Live Nation NYC looks to be preparing for a 50th-anniversary celebration of The Allman Brothers Band in March 2020. On Tuesday, the concert promotion giant shared an illustration of a mushroom and a peach—longstanding visual elements of the Allman Brothers—featuring the text, “The Brothers” and “March 2020”, in addition to the supporting caption, “Stay Tuned. #TheBrothers50.”
Neither Live Nation nor any surviving members of the Allman Brothers Band have shared any more details on what looks to be a 50th-anniversary event next year, although the music and legacy of ABB are as strong as ever. It’s worth noting that the ABB family has taken some hits in recent years with the deaths of Butch Trucks and Gregg Allman in 2017. Guitarist Dickey Betts has also had some recent serious health issues, although he has found the strength to continue performing to some extent.
The latest iteration of the Allman Brothers’ legacy is a new rock act, The Allman Betts Band, led by Devon Allman (son of Gregg Allman), Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts), and Berry Oakley Jr. (son of Berry Oakley). The Allman Betts Band released their debut album earlier this year and spent time on tour supporting acts from their famous dads’ era like John Fogerty and Marshall Tucker Band.
The concept of a 50th-anniversary celebration surrounding the pioneering southern rock band seems fitting for the jam world in which they exist as pioneers. Similar to that of the Grateful Dead‘s Fare Thee Well performances in 2015, surviving members of the extended Allman Brothers family along with some newer faces would be a big hit for the band’s nation-wide legion of fans—many of whom still celebrate the everlasting spirit of the band at annual events like The Peach Music Festival.
Related: Inside The First-Ever Allman Brothers Band Rehearsal
The Allman Brothers Band took their final bow at The Beacon Theatre in New York City on October 28th, 2014. By that point, the longest-tenured members of the band were Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks, and Jaimoe. With both Allman and Trucks now floating down that never-ending road with Duane, Berry, and company, founding drummer Jaimoe and Dickey Betts (who left the band in 2000) are now the only surviving member of the original lineup. However, the Allman family tree has always extended much further than blood, and there are plenty of ABB vets still playing that would be exciting additions to this celebration of the band’s legacy, from Derek Trucks to Warren Haynes to Oteil Burbridge to Marc Quiñones to Chuck Leavell to Jack Pearson and beyond. That’s not to mention all the younger ABB family proteges that have emerged in recent years. With the Allman Brothers Band, the road goes on forever…
Fans should keep an eye out as March 2020 draws closer for more details about this 50th-anniversary “The Brothers 50” event in New York City.