Gregg Allman was dragged at the last minute into his brother Duane’s band, which therefore became The Allman Brothers Band. But it turned out to be a better idea than most nepotism, as he became their primary songwriter, illustrated by how many other acts covered his tunes. Imitation is, after all, the sincerest form of flattery.

Singer and Keyboardist Gregg penned many of the band’s most popular songs, including Midnight Rider, Whipping Post, and what he describes as the first real song he wrote, Melissa. He also had some last-minute hits decades later, like his own cover of the song I’m No Angel, which reached #1 on the US rock charts in 1987, almost twenty years after his first hit.