← Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Classic Replay-Behind the Music with Devon Allman
00:35:14
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- [00:00]
Buzz Knight
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:04]
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This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover more@chase.com Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.
- [00:59]
Buzz Knight
Please welcome aboard the Johnson Family.
- [01:02]
Devin Allman
The whole fam's here for the Disney Cruise. So you know we came to play. And listen. The adults are gonna have a ball. First we're chilling in the infinity pool, onto massages at Sense's spa, then gliding into Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge for a toast. We're even gonna kick back with Mickey on Disney's private island. That's how we get down cause Disney Cruise Line is where we came to play.
- [01:29]
Ryan Seacrest
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Buzz Knight
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Buzz Knight
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Buzz Knight
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- [02:53]
Devin Allman
Taking a Walk.
- [02:54]
Buzz Knight
I would sip it in with the Allman brothers. And I tell you what, you know, having to stand between Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks or Warren Haynes and Dickey Betts, you know, and play on One Way out or something. These are like the Jedi masters of guitar, you know, the only thing you have when you're in that situation is that you have you. There's only one you in the universe, you know, you can't be Robin Trower or Jimi Hendrix, you know, I could only be Devin Allman.
- [03:22]
Devin Allman
Welcome to the Taking A Walk podcast, the show where your host Buzz Knight talks with musicians about their careers, their passions and their latest projects. Today, he speaks with a member of rock royalty. Devin Allman is the son of Greg Allman. He's releasing his first new album in eight years called Miami Moon on on Create Records. Buzz speaks with Devin Allman on Taking a Walk.
- [03:49]
Devin Allman, thanks for being on the Taking a Walk podcast, man.
- [03:53]
Buzz Knight
What a pleasure. Thank you for having me and happy Monday morning.
- [03:57]
Devin Allman
Same to you. I'm gonna start with this. I had the opportunity one time to ask the great Bill Graham the greatest show he ever saw. His response was it was the Allman Brothers at the Fillmore east. It was an 11:30 show. The band played till the sun came up and the sun came through. It was just like church was his comment. I wanted to get your comment on that and then ask you about some of your favorite venues that you're looking forward to playing, especially with the Almond Beth's revival tour.
- [04:38]
Buzz Knight
You know, I've actually talked to people that were at that Fillmore show and they talk about the magic that happened that night and you know, how it kind of made time stand still. And you know that they have really vivid memories of, you know, of it, you know, going so late and nobody cared. You know, you don't hear about that these days. You know, when I hit the stage, my tour manager will say, hey man, it's an 11 o' clock curfew and if you go over, it's a $5,000 fine. You know, you'll hear about these things. It's, it's such a tight ass vibe when it comes to city ordinances, noise ordinances, you know, and I get it, they've overhauled some of these communities, neighborhoods to have a lot of residential, but you could never get away with that these days, man. So they were really in a golden era for rock and roll. And yeah, I wish I would have seen some of those shows. I wish I would have seen Hendrick and Cream and obviously the. The Allman Brothers with Dwayne. But with that in mind, you know, got to be grateful that we're still able to do this in their honor. Really honored, a true honor to step on the stage at the Beacon, where they made so many memories and played so many shows and play their music. It's. It's not lost on us. This is not something that's. It's just not lost on us. When we hit that stage, we know the gravity of the situation. We know the gravity of that songbook. We know the gravity of. Of the people that have spent literally the best times of their lives in that room. So the Beacon is very powerful. Powerful for our families and the memories and the fans. We can't wait to be there again. The Ryman has become special for our revival tour in Nashville just because of, you know, as a consequence of time, that Nashville has finally become what it was supposed to become, a musical mecca that was not just relegated to country and western music, but all forms of music. Jam bands, rock, Americana, blues. And it's really stepped into the light as such. And the Ryman seems to be that kind of beating heart of that community, and it's really brought in some great people to jam with us. So the Ryman's been kind of a who's who of who will show up for us, kind of kind of become our Beacon in a way. Last year, we were completely floored and honored to have Jason Isbell sit in and Sierra Farrell come out and. And really lift the vibrations of. Of what we do in. In honor of. Of Dickey Betts, Greg Allman and the whole Allman Brothers Band. So it's always a pleasure. It's. At the end of the year, this revival tour, it's always three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is the eighth year and. And we're just honored to do it every year. It's. It's also a big reunion for all of us. You know, I think I go the whole year, busy as shit, you know, and it's like, oh, Luther Dickinson get, you know, given, giving him the biggest hug. Jimmy hall, you know, these cats that I haven't seen all year because we're all, you know, doing what we do.
