Gregg Allman Has Not Entered Hospice Care, Manager Insists

Reports of Gregg Allman entering hospice care are untrue, his manager told Variety via a representative on Monday. His comment was soon followed by a post on Allman’s Facebook page, which reads:

“A message from Gregg: ‘Hey everyone. I just wanted y’all to know that I’m currently home in Savannah resting on my doctor’s orders. I want to thank you for all the love that you are sending. Looking forward to seeing everyone again. Keep Rockin’ ‘ ”

In other words: Not in a hospice.

Rumors circulating over the weekend were soundly denied by Allman’s manager through his publicist, but on Monday a report from the radio station 97X in Davenport, Iowa was picked up by Relix magazine’s website, which gave it a higher profile. Travis Tritt was among many sending the veteran rocker his best wishes via Twitter.

Allman, 69, has suffered a number of ailments in recent years, including an irregular heartbeat, a respiratory infection, a hernia and a liver transplant. In March cancelled all 2017 tour dates, citing undisclosed health reasons. Some of those dates were rescheduled from January, which he’d cancelled in November citing a need for vocal rest; several dates last summer were cancelled as well. The veteran rocker suffered from drug and alcohol abuse earlier in his career, and entered rehab for medication treatment as recently as 2012.

For his work with the Allman Brothers, the legendary band he cofounded with his late brother Duane, and as a solo artist, Allman is one of the leading lights of Southern Rock. While the group’s greatest work was done before and shortly after Duane’s death in 1971, they stayed together, off and on, over 45 years and remain a singular influence on Southern rock and jam-band musicians. They were a top-drawing touring outfit until October 2014, when the group finally closed the book on their career with a series of dates at their longtime favorite venue, New York’s Beacon Theatre.

Allman’s solo career always played second to that of the band, but he enjoyed solo success with 1973’s “Laid Back” and 1987’s “I’m No Angel,” both of which were certified gold. In 2011 he released an unexpectedly strong album entitled “Low Country Blues” that was produced by T Bone Burnett (Alison Krauss/Robert Plant, Los Lobos, Elvis Costello, “O Brother Where Art Thou?”), who, along with instrumentalists like pianist Dr. John and guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, brought Allman back to his gutsy roots with stellar results.

Allman’s most recent solo release is a 2015 live album titled “Live: Back to Macon, GA,” the Allman Brothers Band’s original home base.

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