Allman for All Seasons

After enduring enough anguish to haunt several lifetimes -- the deaths of his brother and a band mate, battles with booze and drugs, and two marriages to Cher (commemorated via the aptly-titled Two The Hard Way) -- Gregg Allman survives and thrives 35 years after he and the Allman Brothers Band first melded blues, boogie, and country to sculpt a southern rock sound. The scars are still evident in his world-weary voice -- a guttural, whisky-soaked growl that aptly expresses the regret, resolve, and darker intent that turned his signature song, 1987's "I'm No Angel," into more than mere bluster. Although the Allmans are still going strong (their latest, Hittin' The Note, is a Grammy nominee), at age 57, Gregg has also maintained his solo career as a lucrative sideline. Currently fronting a nine-piece ensemble that includes such luminaries as guitarist Robben Ford, keyboardist Neil Larson, and bassist Willie Weeks, he's clean, sober, and still a ramblin' man. Gregg Allman & Friends performs at 8 p.m. Friday, February 11, at the Carefree Theatre, 2000 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach. Tickets cost $37.50 and $44.50. Call 561-966-3309.