With the band: 1997–1999
Instruments: Lead and slide guitar, vocals
Learning Every Note
Jack Pearson grew up in Tennessee. Someone gave him a copy of At Fillmore East, and he set out to learn everything Duane Allman and Dickey Betts played. He was on the road with a rock band by 17, and he went on to play blues, rock, jazz and country.
Joining the Family
Jack first played with the Allman Brothers Band in 1993, when he filled in for Dickey Betts on part of a tour. He co-wrote “Sailin’ ‘Cross the Devil’s Sea” with Gregg Allman, Warren Haynes and Allen Woody, and the song first appeared on the band’s 1994 album Where It All Begins. When Warren Haynes left that year, Gregg called Jack to take over the second guitar chair.
A Hard Choice
For two years Jack traded lead and slide parts with Dickey, and fans loved his taste and tone. But the band’s volume hurt his hearing and made his tinnitus worse. After the band’s spring 1999 run at the Beacon Theatre, he made the hard decision to step away, and that opened the door for Derek Trucks.
A Respected Career
Since then Jack has built a long résumé as a session player, producer and solo artist, working with Vince Gill, Jimmy Buffett, Earl Scruggs, Keb’ Mo’ and many others. He later played with Les Brers, and he has joined Gov’t Mule onstage for Allman Brothers tributes. In 2018 the Tennessee Senate passed a resolution honoring his contributions to music.