Redcoats to perform halftime Allman tribute Nov. 4

The University of Georgia Redcoat Marching Band will perform a tribute the late Gregg Allman during halftime of the UGA vs. South Carolina football game on Nov. 4.

The Redcoats will perform three songs written by Gregg Allman – “Whipping Post,” “Midnight Rider,” and “Blackhearted Woman” – and one song co-written by Allman and Dickie Betts, “Ramblin’ Man,” which was performed and recorded by the Allman Brothers Band. The famed Georgia-based rock and blues musician passed away on May 27, 2017.

In 2015, UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences announced a significant endowment in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music to establish the Gregg Allman Music Scholarship. Allman visited campus and performed a concert at the Georgia Theatre, where the scholarship was announced with Franklin College dean Alan Dorsey and the scholarship’s inaugural recipient, music performance major Katie Black.

"When I first started playing music, I played for myself," Allman said, "meaning that I played to feed the appetite for knowledge. I wanted to play because I wanted to play and learn. But later on you realize that you can do things for other people while just doing what you love to do. And why not pay it forward?”

Other recipients of the scholarship have been Victor Wu  (2015-2016), Bachelor of Music, Music Performance; Taylor Poole (2016-2017) AB Music; and Nathan Trivers (2017-2018) Bachelor of Music, Music Composition.

The scholarship was one result of a successful Gregg Allman tribute concert at the Fox Theatre in January 2014. Allman and band manager Michael Lehman decided to use the proceeds to benefit the future of music at Syracuse University, where Lehman's daughter attends, and the University of Georgia, a place near and dear to Allman, who has a history in Georgia and lived in Richmond Hill, near Savannah.

Lehman will visit campus to talk to students about the music industry and his work with Allman, and attend the Redcoat Band's tribute in Sanford Stadium.

“Because of their connection to Georgia, we have been considering performing more of the Allman Brothers’ music for years,” said Michael Robinson, professor of music and director of the Redcoat Marching band. “After Allman’s passing, we felt that it was very important for us to recognize his artistry and that of his bandmates. We’re particularly glad to honor Gregg’s memory, considering his generosity to the university, the Franklin College, and the Hodgson School of Music.”

“The music in this show presents some interesting demands for a marching band,” said Brett Bawcum, associate director of athletic bands at UGA. “There are some metric complexities and more “bluesy” tempos and grooves than we see in a lot of our other music. Learning it has been pretty challenging and an awful lot of fun.”