- [08:06]
Devin Allman
Fillmore west, not a bad place to play either, I would think, huh?
- [08:10]
Buzz Knight
Yeah. You know, the revival started eight years ago at the. At the Fillmore. It wasn't a tour. It was not multi city. It was just one night. It was dad's 70th birthday. He had passed earlier in the year, and it was just a party in his honor. So that one show at the Fillmore west is what birthed this whole thing. Nobody saw this coming. This was never planned out. It was a birthday party for dad. And the Fillmore called a week later and said, well, that was fun. Can we do it again next year? And, you know, here we are.
- [08:45]
Devin Allman
It's like a responsibility, though, right? I mean, it feels like, you know, it. It really is.
- [08:49]
Buzz Knight
It is now, for sure. You know, ultimately, there's a lot of people that can pick up parts of this songbook and go do it justice and give it a lot of love and people that are connected to it. Dwayne Betts and I grew up on the tours. We. We grew up listening to this music and listening to the masters that made it, and it's meaningful to us. When I start Melissa or when Dwayne counts off Blue sky, it's. It's heavy, man. It's. It's really, really, really heavy. It's. It's so bittersweet because Dwayne and I, and I think I can speak for him. On the one hand, we're so honored to. To recreate this music, you know, and we have our own careers and our own records, so when we get to do this, it's special. But on the other hand, we just wish our dads were here to. To play Melissa in Blue sky, you know, so it's very. It's. It's a delicate balance there, and it's emotional.
- [09:51]
Devin Allman
Major congrats on Miami Moon. It's fantastic. Can you take us back to when you went to. To school? Observing as a fly on the wall, a recording session with the Allmans with the legendary producer Tom Dowd.
- [10:09]
Buzz Knight
Yeah. So I. I never got to see them work at Criteria where I made Miami Moon. Criteria for those that don't know, the. The famous studio in Miami, Florida, where. Where Eat a Peach was done, where. Where Derek and the Dominoes made Layla, parts of Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, the Bee Gees, those. Those songs we all love. Part of Fleetwood Mac Rumors. The list goes on and on. It's a special place. The Allman Brothers also made seven turns there. Their. But their next record, Shades of Two Worlds, was made at a. At an equally important historic studio, Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, where all your favorite ZZ Top, from Sharp Dressed man to, you know, all the. The first six records or whatever, they were all done at Arden, and I got to Co go down and. And watch Tom Dowd produce that album almost on. On the daily. Because I lived in Memphis and I had a, you know, kind of fledgling rock band. We were trying to be, I don't know, something like Aerosmith or some shit. We didn't. We didn't know shit from Shinola. We were 17 years old. We were sneaking into clubs, trying to act like our favorite rock stars, you know, But I, as much as I was trying to fit into a groove like Aerosmith or whatever, who just announced a retirement, which was so sad to me. But I digress. As much as I kind of was 17 years old and trying to, you know, be Steven Tyler or who, Whomever. I had the sense enough about me to go and watch Tom Dowd produce the Allman Brothers. And, and I knew that it was a heavy thing to, to watch and to kind of take in. It was special. And, you know, I can't say that I necessarily picked up a bunch of production tricks or whatever, but it was really cool to see that he was absolutely a member of the band while they were in there. Everybody was looking to him. Hey, man, should we double that intro? They look at Tom. Hey, man, should Warren go to slide right there. They'd look at Tom. You know, he was the trusted magnetic north of those recordings. Their love for him knew no bounds. You know, he was a dad, he was a head coach. He was, you know, he was a barometer. He was. He was everything for them. So that was. That was powerful to watch.
- [12:48]
Devin Allman
If the walls at Criteria Studios could talk, what. What would they be saying? And did you feel those vibrations when you recorded Miami Moon?
