Jason Aldean on Gregg Allman’s Death: ‘This One Hurts a Lot’
Jason Aldean turned to social media following the death of Gregg Allman, paying tribute to a man who inspired him to pursue his own musical dreams.
Allman's official website confirmed that he died on Saturday (May 27), saying the Grammy-winning Southern music legend “passed away peacefully at his home in Savannah, Ga.” Allman's cause of death was complications from liver cancer, according to CNN. He was 69 years old.
"This one hurts a lot. This was one of my heroes," Aldean wrote on Facebook, accompanied by two pictures of himself with Allman.
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"He made it seem possible for a kid to come out of Macon, Georgia, make a name for himself and make it in this business," Aldean adds. "He was such an inspiration to so many of us that tried so hard to imitate him but could just never quite do it the same. Thanks for the music and thanks for making me believe I could achieve my music dreams too. RIP Gregg Allman."
Allman was actually born in Nashville, but later moved with his brother Duane to California before relocating in Macon, where they launched the career of the Allman Brothers Band. The group would go on to inspire generations of rock and country musicians.
Eric Church paid musical tribute to Allman in concert Saturday night, and Lady Antebellum also offered a live cover of "Midnight Rider" in his honor. Keith Urban, Wynonna Judd, Charlie Daniels, Travis Tritt and more country artists paid tribute to Allman via social media.
Country Stars Pay Tribute to Gregg Allman