2nd concert I ever attended was ABB. I was 14. Berry was still with them..Even at that young age I knew he was a special musician..Still the best concert I'd ever been to, and I've been to hundreds ever since..I'll be 68 on my next BD..I remember it like it was yesterday.
Fantastic video! I always thought Barry could throw down some killer Jazz runs as well. What he played underneath Dwayne and Dickie on the Filmore east records was amazing.
I was fortunate to see the original lineup at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. I remember noticing that Berry at times would stand to the side of Dickie Betts so he could look over the neck of Betts guitar. For me I always considered Berry of amongst the best bass players . He was as integral to the Allman Brothers as Duane and Dickie. Together the three of them plus Gregg and Butch and Jaimoe all played together each adding their own gift to produce the music of one of the greatest bands ever . It was so sad to lose Duane then oddly almost an exact year later Berry . The band carried on and off and on again to great success however it would have been preferred if the original members could stayed together and produce even more wonderful music. Berry absolutely deserves great respect and recognition 🙏👌😊☮️❤️
I saw Barry and Duane when the Allman brothers played in San Diego a few months before Duane died in a motor cycle accident. The best concert I’ve seen in my life, just straight up southern rock and roll !!
I was 16 when Berry was set free. I think I was around 14 when I was turned on to Live @ The Fillmore. That band, that performance, the music continued to shape my musical tastes and likes, that started with Hank Williams in the early 60’s. Their passing deeply affected me, right on up to Dickey’s passing. I’m thankful that I was born in a time where that music was so new, fresh and alive. Thanks much posting this, and all of the great musicians you cover.
Berry was and is an inspiration. He always gave each song a signature bass theme that developed beautifully as the songs progressed. His part in Ramblin Man got me hooked on bass when I was a kid..
In the late 60's I went to Forrest hs in Jax and witnessed the Allman's coming together as a band. I was at the Cedar Hills Armory, Jacksonville Beach Coliseum, Willowbranch Park Be In's and the Forest Inn jams. What a time to be alive.
Check out Bruce playing on Apostrophe on Frank Zappa's album Apostrophe. Incredible! As for Berry, nobody better. His lead runs at key times in ABB music is heaven sent.
I had a work trip to GA and was able to fit a trip to Macon. Any ABB fan should try to go to the Big House and Rose Hill Cemetery and other sites. Well worth the time and effort after listening to the Bros for all these years. Great video River Docs!
I always forget how young Berry and Duane were when they died. They didn’t even make it to the magical rock age of 27. I never knew Berry was a lead guitarist either. Thanks for another great episode man, I really dig your stuff.
My favorite band period. I'm a Skynyrd plane crash survivor. You should come down to Gillsburg on October 19th and 20th. Survivors and Reponders get together every year. It's a great story.
Mountain Jam ,off of Eat a Peach is one of my absolute favorites ! All the solos of each band member is outstanding !!! Barry's bass solo is still one of the best I've ever heard ! I have listened to that song over and over even still today . Amazing !!
I have been an ABB fan since I was about 12 ... I am 65 now and sadly never got to see the original band live - they were scheduled to come to my home town in late 1971 but cancelled due to Duane's death. The Fillmore East recordings remain, in my opinion, the best live blues/jazz/rock recordings of the last 50 years *at least*. I still listen to them all the time and they NEVER get old... so improvisational so innovative and SO tight it's hard to fathom. And Berry's bass playing on those recordings is beyond phenomenal - heart and soul of that incredible rhythm section with Jaimoe and Butch. He deserves WAY more credit for his playing than he gets. RIP Brother !
I remember when we saw the 1st Allman Bros album in the record store. We hadn't heard of the Allman Bros but we bought the album because Barry Oakley was on the cover. My dad, Tommy South; played drums in the Roemans with him after Birtie Higgins was in a car wreck. We have always been very proud of Barry. RIP Barry see you at that gig in the sky
I agree. Berry was one of the greatest bass players ever! He always played what was right for the song. Always solid but lead like. What a great band the ABB was! Loved their improvisations.
My first ever concert was The ABs at the spectrum in Philly, Duane was gone but did get to see Berry with the brers, to this day i cherish that show n experience, they were and are at age 67 my all time #1 band, miss you all....