- [12:59]
Buzz Knight
I don't think those things could be repeated. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I, I. When we walked in, you know, I went to. I went to actually tour the place first because I. I wanted to feel those vibrations. And, you know, walking into the main cutting room, I was like, wow. Like, there's. There's a weight there, for sure. I always feel that in studios. I went and toured Electric lady not too far, you know, a year ago, considering making a record there as well. And, yeah, I feel it. You know, we. We made the Two Almond Bets Band Records at Muscle Shoals, and I could feel it there. It's a vibe, you know, I think. I think the, the electrons and that, you know, get trapped up in the walls and. I don't know, I can feel that stuff. But once. That's kind of, you know, that's why I wanted to go tour at first. I didn't want to feel that on a work day I wanted to go check it out, take that deep breath, feel it, live with it. Sit in there for a couple hours, you know, I talking, talking to Trevor that runs the place and then like, okay, and I'll see you in a few months. Let's make a record in a few months. So I kind of got that out of the way, that heavy, you know. And so when we got in there, I hired a really amazing band. I got George Porter Jr. On bass, whom everyone knows from the Meters and his current band, the Ronin Partners. Ivan Neville, who plays with Keith Richards and dumps to funk. On keyboards. Adam Deitch, one of the, the hottest drummers on the scene today, who plays with Lettuce. He's one of the funkiest. Carl Denson on saxophone. Jackson Stokes on guitar from my band. And then Tom Hambridge who produced it. He's won the last few Grammys, the blues Grammys with Kingfish and Buddy Guy and Tom, Tom Hambridge and I have been making records together for, for a minute. I think we've done three, three albums together. And we just, we set up in a circle, we just jammed, you know, we ordered in Cuban food and watch the NBA on breaks and screaming at the TV, you know, @ the slam dunks and, and we had a lot of fun and it was a, it was a very, just enjoyable time. And, and once you kind of got in that circle and you're, and, and you're giving the tunes a run, then all that, that heaviness kind of goes away because you're really, you're, you're working, you know. But at the end of the night, you know, we got to shuttle back to the hotel and you're thinking, damn, like we're getting to add to that, that history, you know. I'm so grateful it's still open. I'm so grateful Electric lady is still open and Ardent Studios is still open and Criteria Studios. And in an era where you can go into your bedroom with a laptop or your basement and make a kick ass hit record, that's all the more impetus for me to want to go to a historic studio, soak in the vibrations from the masters and you know, it's a hell of a lot more expensive. But I can think of no better way to spend a budget than to do a record how they used to be done.
- [16:21]
Devin Allman
Some of the tracks on there that, that I particularly love, I love White Horse Cool is, is sensational. I love also the theme of two particular songs and I wanted to get your take on this Theme.
- [16:37]
Buzz Knight
Sure.
- [16:38]
Devin Allman
Take time to taste it.
- [16:39]
Buzz Knight
Yeah, right.
- [16:42]
Devin Allman
And then you got to make it through the world. Yeah, I. I see the fact that you're trying to bring a sense of optimism in dark times, is that fair.
- [16:53]
Buzz Knight
To say for sure. You Got to Make it through the World as an old Van Morrison deep cut. And I kind of discovered that near the tail end of that whole covet, you know, And I was like, man, that's a nice message for these times. You gotta make it through the world. You gotta plow on through. You gotta pull yourself up by the bootstraps and. And have good community and positive, you know, positive outlook. And so that song was actually kind of the. The first one where I was like, that's a great message. I'd like to build a record around that. Like, I want to cover that song and build the record around that. And I was even considering naming the record you Got to Make it through the World. Then with that as kind of the. The, I don't know, kind of the entry point to making the record, then I. I started to write the record. It still stayed very optimistic, but it. It had a new life. I saw colors. I saw hot pink. I saw. I felt Miami and palm trees and, you know, a little sexiness, a little jazz, a little Curtis Mayfield and these things that I had really kind of squashed as inspiration and influences before. I really just let the floodgates kind of be open and say, you know, this is who I am. I. I don't have to make a record that fits in a blues rock category, so I can go play blues festivals or do whatever. Like, I love doing that. That's a big part of who I am. But I have this whole other side of me musically that. That really, you know, Curtis Mayfield. I have a. A Curtis tattoo.
- [18:34]
Devin Allman
Awesome.
- [18:35]
Buzz Knight
You know, it balanced out my. My Lea tattoo, you know, so Curtis Mayfield shot day. The Cure, the alternative rock band the Cure. I think those are some influences that might start surprise people that show up on this record.
- [18:50]
Devin Allman
I love that. That diversity is so fantastic.
