Brothers Duane and Gregg Allman had been playing music since childhood, and by the late 1960s, Duane had become a sought-after session guitarist, working with artists like Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. But he had bigger ambitions: a band featuring two lead guitarists and two drummers. With Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, and Jaimoe Johanson joining the brothers, the Allman Brothers Band took shape in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969.
The group’s first two studio albums struggled commercially, but their second, Idlewild South, contained a song destined to become a Southern rock classic. Gregg Allman wrote most of “Midnight Rider” while rehearsing in Macon, Georgia, but couldn’t quite finish the lyrics. Enter roadie Robert Kim Payne, who supplied the missing lines. Once the song was complete, the musicians were eager to record it. Unfortunately, the studio was locked, and nobody was willing to open it. What happened next probably wasn’t in the rental agreement.
“Midnight Rider” tells the story of a man determined to keep moving despite the obstacles in his path. Although the original recording wasn’t a hit, the song eventually found success through versions by Gregg Allman himself, Willie Nelson, and even a Jamaican reggae singer.
How did this late-night creation become an enduring classic? And what does it have to do with professional wrestling and a controversial insurance commercial? Join Mike Messner for the story of “Midnight Rider.” Or, don’t. We’re not your boss.
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During the Trivia Answer, Mike mentioned Episode 159, which is Claude’s interview with The Yardbirds’ Jim McCarty. Here’s a quick link to that episode.