Author Entertainment Series – John Lynskey

Allman Joy: Keeping the Beat for Duane and Gregg Allman

Allman Joy: Keeping the Beat for Duane and Gregg Allman, is Bill Connell’s insightful account of the mid-60s musical journey he went on as the drummer for the Allman Joys, a group that was a precursor to the Allman Brothers Band. A native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Bill began drumming as a teenager, and worked his way through the burgeoning Tuscaloosa music scene.

A passing encounter with the Brothers Allman in 1966 led to Bill being offered the drummer’s chair in the Allman Joys, and the day after high school graduation, Bill found himself headed to Greenwich Village to join the band. His experiences touring with the group over the next several years make for captivating stories, and offer tremendous insight to a little-known chapter in the development of the Allman Brothers Band.

Bill’s time in the band was cut short by the draft, but he remained in contact with both Duane and Gregg, and he resumed his musical career after his service in the U.S. Navy was completed. Allman Joy is loaded with touching personal thoughts, hilarious tales from the road, and Bill’s love for Duane and Gregg shines brightly throughout the book. As the last surviving member of the Allman Joys, Bill Connell’s Allman Joy: Keeping the Beat for Gregg and Duane Allman is a must-read for music fans of any age.

This Author Entertainment Event will take place Tuesday, November 19 @ 6:30PM in the Stuckey Conference Center Auditorium.

Meet The Author

John Lynskey has been involved with The Allman Brothers Band since 1995, first serving as editor-in-chief of Hittin’ the Note, the group’s music magazine. He coauthored MY CROSS TO BEAR, Gregg Allman’s best-selling autobiography, and currently serves as resident historian at The Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House in Macon, Georgia.