- [18:54]
We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [18:58]
Chase Sapphire Reserve
This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. Travel is one of the most precious things in my life, and the memories of each of the experiences live on forever. Chase Sapphire Reserve allows me to travel with ease. With a $300 travel credit and access to a curated collection of hotels through the edit, so no matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding. With Chase Sapphire Reserve Discover more with Chase sapphire reserve@chase.com Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.
- [19:51]
Devin Allman
The Disney Hulu HBO Max Bundle plans starting at just $16.99 a month catch limitless live better now season one with Chris Hemsworth on Disney we got a lot of work to do. Alien Earth on Hulu this Ship Collected Monsters and Final Destination Bloodlines on HBO Max.
- [20:09]
Buzz Knight
Death is coming for our family.
- [20:12]
Devin Allman
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- [20:21]
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- [21:21]
Ryan Seacrest
Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and safeway now through August 12th. Get great savings on your favorite self care items and earn four times points when you shop in store or online. Shop for items like Neutrogena Cleansing and Makeup removing towelettes, Dove Men 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner, Dove Shampoo, Tresemme Shampoo Method Body Wash and Suave Body wash and earn 4 times points. Use these points for discounts on groceries or gas. Offer ends August 12th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.
- [21:54]
Buzz Knight
Okay ladies, when I said we came to play, didn't I mean it?
- [21:57]
Disney Cruise Family
This Disney cruise got me feeling like a queen.
- [22:00]
Buzz Knight
We can get massages at Sense of Spa. Have a meet and greet with Black Panther.
- [22:04]
Disney Cruise Family
Oh I love him and I can't Wait to sunbathe on the private island and the kids will be fine.
- [22:09]
Buzz Knight
Girl, they're good. Exactly.
- [22:11]
Disney Cruise Family
While they hang in the kids club with Mickey Mouse, we can do our.
- [22:15]
Buzz Knight
Thing and do it well all day.
- [22:19]
Disney Cruise Family
Disney Cruise Line is where we came to play.
- [22:26]
Devin Allman
Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [22:30]
You know what's amazing to think about that I'm sure the forefathers, the Allman Brothers forefathers are looking down smiling is the tremendous Allman community. You know, the Allman Betts community, the Tedeschi trucks community, these amazingly passionate, incredible musicians who are still out giving joy to the world is really something to behold.
- [23:02]
Buzz Knight
Yeah, it's, you know, just really grateful that, you know, as we march further into the new millennium, I mean, we're, you know, we're almost at a, at a quarter century in, you know, we're almost at 2025 and to, you know, to be at almost the year 2025 and have this music still be vital and have an audience and, and, you know, it's beautiful. So very, very grateful.
- [23:29]
Devin Allman
What themes do you find yourself drawn to when you're writing lyrics and how do you ultimately choose those subjects?
- [23:37]
Buzz Knight
I think there's a lot on Miami Moon. There's a lot of romance. There's a lot of kind of romanticizing your, your life really, you know, savoring the moments that you have. You know, hitting age 50 for me was like, wow. You know, certainly by no means slowing down. If anything, I'm actually going a little more hardcore lately. But I, I think savoring those moments and really respecting the, the time that you have with loved ones and, and you know, trying to inspire, you know, believing in yourself. I think there's a lot of that on this record. You know, White Horse is about, hey man, you can't wait for to happen. You got to go make it happen. You got to believe that, that you can, that you can go and achieve things, you know, and you're not you, you're only as stuck as, as you think that you are. So a lot of that is like kind of self reflective. But you know, there's also obviously, you know, people in our lives that we see when we see them stuck and, and it's like, hey man, snap out of it. You're, you know, so I think there's a lot of that, you know, there's a lot of just positivity for progress in people's lives and, and love.
- [24:52]
Devin Allman
Is there something in particular that your father's passing taught you?
- [24:57]
Buzz Knight
Well, that's a rabbit hole man, something that is passing taught me. I mean, you know, dad, he really gave his whole life to music. And as beautiful as that is, you know, he didn't leave as much time for family. And as much as music means to me, family's always going to be more important, you know, And I'm not saying that he, you know, but like an example, I just got done with like, our. Our 12th father son vacation with my son. You know, I never went on one vacation with my dad, and I don't have any bitterness about that. I just have a sadness. Like, man, I, you know, I wish he could have experienced that side of life. He kind of hid behind the music and he kind of hid behind the creativity. Whereas I love unplugging from that rock and roll world for a week with my son and going. We've done crazy.
