Monday, December 07, 2009

Music Monday ~ GREGG ALLMAN

It'll be Gregg Allman's birthday tomorrow. He was born on 8 December 1947 in Nashville Tennessee at 3.59pm (Astrodatabank).

Though born in Nashville, his childhood was spent in Daytona Beach, Florida. He and his elder brother Duane were both into music from an early age. Duane became an ace guitarist, while Gregg concentrated on vocals and keyboards. They played together variously as The Allman Joys, The Hour Glass, and The Allman Brothers Band.

I'm not a fan of this type of music - old style rock mixed with country, blues and gospel, maybe a touch of jazz here and there. Gregg and the band have a fathful fan base though. I suspect many of 'em are of the biker fraternity. Even though I'm not a fan, I'm interested to find out whether Gregg's natal chart reflects what I can find out about his personality.

A succession of sad events litter his life's story:

The death of his beloved brother, Duane, in a motorcycle accident.
The death of another friend and bandmate in another motorcycle accident, almost a year to the day after the death of his brother, and within blocks of where that accident had occurred.
More than 30 years of recurring drug and alcohol abuse.
A gunshot wound to the foot that kept him out of Vietnam. (Wait -- that one doesn't count. It was intentionally self-inflicted.)
Having the endless escapades of his life, including love, drugs, success, failure, children and every other aspect of his existence paraded and inspected for the public by the media.
"At least" six marriages including one to Cher (1975-79). His album with Cher is shown below.

(Information from Wikipedia and Bankrate.com)

He's a survivor then! Said to have been clear of drugs and alcohol for some years, and still performing. Inductee of the Rock'nRoll Hall of Fame, he now lives a comparatively simple life in Georgia, with wife, dogs and a few Harley Davidsons.

Gregg Allman's natal chart:




Sun in Sagittarius along with Mercury, and Jupiter, ruler of that sign of excess. This guy doesn't do things by halves! He's an all or nothing kind. Moon in Scorpio adds a sexy and intense edge to his nature. Mars at 2 Virgo squares Mercury at 2 Sagittarius - reflects an energetic, maybe even aggressive side. Gemini rising promises a versatile individual, one who can "roll with the flow", and a love of variety (6 wives!! Cher was one of 'em - he recorded an album with her - see right). Speaking of his 6 wives - take a look back at my post last Tuesday (Slices of Jupiter) and see what Jupiter in 7th house indicates......"Jupiter in any house increases the number there of whatever that house represents. In 7th house, more than one marriage...." So when Jupiter is in its home sign Sagittarius as well as in 7th house, that assessment appears to be even more dramatically appropriate.

Natal Venus (planet of the arts) in common-sense Capricorn probably brought his rockin'rollin' feet back to Earth long enough for him to sober up, stay sober, drug-free, and to survive. I like to see any personal planet in Capricorn in the chart of a person engaged in the wilder side of show-biz. To me it seems like a celestial anchor and stabiliser.


6 comments:

Twilight said...

From Shawn Carson (originally posted at previous day)

Cool story twilight!
Saw the allman band in 1989 and it looked like they were using the same amplifiers and Hammond B 3 organ since the early 70's as their equipment showed lots of "road rash". regardless, they rocked the house in a way that only they can do it with a large rhythm section and gregg out front wailing away. they are one of the top 5 american rock bands of all time!
Gregg's chart has a square from N SA to N NO, illustrating some of the hard times in his life and making him unquestionably, "one heavy dude!

Twilight said...

Shawn ~~~ Thanks, as always, for the input. I guess Gregg is a strong and resilient character to have come through it all. :-)

The Next President of the United States said...

This is personal opin, of course, and I hate to get into a "race" designation, but the Allman Brothers Band is the greatest white blues band in history.

And I say that as someone who hasn't driven a motorcycle for 40 years!! ;-)

Again, hate to break this down to sex and race, but Gregg Allman, Joe Cocker, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Frankie Miller are the finest white male blues singers of all time.

Twilight said...

TNPOTUS ~~~ You're the expert, TNPOTUS, I shall take your word for it!

Nice to see an Englishman in there - and a Yorkshireman to boot.
Joe Cocker is really a one-off though isn't he! Defies categorisation. :-)

The Next President of the United States said...

Not sure I'm an ex-spurt on anything!!
By the way, Frankie Miller is a Scot. Isn't that sorta like an Englishman? Ooops, just felt my Scottish ancestors turning in their graves!!! :-)

Twilight said...

TNPOTUS - You have to let me be the judge of that1 ;-)

Oh, a Scot there as well - good! Ah weel, Scots, English, Irish, 'Murican, whatever. As they say up in Scotland:
"We're a' Jock Tamson's Bairns"
(Which, being translated, means we're all the same human race).:-)