Rex Smith

Editor's note: The writer, a local lawyer, approached us after the recent death of musician Gregg Allman, wanting to share his memories of a concert by The Allman Brothers Band more than 40 years ago. He volunteered that what he wrote was “semi-autobiographical,” with people from his past—and concerts they attended—mixed into composite characters and composite anecdotes.

It was dark, real dark, around midnight in Heard County, because there are no street lights in Centralhatchee. It was cool and damp, and you could smell the rich earth tilled and ready to plant. The tree frogs were singing, and it was time to go.

“Come on, Eddie, the gates open at 8 a.m., and I want to be down front,” I said. As far as I knew, no one in the county had ever seen The Allman Brothers Band.