Butch Trucks, Allman Brothers Band co-founder, dies at 69
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-butch-trucks-dead-20170125-s...By Gerrick D. Kennedy and Randall Roberts•Contact Reporters
January 25, 2017, 10:10 AM
Butch Trucks, whose longtime drumming as co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band offered steady rhythm to such classics as “Rambin’ Man,” “Melissa” and “Whipping Post,” has died.
The drummer, who was 69, died on Tuesday night in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to a statement from his representative. No cause of death has been disclosed.
“The Trucks and Allman Brothers Band families request all of Butch's friends and fans to please respect our privacy at this time of sadness for our loss,” read the statement, in part. “Butch will play on in our hearts forever.”
As part of the dueling-drummer Southern rock rebels, Trucks’ work connected rock, old-school R&B, boogie-woogie and improvised jazz at a moment when the dominance of free-form FM radio afforded DJs the latitude to play extended, jam-heavy rock songs. The result propelled legions of stoned hippies — and straight-up players — to groove and dance.