Several yrs back I became friends with Kim Payne one of the original ABB roadies. Kim used to talk about him & Berry repeatedly listening to the Layla album together & tearing up at the Big House after Duane died. Kim was also dating Berry’s sister at the time & was ridding with him when he had his fatal accident. I herd rumor from a good source after Kim’s recent passing his ashes were sprinkled in Macon by the Brothers grave. R.I.P too them all.
...Barry played with soul and imagination which comes easy when you have soul and imagination....these guys weren't rock stars...they were MUSICIANS...big difference....
Hello again sir. Berry was an exceptional bass player. After gathering all of my content and info about the band, I have grown an entire new respect for them as musicians. I hate it so much that him and Duane were killed at such young ages. Can you imagine the songs we would have had if they had not been killed? It's gonna be later in the winter or even early next year before I will get my Allman Brothers video out. I have tons of editing and voiceovers to do and add in a lot of still pics. Stay patient, LOL, I'll let you know when they are up.
Great documentary, excellent early photos and information. I've been a fan ever since 1970 and thought I knew all there was to know about Berry, but this one gave me some new stuff and some new views. Thanks!
Berry was so great, the original ABB was so amazing and Berry was so remarkable, really the best bassist for Dickie and Duane! Duane and Berry had an amazing connection and Berry took up riding after Duane died, so many similarities
@@RiverDocs I am mainly a bass player (playing for >30 years), but also play lead and learned a ton of Dickie, Duane and Berry's stuff and musically they are so amazing.Berry holds down the low end and knows who to go high to elevate it, it's extraordinary... Blue Sky is one of my favorites to play, I like to play the guitar parts on my own after doing it on bass first. RIP Duane, Berry, Butch, Greg and Dickie!
DOC, always Love your Story Telling and got the facts down too! But I knew Dwayne left us way to early, But didn't know Berry's life was so short and he was from Chicago!? That's Cool+was a Guitar player first! Do you know if he ever played GUITAR 🎸 on any Albums or Song's?? Thanks My Music-In-Law Brother & hope you and the misses is well to?? Stay Safe through this Storm Bro 🙏❤️🫂✌️🤠
Thank You for this documentary. I attempted to research Berry & how he connected with Tommy Roe but didn't get far. Should have dug deeper. Oh well, Thanks for the research & the unseen photos too!
Thank you for spotlighting this great musician! He contributed so much, but gets little credit for his contributions to the ABB. There is not a lot of info out about him.
His mother was a 2nd grade teacher at St. Iranaeus in Park Forest when I was in 1st grade the year they moved to Florida. In the late 70's, I got out of the service in Georgia and was playing bass in a local southern rock/ country band and we opened a show for Grinderswitch. Their roadie asked if I wanted to play through the band's bass rig to make the switchover easier. I agreed and noticed the rig was a Mac 2300 power amp, an early Alembic stereo pre, and a JBL 2-15 cab with both voice coil covers removed and covered with duct tape. I asked about it after we sound checked and he said Barry thought the aluminum covers provided too much top end so he cut them off. I said who's Barry?
You're welcome. It does seem the bass players gets pushed to the shadows a lot. I have a few more on the channel, but way more guitar players than bass players.
i honestly believe that if those two lived the ABB would have maintained a cult following throughout all musical genres i.e. punk, alternative...A beautiful unique band. The skies the limit!!
He had a really unique bass guitar sound somewhere between Peter Cetera and Chas Chandler. Some of his best playing was on the two singles put out by the Second Coming in 1968 ua-cam.com/video/mOgia7iq9yw/v-deo.html
We are doing just fine here. The storm surge was the biggest issue where I live. But I was just far enough away to miss out on that. So all is good. Nice to see you and thanks for watching!
Thank you for the attention to Berry, he was truly Duane's soulmate. They rest alongside each other for all time. "We got a little number from our first album we're gonna do for ya, Berry starts it right off...."
Dickey was already with Barry calling themselves Second Coming before the Allman boys joined. And way too little credit is ever given to Dickey for the greatness of the Band named after the Allman brothers. So actually, Dickey's choice not Duane's.
Love the ABB. Would it be too much of a stretch to say that the early lineup was essentially a Southern rock band that happened to have a jazz rhythm section?
Their 'Live at the Fillmore East' is truly one of the great live albums.
The greatest lp ever🥳
2nd concert I ever attended was ABB. I was 14. Berry was still with them..Even at that young age I knew he was a special musician..Still the best concert I'd ever been to, and I've been to hundreds ever since..I'll be 68 on my next BD..I remember it like it was yesterday.
