From yesterday's blog post:
"What the hell happened here?
We're used to our classic rock heroes dropping. Credit David Bowie, Glenn Frey and Prince. We were just minding our own business, as were they, and they bit the dust. The Big C got Bowie. Rheumatoid arthritis drugs got Frey. As for Prince... Do we really know who anybody is and what they're up to? A drug addict? Fentanyl? Seems like we only know ourselves.
But we think we know theses musicians.
You've got to understand, the Allman Brothers Band broke when it was only about the music. Sure, Gregg Allman was a dreamboat, but he was not a scene-stealer. And Duane and Dickie seemed to be channeling a higher power and the whole thing was driven forward by Berry, Jaimoe and Butch.
And if you went to a recent Brothers show, and you were privileged to be an insider, you got to sit on stage, right next to that twin drumming powerhouse. And it seemed that Jaimoe was doing his best to keep up, but Butch? He was the engine that kept pushing, and now he's gone.
To the point when he passed and it wasn't big news. This is how far we've come, we expect our heroes to die. But at 69? Cross the threshold into your sixties and you realize that 69 is just not that old. So many of the surviving classic rock musicians, especially the English ones, are in their seventies, many still touring. Once you get into your eighties you're starting to hear the Grim Reaper knocking on your door, but statistically the longer you live the longer you live and now it's de rigueur to be alive in your nineties, and quite functional to boot. So 69?
I don't know how the Allmans survived the death of Duane. Maybe they didn't know what better to do. Look at all the marriages that end with the death of a child, it's hard to pick up and keep on keepin' on. And then they lost Berry and eventually the band imploded, Gregg went on his merry way.
But then they reunited. That's what we've learned along the way. Everybody needs the money. Few can succeed without their brethren. Of course there are exceptions, Eric Clapton, Sting and Phil Collins, but all of them have gotten back together with their bands, the lure of the money is just too great.
But the Allmans said they were done for real. And it's been looking this way. Derek and Susan are invested in their band and Warren always had his own career and Gregg never needed anybody else on the marquee, after all it's his last name that everybody knows, but what about Butch?
This is not the delta bluesmen, ripped-off from day one, doing menial labor until they were rediscovered by the college kids and got a victory lap.
This is not today's heroes, the techies with financial advisors who are not only protected, but have enough assets to provide for their children's children's children.
No, this is musicians.
If you can find a financially savvy musician, he's a bad player. Of course there are exceptions, but not many. You see to create this music you have to have a different viewpoint, live in an alternative universe, that's why classic rock dominated and still gets played, the lunatics took over the asylum, the execs threw their hands in the air and just let the players rule, unlike today, when the business people have a heavy hand in what's released.
Then again, there's so much money at risk. Didn't used to be this way. Today the barrier to entry is nonexistent, it's just that if you do it yourself you can't get noticed. Whereas before, you saw the Beatles on television, you picked up your instrument, you played at school, at parties, at bar mitzvahs, at bars, the bands went through various permutations, you found someone who could write, another who could sing, and if you were lucky you got noticed.
But it was a long hard road getting there. Not like today, where fourteen year olds believe they're deserving of recognition. By time you were signed, you'd lost your virginity backstage had done drugs without names and had sipped enough alcohol to pickle a farm animal. You were experienced. In a way those at home were not. To the point when we saw you on stage...
We looked up to you, you were our heroes.
They're still our heroes. We were stoned in the basement, staring at the album cover, we paid three, four and five dollars to go to the gig, we were in it together, Butch Trucks was FAMOUS! How could he get so low?
Now I'm neither a psychiatrist nor privy to all the facts of Butch's life. But all the news reports said he had financial troubles. And the truth is, if we fans knew this, we'd have given him all our money and come to his house and cooked him dinner, that's how much he meant to us. But it was a different time, today "artists" beg, yesterday they were too proud, they earned their money.
And Butch put together an act that played occasionally, but he was support, it's hard to continue when you're not the singer.
So, you're famous and broke with no income on the horizon and you get depressed and...
Nobody cares about you, certainly not the label, that ripped you off from day one to begin with.
And if you even own any publishing, you could wait forever for the money.
And there are no signing shows like for baseball, because unlike sportsmen, we think you're still valid, you can still play.
And then you're gone.
It wasn't supposed to be this way. If the drugs didn't get you, if you survived the madness, you were supposed to live to a ripe old age, to the point where we shrugged and said it was time to die, you'd lived a good life.
