[Conversation from the Crossroads bonus episode.]
Warren Haynes turns 66 today.
It’s hard for me to even describe how much Warren has influenced me as a fan of the Allman Brothers, as a student of the Allman Brothers, as a scholar of the Allman Brothers.
Haynes has been an ABBsolute constant from the minute I discovered the band in 1993. Back then, everybody talked about the magic that the band had recaptured in the Dreams reunion and subsequent tour.
And sure enough, when I saw the Allman Brothers Band for the first time in November 1993 (with Warren and Allen Woody), I remember thinking, “I cannot believe this band is still this good.”
Warren is probably one of the world’s most generous souls. It flows throughout his music. And it also comes through in the way he talks about the legacy of the Allman Brothers Band as a musical institution.
Warren respects the heritage he is a part of.
It’s one of his most endearing qualities.
“I’ve always maintained that if I was going to join a band I grew up listening to, the Allman Brothers Band would be at the top of that list. It’s a once in a lifetime experience. And it’s also something you can never prepare for. No one is ever prepared for the opportunity to join a band that is an institution like that. I was preparing myself for an entirely different career trajectory and that just came along and disrupted the apple cart in a good way.”
A 5-tool player.
He’s obviously renown for his guitar playing. But Haynes is also a great singer, songwriter, and arranger. He is also a phenomenal onstage musical director. (I can only think about two or three times over 30+ years I’ve seen Warren live where he was not clearly the person directing things onstage.)
Butch Trucks: “Warren is one of the greatest guitar players alive today. He is also a great singer and songwriter. He brings all of these elements to the band and a solid presence that gives us a real focal point when we play.
He does take charge of the music when we play and I doubt if we could play the way we do if he didn’t. He does it in such a way that he pulls everyone together without stepping on anyone’s toes. It is a very tough thing to do and he does it very well.”
In 1989, Warren and Allen Woody brought spirit to the Allman Brothers Band—an energy that kicked the band in the ass.
“When the band called me in 89 about the reunion, one of the first things we talked about was that we needed to get back to 69, 70, 71 where the band started because if we could get back there, then the sky’s the limit. But we had to see if the new band and this new chemistry could capture that sound and that feeling. Dickey told me several times they felt like they just backed out of the music business because the environment that was going on at the time was so different, they felt like they didn’t belong.
But then Robert Cray started having some success. Stevie Ray Vaughan came on the scene and was really knocking people out, and at the same time, the Grateful Dead’s audience was getting bigger and bigger. Dickey said to me, ‘You know, somewhere in between, there is us. So maybe it’s time for us to come back.’ So the Allman Brothers band came back by being themselves, and I think that’s why it lasted as long as it did. Now, people look at that music as being timeless.”
The group’s Woodstock ‘94 set—the festival’s 25th anniversary—was a highlight.
“I remember it being a pretty inspired performance. I mean, there was 300,000 people there, so just the adrenaline rush alone was making for some great music. But the Allman Brothers Band always walked on stage ready to take no prisoners.
When I joined the band the first rehearsals were inspiring, but not to the extent that the first show was because it’s showtime, it goes up to another level. By the time we got to Woodstock in ’94, the band had been playing together for five years and was really strong.”
Warren and Derek
From 2001-2014, Warren and Derek Trucks anchored the longest-running Allman Brothers Band lineup. Their partnership was truly something special.
“[Derek & I] were together in the Allman Brothers for about 13 years, but we had played hundreds of times on stage together prior to that. A healthy dose of rivalry can be a part of that, it just can’t be trying to outdo each other. We both come from a world in which we listen to a lot of the same music and love the same styles of music and the same approaches to music, so we’re kind of looking for the same result from what we are doing. Once that chemistry is established, being able to build upon it and play together week after week, month after month, year after year, takes it to a completely other level.”
Haynes made the Play All Night Wall of Fame
This is a long distance dedication to Chairman Wonwayout. Much love to you my brother.