In fact, I turned 15 when the clock struck 12, and they were still jammin' hard!
Mine also. June 72, Capital Theater, Passaic NJ. They my band, always.
am jealous
Glad to see Berry getting the recognition he deserves
Fantastic video! I always thought Barry could throw down some killer Jazz runs as well. What he played underneath Dwayne and Dickie on the Filmore east records was amazing.
Agree!
I was fortunate to see the original lineup at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. I remember noticing that Berry at times would stand to the side of Dickie Betts so he could look over the neck of Betts guitar.
For me I always considered Berry of amongst the best bass players . He was as integral to the Allman Brothers as Duane and Dickie. Together the three of them plus Gregg and Butch and Jaimoe all played together each adding their own gift to produce the music of one of the greatest bands ever .
It was so sad to lose Duane then oddly almost an exact year later Berry .
The band carried on and off and on again to great success however it would have been preferred if the original members could stayed together and produce even more wonderful music.
Berry absolutely deserves great respect and recognition 🙏👌😊☮️❤️
I agree with everything you said! Thanks for watching!
Berry's greatness as a bass player is all over ABB on "Live At The Fillmore"....sometimes when listening to it i just listen to him.
yep...same here.
I saw Barry and Duane when the Allman brothers played in San Diego a few months before Duane died in a motor cycle accident. The best concert I’ve seen in my life, just straight up southern rock and roll !!
I was 16 when Berry was set free. I think I was around 14 when I was turned on to Live @ The Fillmore. That band, that performance, the music continued to shape my musical tastes and likes, that started with Hank Williams in the early 60’s. Their passing deeply affected me, right on up to Dickey’s passing. I’m thankful that I was born in a time where that music was so new, fresh and alive. Thanks much posting this, and all of the great musicians you cover.
Berry was and is an inspiration. He always gave each song a signature bass theme that developed beautifully as the songs progressed. His part in Ramblin Man got me hooked on bass when I was a kid..
Thank you for a short, yet extremely informative video on Barry
You're welcome
Greatest band of all time, Berry was the third guitarist in the band, thanks!
You're welcome,
It's a damn shame that Berry is almost never mentioned in any conversations of "best" bass players. He was truly one of the best.
you are talking to the wrong people then
In the late 60's I went to Forrest hs in Jax and witnessed the Allman's coming together as a band. I was at the Cedar Hills Armory, Jacksonville Beach Coliseum, Willowbranch Park Be In's and the Forest Inn jams. What a time to be alive.
Berry Oakley and Jack Bruce...both played the bass like a lead instrument and both were key members in the success of their respective bands...
John Entwistle
Check out Bruce playing on Apostrophe on Frank Zappa's album Apostrophe. Incredible! As for Berry, nobody better. His lead runs at key times in ABB music is heaven sent.
@@HenriRosenblum One factor that influenced Bruce's bass playing was that he was also an excellent piano player...
Fascinating video. Thank you for great info on a bass player truly underrated in the music world.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching.
Berry Oakley was absolutely one of the all time greats of the bass guitar, an incredible, instinctive, Improvising musician!
I had a work trip to GA and was able to fit a trip to Macon. Any ABB fan should try to go to the Big House and Rose Hill Cemetery and other sites. Well worth the time and effort after listening to the Bros for all these years. Great video River Docs!
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it!
Berry was truly brilliant.
Thanks for this great, insightful video!
Welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!
I always forget how young Berry and Duane were when they died. They didn’t even make it to the magical rock age of 27. I never knew Berry was a lead guitarist either. Thanks for another great episode man, I really dig your stuff.
Thank I appreciate it. Glad you enjoy the channel!
Thank you for recognizing a great bass player that played for the “greatest band of them all”!
He Was A Phenomenal Bass Player! Very Underrated! He Was A Very Handsome Man! He Didn't Receive The Recognition He Truly Deserved! R I P ❤❤❤
Another excellent show. Thank you.
🙏🕊️❤️
I purchased live at the Fillmore special 7 cd edition.
It's amazing.
❤️🕊️🙏
When I discovered how good he was - I couldn’t get enough- isolate his lines- he’s so tasteful- amazing bass player played with a pick and killed it!!
I agree. He was badazz!