- [26:04]
Devin Allman
We've.
- [26:04]
Buzz Knight
We've ridden camels out into the Sahara Desert in Morocco. We've hiked glaciers in Alaska. We've ridden the, the bullet trains in Japan. Like, you know, we've. We've seen the Grand Canyon. We've. We've, you know, we've four wheelers in the Sedona Desert, like, white water rafting outside of Seattle. Like, we've done incredible that. If you would have told me I'd be doing all that stuff with my son, like, when I was a kid, I would have thought, well, you're crazy. Like, that's. That sounds like the life of Indiana Jones or some, you know, truly, like. So we come back from these vacations. I just got back from the Japan one with my son, and I think I did learn a lot from dad's passing about that. Like, savor these moments, man. This is it, you know, I want my kid to do that with his kid.
- [27:00]
Devin Allman
Yeah, your father worked it, man. Like, I. Yeah, I was working in rock radio for much of my career, and, you know, he went out and worked it to get airplay and, you know, meet the program directors and everything. One of my most unbelievable experiences I have to share with you was somewhere in the. I'll mumble this, mid-80s, there was a rock programmers convention. It was this guy, Lee Abrams, who I'm still friends with, who he consulted a bunch of radio stations and got all the programmers together. And one night, Epic had a suite and I freaking saw your dad playing with a keyboard for 40 minutes for programmers. And it's one of those moments I'll never forget in my life, man. You know? So he worked it?
- [28:03]
Buzz Knight
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, he did, man, for sure. I mean, he Lived it, you know, and, you know, I do too. I definitely spent a lot of time on the road and, you know, I've started my own record label. I've had it going for about five years. I've, I've signed three different artists and I finally made the decision, the big leap to put my own records out on this thing. And it's a labor of love. It's, it's a lot of work. It's a lot of time on a computer. It's a lot of time with my team trying to figure it all out. You know, there's a big learning curve there. So definitely I'm as passionate, you know, with the business and with the music and all that. But yeah, I like to unplug from it and, you know, and be with my wife and be with my son and get that family time in.
- [28:54]
Devin Allman
When you think about unheralded Allman Brothers albums or songs, is there anything in particular that pops out to you?
- [29:05]
Buzz Knight
I mean, Dreams has always been my favorite song and Seven Turns is, is probably like one of my dark horse favorite records. I just, I love it. I think there was a, a new enthusiasm for them being back together. It was a crisp production without being, you know, overly, I think it come out in, in 90, 19, 90, but it didn't have that, you know, 80s sound that, you know, kind of kept going through at least 90 and 91. You know, the kind of over reverberated, like, you know, kind of schlocky 80s production. I love Seven Turns a lot. I think people might be surprised that that's one of my favorites.
- [29:47]
Devin Allman
It's a great one, you know. You know, which one I think deserves more recognition is no One to Run To.
- [29:56]
Buzz Knight
Yeah.
- [29:57]
Devin Allman
What a great song. My God.
- [29:59]
Buzz Knight
Oh, no, no, no one. Yeah. Yeah. So I think it's no one Left to run With.
- [30:05]
Devin Allman
Yeah.
- [30:06]
Buzz Knight
But the line, the lyric in the song is Nobody left to run with. And I always found that strange that the titles no One Left run with, but they sing Nobody Left to run With. Nobody Left to run with. That's just wild. I, I, I remember when we were learning that song for Revival and I would always do that with Jimmy hall as kind of a duet. I was like, wow, that's kind of, it's kind of odd, you know, why didn't they just call it Nobody Left to Run with, you know?
- [30:36]
Devin Allman
Yeah, I hadn't thought about that really.
- [30:38]
Buzz Knight
And I don't know if that was like a, a printer up like, you know, and they just were like, ah, keep it or if that was intentional. I still don't know. I should ask Warren Haynes. Warren might have a take on that. I think I will. I'm gonna text him that. I love it. I love.
- [30:53]
Devin Allman
I spurned it on.
- [30:55]
Buzz Knight
Yeah, I'm gonna. I'm gonna text him right now. Wouldn't it be neat if during the interview he comes with an answer?
- [31:00]
Devin Allman
He probably will, right?
- [31:03]
Buzz Knight
Hey, Warren. Happy Monday, brother. Got a quick question for you. Let's see what he says. It'd be funny.