But then John Lennon was cut down and George Harrison succumbed to cancer and now there are only two Beatles left and at some point in the future there will be none.
And let's be clear, the Beatles made beaucoup bucks, and the Allman Brothers did too, but they thought the road would go on forever, and when it doesn't, it's positively shocking.
Meanwhile, the show goes on without you. You sit at home and watch the nitwits duetting on the Grammys and all you're left with is your dignity. You did nothing wrong, your only flaw was to outlive your paying audience. That's another thing, you don't want to see these players disappear, but you don't want to go anymore and then you can't go anymore and there's this giant hole inside you... Come on, don't you want one more chance to see Leon Russell?
So the thing about Butch Trucks is he was a serious man, who played like his job was the most important on earth. He was not a show-off, but a supporting cast member, but without a foundation you've got no band. Bands are tenuous things, and the rhythm section is key, just ask Mick about Charlie.
And now, we're going through our lives merrily, albeit obsessed with the shenanigans in Washington, D.C., and our heroes keep dropping like flies. To the point where it's no big deal anymore.
But it is a big deal.
I wish we could provide a safety net for the heroes of yore.
I wish they knew how much we loved them.
I wish Butch Trucks didn't get to such a dark place where he took his own life.
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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/?utm_source=phplist5724&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=Butch+Trucks+Suicid e"
Now I'm neither a psychiatrist nor privy to all the facts of Butch's life.
Proceeds to write an article full of assumptions of Butch's life.
I get what whomeverthisis is trying to say, but this is less about Butch and more a rambling essay about himself.
Now I'm neither a psychiatrist nor privy to all the facts of Butch's life.
Proceeds to write an article full of assumptions of Butch's life.
I get what whomeverthisis is trying to say, but this is less about Butch and more a rambling essay about himself.
Interesting take, and I see it the exact opposite way. I thought this was a brilliant thoughtful and emotionally angry piece about the passing of Butch Trucks. I don't think it was about the writer but about many of us. Nice work Lefsetz
Years back I subscribed to the Bob Lefsetz Letter just for a few months. I thought he was too wordy and rambled a bit much so I opted out as a subscriber.
But he does some nice things at times, too, and he's a huge fan of both ABB and Greg solo. His review of Gregg @ The Roxy in Hollywood a few years back was priceless, and he really appreciates ABB's place in the history of Southern rock 'n' roll: "Everyone else came through the door they opened."
I really liked this piece on Butch by Lefsetz. You can tell, he's as stunned as any of us are.
🙁 I was very hesitate in posting as its been so quiet ...but my feelings about Butch need to be said ... I may delete I don't know ...I hope we can all embrace each other ...
Its almost 2 weeks since Butch has left this world.
I felt like we were all drifting away from this place we love here, not the music, never the music, but this wonderful place created by Roland and Lana ..we all came to find our deepest connection with the band and music.
Then Facebook thing happened and most of the people left here and joined in there..Sadly…but some of us did not, myself as one of them. I was very happy coming here daily and on DB site we had lots of fun , it was informative, we had disagreements and were very passionate about the bandmates… and their lives and the music they made. We grew close to one another as fans and into each others lives somewhat ..We lost some of the most important people here to death and the sorrow that it brings..
Change is a constant thing , it keeps moving waits for no one, you either move with it or get left behind..
I still would come here and check in and see what was happening with the band and fans..
There have been many many upsetting things that have happened to the people we grew to know here , some are just to hard to even speak of them… there was a great support from the fans helping to mend heartaches , reaching out to make a bad situation better , or to help someone understand health issues , or deal with the personal tragedies or passings of a family member or someone connected to the band it was a real community ….there were of course the happy times as well we cheered each other on with our victories and success as in our cookbooks etc. what fun and when the band came to our towns the roar of excitement tore down the internet and would black this site out lol, It was all knitted together and not just surface ramblings as on Facebook… it was a pure understanding and truthful bind in many ways..even in the politcal arena, lots of passion there. Im missing the connection we all had at one time, i keep coming here to see if there is a topic we could all join in and express ourselves in some way in the passing of Butch … its very hard i understand that , but maybe we could find some comfort from each other ????
With Butchs Death comes so many emotions I’m sure the fans are all feeling the same devastating blows and just on over amount of confusion , sadness.
its so hard to understand what has happened and why ??? Trying to make sense out of something senseless is just about impossible.