My favorite band period. I'm a Skynyrd plane crash survivor. You should come down to Gillsburg on October 19th and 20th.
Survivors and Reponders get together every year.
It's a great story.
Never know. I might do that. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Berry's playing on the Fillmore East vinyl, especially, is bad ass.
Mountain Jam ,off of Eat a Peach is one of my absolute favorites ! All the solos of each band member is outstanding !!! Barry's bass solo is still one of the best I've ever heard ! I have listened to that song over and over even still today . Amazing !!
I have been an ABB fan since I was about 12 ... I am 65 now and sadly never got to see the original band live - they were scheduled to come to my home town in late 1971 but cancelled due to Duane's death. The Fillmore East recordings remain, in my opinion, the best live blues/jazz/rock recordings of the last 50 years *at least*. I still listen to them all the time and they NEVER get old... so improvisational so innovative and SO tight it's hard to fathom. And Berry's bass playing on those recordings is beyond phenomenal - heart and soul of that incredible rhythm section with Jaimoe and Butch. He deserves WAY more credit for his playing than he gets. RIP Brother !
I remember when we saw the 1st Allman Bros album in the record store. We hadn't heard of the Allman Bros but we bought the album because Barry Oakley was on the cover. My dad, Tommy South; played drums in the Roemans with him after Birtie Higgins was in a car wreck. We have always been very proud of Barry. RIP Barry see you at that gig in the sky
This made my day!! I’m a huge Berry Oakley fan! His bass work makes him one of my favorite musicians
I agree. Berry was one of the greatest bass players ever! He always played what was right for the song. Always solid but lead like. What a great band the ABB was! Loved their improvisations.
My first ever concert was The ABs at the spectrum in Philly, Duane was gone but did get to see Berry with the brers, to this day i cherish that show n experience, they were and are at age 67 my all time #1 band, miss you all....
Several yrs back I became friends with Kim Payne one of the original ABB roadies. Kim used to talk about him & Berry repeatedly listening to the Layla album together & tearing up at the Big House after Duane died. Kim was also dating Berry’s sister at the time & was ridding with him when he had his fatal accident. I herd rumor from a good source after Kim’s recent passing his ashes were sprinkled in Macon by the Brothers grave. R.I.P too them all.
...Barry played with soul and imagination which comes easy when you have soul and imagination....these guys weren't rock stars...they were MUSICIANS...big difference....
Hello again sir. Berry was an exceptional bass player. After gathering all of my content and info about the band, I have grown an entire new respect for them as musicians. I hate it so much that him and Duane were killed at such young ages. Can you imagine the songs we would have had if they had not been killed? It's gonna be later in the winter or even early next year before I will get my Allman Brothers video out. I have tons of editing and voiceovers to do and add in a lot of still pics. Stay patient, LOL, I'll let you know when they are up.
Hey, good to see you again. Yes make sure to let me know when you get your video completed. Thanks for stopping by!
@@RiverDocs Yes sir I will.
Great documentary, excellent early photos and information. I've been a fan ever since 1970 and thought I knew all there was to know about Berry, but this one gave me some new stuff and some new views. Thanks!
Great information river docs u do a great job as always the Allmans were the best blue skies forever that's back when bands made real music
Thanks Robert. Glad you enjoy the videos!
What a fantastic video have a great day Doc and also happy first day also week of fall ❤😊🍂🇨🇦🇺🇸🎸
Thanks! You too!
Great stuff! Thanks.
Awesome Bassist, love his groove on Mountain Jam and the solo
Right on ❤
Berry was so great, the original ABB was so amazing and Berry was so remarkable, really the best bassist for Dickie and Duane! Duane and Berry had an amazing connection and Berry took up riding after Duane died, so many similarities
No doubt, him and Duane had a connection. Thanks for watching!
@@RiverDocs I am mainly a bass player (playing for >30 years), but also play lead and learned a ton of Dickie, Duane and Berry's stuff and musically they are so amazing.Berry holds down the low end and knows who to go high to elevate it, it's extraordinary... Blue Sky is one of my favorites to play, I like to play the guitar parts on my own after doing it on bass first.
RIP Duane, Berry, Butch, Greg and Dickie!
Good info ,best band of all time.
He was a mature musician, far beyond his years. He led the "engine room", the glue, while Duane & Dickey led the music to incredible places.
