Yesterday, Shannon Allman, the widow of the late iconic Allman Brothers Band rocker Gregg Allman, took to Facebook, writing an extensive post addressed to fans as well as Live Nation Concerts, the organizers of the beloved Wanee Festival at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. After thanking fans for their support this past year, Allman shared an open letter written to Wanee Festival about the lack of women on its lineup, encouraging fans to share if so moved.
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In her open letter to Wanee Festival, Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Florida, Shannon Allman first detailed how she and her late husband had frequently discussed increasing female representation on festival lineups and as his opening acts, elaborating “Despite assumptions about his bad boy reputation and image, [Gregg Allman] was a feminist at heart, raised by an independent, widowed mother.” Before Gregg’s passing in late May, Shannon explained that she had been in conversation with promoters about getting Kaleigh Baker on the bill, noting it was a dream of Gregg’s, as he became captivated by the singer after Shannon showed him a number of videos featuring the songstress.
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Shannon Allman’s tone in the letter is one of reverence toward Wanee, noting that the festival, which she describes as “the Brothers’ baby which has matured into the most beautiful old soul,” has “her heart” and stands as her “all-time favorite festival, of the countless I’ve been to around the world.” Despite this, Shannon explains that after Wanee’s lineup announcement for 2018, she “couldn’t help but immediately notice the nearly nonexistent presence of women,” offering up Lisa Mackey of Dark Star Orchestra and Elliot Peck of Midnight North as the lone examples.
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Given “the recent eruption of an endless news cycle surrounding the systemic oppression and unlevel playing field our system has provided for women,” Shannon decided to speak out. However, later in the letter, she similarly recognizes that the lack of female representation is not specific to Wanee, reflecting, “I wonder sometimes how this type of (common) situation passes so many eyes without anybody acknowledging or recognizing this issue before presenting it publicly.”
After noting that she recognizes the difficulties of booking large-scale festival such as Wanee and thanking the management for their hard work, she doubles down on why the lack of women on the lineup ultimately hurts the event. She explains, “Not only do I and many others want our souls stirred by the magical mysticism of female vocals and instrumentation, there is no shortage of badass female talent on the market or in Wanee-esque genres to not give these countless artists an opportunity. Not because they’re women. Because they rock.”
You can read the entirety of Shannon Allman’s open letter to Wanee below, which was first posted in the Gregg Allman Fans Facebook group here.
Thank you all for your ongoing love, support, and kind messages.
Some day I will find the words to articulate how you’ve lifted me and provided light in my darkest moments.
Thank you for loving Gregory and for showing me love simply for loving and having been loved by him. Taking care of and being taken care of by him has been my greatest honor.
For now, I’d like to share this letter I openly penned to our beloved Wanee Festival in case anyone feels similarly and cares to share in hopes of catching their attention and seeing some women added to the lineup! (Make sure you tag the festival and Live Nation for them to see your thoughts and posts.)
“Dear Wanee Festival, Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Florida,
One of the songs that has gotten me through the loss of my husband, Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band, is his self-penned “Dreams.”
(Of “Dreams,” Gregory said, “I showed them ‘Dreams,’ and let me tell ya, they joined right in. We learned that song the way you hear it today, and I was in, brother.”)
Witnessing the stunning version performed by family at the The Peach Music Festival tribute to Gregory and Butch Trucks brought me to my knees in tears of grief and gratitude. Lord knows, I’ve been “hung up on dreams I’ll never see” now that he’s gone.
One of them, which we discussed often, was working together to increase female representation on festival lineups and as his opening acts.
Despite assumptions about his bad boy reputation and image, Gregory was a feminist at heart, raised by an independent, widowed mother; a man who believed that equality for women was simply common sense, not something to debate or fight to take rights away from.
I recall vividly one night, in a hotel room on the road, playing him about six or seven female artists, each one of which he sort of shrugged at and asked me to skip to the next, not feeling that their vibe aligned with his “blues flavored rock n roll.”
After about 12 seconds of listening to Kaleigh Baker, he excitedly pointed at the screen and exclaimed, “YES!” We watched several more of her music videos.
Many have described Kaleigh as a “bluesy Adele,” and while I can’t quite ignore the obvious similarities of their soulfulness, powerhouse vocals, and Kaleigh’s bone deep blues, I hesitate to compare women – or anyone. They are each their own extraordinary artistic selves.
I immediately emailed Live Nation and multiple managers but the season was booked and, as happens, life and medical issues shifted our focus in other directions.
Bringing Kaleigh on to open for Gregory is a dream we had to let go of.
When I saw the lineup announcement for Wanee 2018, which will be my ninth, I couldn’t help but immediately notice the nearly nonexistent presence of women.
(Lisa Mackey in Darkstar Orchestra, Elliott Peck in Midnight North, and…?)
Recent news of Nikon hiring 32 men and 0 women to promote their camera came to mind, not to mention the recent eruption of an endless news cycle surrounding the systemic oppression and unlevel playing field our system has provided for women.
I think of Wanee as the Brothers’ baby which has matured into the most beautiful old soul.
It’s where I discovered myself, found family and friends, where I learned that there are others in the world who appreciate and experience music and life the way I do. This was a revelation for a small town Southern girl.
Wanee is my all-time favorite festival, of the countless I’ve been to around the world, the memories of which have positively changed me forever.
Occasionally, I thought Gregory might be tired of hearing me gush about my love for Wanee year after year, as he didn’t have the same fan-side experience, but, ultimately, i know how proud he was to have helped create something that he, I, and countless others look forward to all year.
I loved to tell and he loved to hear stories of the silly antics, crowd energy, friendships and connections made, engagements, marriages, and even children conceived at the festival he and his lifelong brothers made possible along Florida’s Suwannee River.
I know it’s impossible to please everybody. There will always be artists that some want to see that aren’t available or included and acts booked that others will complain about. Time slots will clash and people will gripe about the best possible problem — having two bands you want to see play at once.
Thank you for all of the hard work, effort, and energy that goes into planning and executing this magical event year after year.
I, for one, love most of the 2018 Wanee acts announced and am excited to discover the few I’m not yet familiar with.
However, I think that the exclusion of women completely is an entirely different matter. Not only do I and many others want our souls stirred by the magical mysticsm of female vocals and instrumentation, there is no shortage of badass female talent on the market or in Wanee-esque genres to not give these countless artists an opportunity.
Not because they’re women.
Because they rock.
Admittedly, I wonder sometimes how this type of (common) situation passes so many eyes without anybody acknowledging or recognizing this issue before presenting it publicly.
There’s been back and forth discourse about whether this was an initial phase lineup or the final announcement. I’m holding my breath with many friends, anxiously hoping and waiting to see some of our talented sisters whose music we adore, crave, and are healed by added to our beloved festival. Our home.
Wanee, you have my heart.
Please continue to provide and make my sisters and me feel that we also have a safe, represented space like the other half of our music loving family.
I’ll see you in April.
Your friend and fan,
Shannon Allman”
[Photo: Benjamin Adams]