generation ABB fan. Meaning, I wasn't born until '76 so it was mostly over by the time I was getting started! I found the ABB when I was around 15 years old and now 20 years later I STILL can't get enough! Ok, my point to this is that I have wanted to hear this story for quite a while now, and not from some 3rd party journalist! I thoroughly enjoyed this book for many reasons, it's really candid, open, and honest. Like anyone who's walked the hard road to finally find sobriety, one cannot accomplish this misson without brutal honesty teamed up with an excellent sense of humour!! A fascinating character as it is, Gregg weaves his perspective throughout the early years, the affects of death, and his eventual "coming to peace" with himself and his universe. I really enjoyed his "it is what it is" perspective, many a musician's autobiography has gone wrong for me with a depressing regret of "what if's".. This is a man that seems more "comfortable" with himself now more than ever. That's why this was the perfect time for it to be written, and the right time for me to enjoy every last page of it.. Hope this helps, enjoy!!
  • Jack Ladde
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best autobiographies I've read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 28, 2013
    A great read which I recommend to anyone who hasn't yet picked up a copy.
    I thought Gregg came over as full of warmth and very "human". He speaks again and again so positivey of the people he has met and worked with. Of course there is the exception of D. Betts. I felt Gregg was fooling himself a little there. He acknowledges the years he himself was fuckin up because of the alcohol and then seems quite hard when it comes to the shows ruined by the guitarist's drinking. And from the way he himself describes it, it does sound pretty much like he got the "you're out" news in a fax. But having said that, betts comes over very controlling and power hungry. I wasn't there, and it's one man's side of the story, but it does sound like he was a pain in the ass.
    The deaths are covered with real emotion, and I think Allman writes about his loss with a depth of emotion that is very moving. But even though he says so himself, I don't think he realises how much he idolises his brother, and how much Duane became the father figure he needed. Subsequently, his feelings about the band became intwined so deeply with his feeings for his brother that it becomes impossible for him to treat the Alman Brothers Band in anyway separate to his loss or love for his brother. I may be reading too much into it there, but the continuation of the band seemed to become a way for him of expressing his love for Duane.
    The Gov't Mule folk come out of it very well, and as well as leading me back to all my old Allman Bros albums I'm now in the mood to listen to more of their stuff.
    A great, entertaining read that does sound like the guy is sitting there telling his story. The professional writers did a great job of keeping his authentic voice on the page. As a result of reading this I feel a lot closer and more engaged with music that enjoyed for many years but which has now taken on added meaning. Nice one.
  • Jill van Vucht
    5.0 out of 5 stars Kept my interest
    Reviewed in Australia on July 26, 2014
    Honest and open book. Saw Gregg recently in Australia at a music fest. Can hardly believe about the intense lifestyle. Liked the final paragraph.