- [31:15]
Devin Allman
That's awesome.
- [31:17]
Buzz Knight
So, yeah, man. But, you know. You know, what a. What a career. I mean, that's. I went for, you know, I didn't even meet my dad till I was, like, 16. I met him outside the Fox Theater in St. Louis, Missouri. He was there. He was playing with. I want to say it was 38 special on the Just before the Bullets fly tour. In 88. I was 16. The bus pulled up, he walked off. That's the first time I ever saw my dad with my own eyes. And went into the venue, Fox Theater, into the dressing rooms, and he was. He was pretty nervous. And we sat there and we chatted for a while, and I watched him play. And, you know, and thus the. The relationship was born. And we always had more of a. Of a. I don't know, like a brother relationship. And there was points in time where my dad said, hey, did you ever think when you met your dad that you'd be the dad? Because he'd call me for advice, and, like, he knew I had my head on straight, you know, and he, you know, he obviously had his crazy decades and stuff, so we had a real unique relationship. He knew that I would always tell it to him straight, you know, I wasn't there to kiss his ass. I might have a. A viewpoint that he didn't like or didn't want to face, but I would always tell it to him straight. And, you know, there was a lot of mutual respect and a lot of love there. He, you know, he sorely missed for sure. But I, I, you know, I take solace in, like, the mu. You know, the music lives on. It's. It's. It's really nice when I walk into a place and I hear, you know, midnight Rider, or I'm watching TV and, you know, one way out comes on or whatever, and it's like, okay, hey, dad, how you doing?
- [33:09]
Devin Allman
And you had written him a very simple letter, right? Like, like, what was the contents. Can you reveal of that letter?
- [33:17]
Buzz Knight
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember, you know, as a kid, it's Tough to grow up without your dad. Well, where's my dad? All my friends have a dad. Where's my dad? And then I figured out pretty early on that my dad was famous and that that was a mind, you know. You know, my mom, bless her heart, and she passed five months before my dad, so I lost them both real, real quick together. My mom said she could have talked him a lot, but she said, hey, man, your dad's a good guy. You're gonna meet him someday. You guys are gonna get along great. And that. And that was it. And she. She always was positive about it. And I don't know, man. I. I just kind of. I went through life, you know, I. I had a normal upbringing. I played soccer. I ate McDonald's, I went to the movies. You know, they even changed my name to my stepdad's name for a few years, which I wasn't real crazy about. But when I met my dad, Yeah, I. I think I was 15. I saw. I actually saw a video of him, a music video on mtv. And I thought, well, this is stupid. Like, I should reach out. You know, this enough. You know, enough of not knowing. So I just wrote him a simple letter. And it said something like, hey, man, I'm your kid. I live in Alabama. I was living in Mobile, Alabama, at the time. I'm a sophomore in high school. I play guitar. I like Ozzy Osbourne. Here's my phone number. It was like. It was the dumbest shit letter you. You could ever write, but it was really indicative. I mean, I was 15 years old, you know, and sure as shit, I come home about a week later, and. And my mom, you know, was like, david, get down here. I run downstairs. I thought she had gotten hurt. And I go, ma, what's. What's wrong? And she's just looking at me like she's seen a ghost with her arm outstretched with the phone, saying, it's your dad on the phone. And I was like, get the out of here. You gotta be kidding me. And.
- [35:39]
Devin Allman
And he. He was nervous, wasn't he?
- [35:41]
Buzz Knight
Yeah, man, he was. He was nervous. And I said, well, mom, you know, I'm gonna take it upstairs. So I went up to my room and I picked up the phone, and I go, hello? And he goes, hey, Devin, it's your dad. And I was like, oh, what the. And I'm like, hey. Hey, man. How. You know. How you doing? Where. Where are you right now? Oh, I'm on tour. I met wherever he was, you know, and. And we. We talked on the phone. For about. Oh, God, man, it must have been about two hours. I remember my ear was hurting. I was like. But we talked a lot about music and a lot about guitar, and it was wild. It was really wild, you know. And then he was like, hey, I'm going on tour. You know, you should come to the show so we can meet. And, you know, a few months later, that's when I met him at fox Theater in St. Louis. And it was kind of off to the races. And you.
- [36:38]
Devin Allman
You open for the band frequently, right? Over time?
