Particularly poignant are the pictures Allman, 64, paints of the band's fraternal nature pre-fame, times when fun meant shooting pool at their Macon, Ga., group house or grabbing 'a watermelon and going down to the rock quarry.' That would give way to private jets to the Caribbean, often separately. For generations of fans, Allman's book provides insights into the many turns in that long road. The Allman Brothers are in the spotlight of late, having just received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy for their 43 years of soulful mirthmaking. (Recent heart tests have delayed his book tour.) On the plus side of the ledger were the usual perks of fame and fortune as well as enduring music typified by the band's iconic live album, 1971's At Fillmore East.

My Cross to Bear, Allman's autobiography written with Alan Light, is a soul-searching rumination on a hard-lived life, one that yielded multiple marriages, endless bouts with drugs and alcohol and health woes that include a liver transplant for hepatitis C. PHOTOS: Gregg Allman reflects on his life and career So it is both intriguing and perhaps not surprising to learn that behind the Allman Brothers lead singer's steely exterior is a complex man who hates to be alone, crucifies himself daily over his last exchange with his late brother Duane and leaves room for the possibility of reincarnation. Equal measures John Wayne, Hells Angel and Muddy Waters, a tattooed stoic you wouldn't want to cross. Gregg Allman has always seemed more archetype than real.

Gregg allman cross to bear