Eric Church Pays Tribute to Gregg Allman With ‘Midnight Rider’ in Nashville [Watch]
Eric Church took a few minutes to honor the legacy of Gregg Allman at his concert in Nashville on Saturday night (May 27), performing a cover of "Midnight Rider."
Church and his band took the stage for the second of two sold-out nights at the Bridgestone Arena in Music City, a record-shattering run that broke previous attendance records at the venue. Just hours after news of Allman's death broke, Church and his band launched into the swampy blues-rock classic in tribute to the legend, with fans in attendance singing along in a deafening chorus. Check out the electrifying moment in the video above.
Allman’s official website announced his death on Saturday, saying he “passed away peacefully at his home in Savannah, Ga.”
“Gregg struggled with many health issues over the past several years,” the statement added. “During that time, Gregg considered being on the road playing music with his brothers and solo band for his beloved fans, essential medicine for his soul. Playing music lifted him up and kept him going during the toughest of times.”
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Allman was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2007, and had a liver transplant in 2010, as well as lung surgery in 2012. The icon, who was a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band as well as a solo artist, canceled all of his tour dates for 2017 in March after he previously canceled shows in 2016 during a bout with pneumonia. In April, the singer turned to social media to announce that he was resting at home, and not in hospice care as had been rumored. His cause of death has not been confirmed. He was 69 years old.
Saturday night's show was the closing night of Church's Holdin' My Own Tour, a three-hour extravaganza that is unlike anything else in country music, with Church performing two sets with no opening act, and marked by unpredictable set list changes and all manner of special moments. Church has just a few shows remaining for 2017, and they will feature a different format, wth shorter sets and guest artists joining him onstage.
Keith Urban, Wynonna Judd, Charlie Daniels, Travis Tritt and more are among the artists who paid tribute to Allman or shared their recollections of him online.
Country Stars Pay Tribute to Gregg Allman