- [36:42]
Buzz Knight
Yeah. Like later on, probably starting around 93ish, I would. I would go out on stints where I would open for the Greg Allman Band, you know, my band at the time, kind of the band du jour, different iterations, would go out and support him, and then I would sit in with his band as well and kind of learn the ropes. I always used to just sing Midnight Rider, and then I became more of a guitarist, and I think I graduated to One Way out, and then after some time, I graduated to One Way out and taking one of the solos, you know, and it was. I kind of got this, like, piecemeal, like, step by step. Near the end, I was. I was featured on Dreams and had a solo in Dreams, which was incredible. And then I would sit in with the Allman Brothers. And I tell you what, you know, having to stand between Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks or Warren Haynes and Dickie Betts, you know, and play on One Way out or something was like, holy. These are like the Jedi Masters of guitar, you know. And what the do I, you know, the do I got compared to these guys? So, I mean, you know, the only thing you have when you're in that situation is that you have you. There's only one you in the universe. You know, you can't be Robin Trower or Jimi Hendrix. You can only, you know, I could only be Devin Almond. I can only play the licks and the feel and the touch and the way that I play and just hope for the best, you know, like, if. If I can just do the. Be the best me I can be in that moment, then hopefully I'll survive this, you know, head cutting that I'm about to receive. You know, but, you know, both of those cats, or all those cats, Dicky and. And. And, you know, rest in peace, man. Dicky was. Was such a force. Dicky was one of the cats that really helped me to believe in. In myself, like, even more than my dad. And I got, you know, I got to hang with Dicky quite a bit and tell him that over the last 10 years. But yeah, man, you know, you get thrown into the fire and you try not to, you know, get burned to a crisp.
- [39:05]
Devin Allman
Well, in closing, you clearly have been mentored by some of the greatest. Are you mentoring yourself, some of those coming up in the wings?
- [39:16]
Buzz Knight
Yeah, I mean, for sure. Like we, you know, I've, I've signed some younger artists. You know, we always keep a lookout. There's a kid down in Florida, Championship Jackson, who's coming up. You know, we've had him sit in. Grace Bowers is a phenomenal young talent. She just turned 18, but she sat in with us on the revival in Ryman at the Ryman Theater three years ago when she was like 15 years old. So we always, you know, that's a big part of the revival too. Is, is the diversity is the key there. Like, you know, we want to celebrate that songbook of the Allan Brothers, but we want to be inclusive of younger artists. Older, black, white, male, female. You know, we want that diversity in there. We want it to be a show that really, you know, includes. So it's not all, you know, white guy, burning hot guitar players. You know, we, we want great singers and soul singers and, and, and Jimmy hall, you know, and you know, somebody, Jimmy Hall, 70, you know, and Grace Bowers is 18, you know, we want that spread for a show like that. So absolutely, you know, if, if we are the bridge, you know, you got the original rock stars of the Zeppelins and the Beatles and the Alma Brothers and the Stones, you know, and you got these 18 year old kids that are, that are just now discovering Hendrix and, and you know, if, if people, you know, like us are kind of a bridge to, to aid in getting some of those younger folks listening to the right stuff, then that's all we could hope for.
- [40:56]
Devin Allman
Devin Altoman, Rock royalty. Dude, thank you so much for your time. Congrats on Miami Moon, which is sensational. Good luck on the revival tour and man, it's an honor to talk to you.
- [41:09]
Buzz Knight
Oh, what a pleasure, man. Thanks for having me today.
- [41:13]
Devin Allman
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.
- [41:31]
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- [42:26]
Ryan Seacrest
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- [42:56]
Buzz Knight
Ah, come on. Why is this taking so long? This thing is ancient.
- [43:00]
Ryan Seacrest
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- [43:03]
Buzz Knight
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Ryan Seacrest
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Buzz Knight
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Ryan Seacrest
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- [43:30]
Buzz Knight
All on one device. Please welcome aboard the Johnson family.
- [43:37]
Devin Allman
The whole fam's here for the Disney cruise, so you know we came to play. And listen, the adults are gonna have a ball. First we're chilling in the infinity pool, onto massages at Sense's Spa, then gliding into Star Wars Hyperspace lounge for a toast. We're even gonna kick back with Mickey on Disney's private island. That's how we get down cause Disney Cruise line is where we came to play.
- [44:04]
Ryan Seacrest
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Disney Cruise Family
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