DOC, always Love your Story Telling and got the facts down too! But I knew Dwayne left us way to early, But didn't know Berry's life was so short and he was from Chicago!? That's Cool+was a Guitar player first!
Do you know if he ever played GUITAR 🎸 on any Albums or Song's??
Thanks My Music-In-Law Brother & hope you and the misses is well to??
Stay Safe through this Storm Bro 🙏❤️🫂✌️🤠
Simply excellent!!
Great post!! Thanks!! ABB👍❤️
Great video man.
Thanks. Appreciate it!
Good stuff RD! Hunker down brother!
Thanks. I'm getting blowed around a little right now but we'll make it ok. Got both generators setting out waiting lol
berry starts whipping post. i heard of bertie higgins.
Thank You for this documentary. I attempted to research Berry & how he connected with Tommy Roe but didn't get far. Should have dug deeper. Oh well, Thanks for the research & the unseen photos too!
You're very welcome. Thanks for watching!
Berry Oakley
The master of the Tractor
Informative piece --- well done! So his grandson has the Tractor now? Thought I recall seeing it at the Big House at some point
Thank you for spotlighting this great musician! He contributed so much, but gets little credit for his contributions to the ABB. There is not a lot of info out about him.
Berry used a Hagstrom bass that he pulled the pick-up from and put into the Fender Jazzman bass. This became the "Tractor" bass.
The greatest American rock bassist
Great video!! Just found your channel and loved the content and immediately subbed! Mabey a Tommy Bolin video??? Cheers!
Hey thanks for the sub!! Appreciate it. I have a folder on Tommy Bolin. I'm sure he will show up someday. lol
@@RiverDocs looking forward!
His mother was a 2nd grade teacher at St. Iranaeus in Park Forest when I was in 1st grade the year they moved to Florida. In the late 70's, I got out of the service in Georgia and was playing bass in a local southern rock/ country band and we opened a show for Grinderswitch. Their roadie asked if I wanted to play through the band's bass rig to make the switchover easier. I agreed and noticed the rig was a Mac 2300 power amp, an early Alembic stereo pre, and a JBL 2-15 cab with both voice coil covers removed and covered with duct tape. I asked about it after we sound checked and he said Barry thought the aluminum covers provided too much top end so he cut them off. I said who's Barry?
Thanks for doing something on Berry. For some reason base players always “stand in a shadow”.
You're welcome. It does seem the bass players gets pushed to the shadows a lot. I have a few more on the channel, but way more guitar players than bass players.
“We got a little number from our first album, Berry starts it off” Greg Allman Whipping Post Filmore East. Nuff said. RIP Berry
That was Duane my friend.
Hello
i honestly believe that if those two lived the ABB would have maintained a cult following throughout all musical genres i.e. punk, alternative...A beautiful unique band. The skies the limit!!
Never knew he passed that long ago
There was magic among those boys. Together>solo.
He had a really unique bass guitar sound somewhere between Peter Cetera and Chas Chandler. Some of his best playing was on the two singles put out by the Second Coming in 1968 ua-cam.com/video/mOgia7iq9yw/v-deo.html
They never were the same after Berry, and then Duane passed.
HEY!! River Doc's hope you and yours is all right! looks like it got nasty!
We are doing just fine here. The storm surge was the biggest issue where I live. But I was just far enough away to miss out on that. So all is good. Nice to see you and thanks for watching!
@@RiverDocs COOL!😎✌
Mountain jam
I always thought Berry Oakley was one of the most inventive bass players in rock history, along with Jack Bruce, Phil Lesh and Jack Casady
I'm sure Al Paul could fill in some gaps for you.
Iconic band. Don't need to put southern rock in.
That bass should be in the Smithsonian.
The Allman Bros. was not a "Southern Rock" band
Thank you for the attention to Berry, he was truly Duane's soulmate. They rest alongside each other for all time. "We got a little number from our first album we're gonna do for ya, Berry starts it right off...."
You're welcome. Berry deserves a lot more attention as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for watching and your comment.
@@RiverDocs He absolutely deserves it.
Dickey was already with Barry calling themselves Second Coming before the Allman boys joined. And way too little credit is ever given to Dickey for the greatness of the Band named after the Allman brothers. So actually, Dickey's choice not Duane's.
Love the ABB. Would it be too much of a stretch to say that the early lineup was essentially a Southern rock band that happened to have a jazz rhythm section?