I was/am a Dickey Betts fan as well as ABB fan.. Its was DB guitar that GOT me and how he interpreted it to me and many many other fans…he spoke to me and I understood the musical language… it all came together with each of those bandmates.. Butch was as much as a driving force in that band as any other members. With out his passion on the drums ,the roar of the constant beat that he had within him, who knows what would have happen …you need that glue to hold it together , it was him on that sound and force ,powerful. I was fortunate enough in my lifetime to have seen the ABB on the stage when it was Chuck and Lamar , i missed Duane and Berry … but that combination was magical as well.. I remember many yrs later watching Butch at work and I was just amazed at how his whole body was the music ..all of him it was hypnotic to watch him and to hear the sound that came from that …
I grew disappointed with the parting of DB from the ABB ..I didn’t actually blame Butch for that but it become toxic
for them personally to be in the same band.. I understood that as best as a rational person and fan could..But we were not privy to the ins and outs of that long relationship , things happen where there once was love or like it can turn over time when there are disagreements .. as fans we wanted it all to remain the same …it can not …change is a moving thing…
They say blood is thicker than water… but money , money , money can ruin any family and friendships..
After all the news and the helplessness one can feel from this I just wanted to start a dialogue and if you want to join in that would be great . It may even help his family in some ways and help ourselves to some quiet understanding and let Butch know we will never forget him and his worth to this band and his family …
my thoughts and prayers are solidly with his wife and family ..and of course to us the fans of the greatest band in the land...
I think I lean more towards Porkchop's sentiments on the article itself because it really wasn't about Butch himself, but everyone's got their own way of grieving and much respect to the author for having the courage to be authentic in that regard ( assuming that's what he was after...)
I took it more as ponderings of the life of a once "rock star" in general, that Butch's tragedy tripped of as a reflection in general. Yes, he alluded to parts of Butch's life, but went more general in listing the problems of the life cycle of a rock and roller, from glory to smaller. It, IMO, was very astute in nailing it. Like sports and other do well individual similar situations, "early money" does not always translate into "later happiness". So from the outside, it appears a jumbled nonsensical path.... I think you have to be in those shoes.... I guess too many slap happy charlatans willing to "help" and "guide" you with yer money.... a tricky path....
Thanks for the Words rainy, I am sure there are quite a few folks, who like myself, perhaps maybe didn't know Butch personally, are still struggling to grasp, accept, understand............As Always, Peace To Everybody
Its just tragic that he felt that was THE ANSWER.... its a permanent solution to a temporary problem....I have been there.....but I am just sorry he thought that was the only choice....that guy that survived jumping off the golden gste bridge said his final thought as he jumped was "I CAN SOLVE ALL MY PROBLEMS BUT THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS........" as he leaped....I pray that was not the thought butch had betwixt trigger pulled and impact....because I Do not know...maybe it takes a long time for the bullet to hit...I know ...I know...im not as dumb as I look...physics and empirically the bullet hits almost instantly...but I have never shot myself...maybe it takes a long time...esoterically...poor butch.... I really am sorry he felt that was the only answer....
And Duane and Dickie seemed to be channeling a higher power and the whole thing was driven forward by Berry, Jaimoe and Butch.
Sorry to nitpick on a sad topic, but can you please learn how to spell his name? It's Dickey, not Dickie...
I guess too many slap happy charlatans willing to "help" and "guide" you with yer money.... a tricky path....
I just think people are connecting the recent financial records, which were brought to light by a tabloid, with what happened. We don't know the why, and it's entirely possible the Trucks family might not know either. We just don't know, and we don't need to know - it's really none of our business.
It's clear Lefsetz was affected by Butch, and it all seems senseless, I just think he's jumping to conclusions from gossipy speculation.
[Edited on 2/6/2017 by porkchopbob]
Why take anything Bob Lefsetz writes or rambles on about seriously since it's mainly all about himself?
I thought it was a good read -- "I don't know how the Allmans survived the death of Duane" -- after it, then Berry after that, maybe they should have tried to finish the B&S album with Joe Dan doing the bass, & called it good from there -- they couldn't have been blamed
"Trying to make sense out of something senseless is almost impossible" -- that sentence in Rainy's post sums it up for me (also LegalizeHemp's post from 1/26 in the other thread thread that Marley just posted to)
something as senseless & totally incomprehensible as Butch's passing can never be put in its proper perspective, but as I read all the posts, it helps -- they show a lot of love & compassion
[Edited on 2/7/2017 by Stephen]
