For years Gregg said he had writer's block but it was over and he had some good stuff in the can but it rarely came out. In 1991 he had Get On With Your Life and the lyrics are good but the music it basic blues cords and changes that would work with most lyrics.

Gregg co wrote several things over the years. But it was revealed often he would put the finishing touches on a song. For example on End of the Line, Allen Woody said he and John had much of the music and lyrics done and they got stuck and gave it to Warren who added a nice hook and almost finished it. Then Gregg got it and cut down the words and streamlined the music bringing the song really into focus.

From 1968 to 1975 or so Gregg penned a lot of fantastic songs. A long impressive list.

As a songwriter, Gregg mirrored authors like J. D. Salinger and Ralph Ellison. He didn't churn out a LOT of songs, but he wrote some mighty good ones. Just not as prolific as writers like Dylan, Neil Young, Tom Petty or many others.

Love his songs but wish he had kept it up.

My guess is that his lifestyle had a lot to do with it and not having his brother around to kick his ass also contributed but those are nothing more then a guess!

The scene + chemistry = passion

Greg lost all of the scene with the passing of both his brother & Barry
The chemistry lost with Diana's death was barely clung to with Dickey & Click, slowly facing into non-existent.
Once both those were gone... the passion was too.

My .02 worth

I'm fascinated with the creativity of artists; I don't have that gift. So this is just speculation, but I guess that people just have a reservoir material and life experiences and that is ALL they have to pull from.

There is a huge distinction between life experience vs a diversity of experience. Some people have the same things happen over and over, some have variety of life experiences. Gregg lived on the road performing music and experienced a lot of personal loss and substance abuse. He may have had nothing else to write about.

Saw a quote from Gregg (I think it was in Blues Review) where he stated
that he could only write when he was happy. He must have been pretty darn
miserable late in life.

Sometimes you just run out of things to say. He just hit his wall early in life. It was an incredible, but quick peak as a writer.

Drugs. Grief. Loss. Lousy coping skills.
Creating is feeling.
There are references from interviews with
other musicians that he really lost his creative
drive after Duane's death. And he blamed
himself for Berry's death, for not taking him to the hospital
Then he turns his best friend in for selling.

Few of us could withstand one, he endured many.

He rallied a few times.
By the later years, he really needed a co writer.

I've always wondered if he couldn't get past a certain
amount of perfectionism. It's the glaring omission
in his book.

[Edited on 3/1/2020 by WaitinForRain]

[Edited on 3/1/2020 by WaitinForRain]

Saw a quote from Gregg (I think it was in Blues Review) where he stated
that he could only write when he was happy. He must have been pretty darn
miserable late in life.

I am not a songwriter but I would think it would be opposite especially from a blues musician. The worst you feel the more songwriting you would do..

What artist's creative output didn't decrease as they aged? Dylan and Willie are still writing but they are hardly releasing the next Blonde on Blonde or Red Headed Stranger. Dickey barely wrote anything over the last 15 years he was touring.

Creativity is driven by inspiration and passion, and if you're not driven to create something it probably won't happen. You can't force it, and if you do you get soulless material. You have to have something to say. Just look at how Gregg's subject matter over the years. Early on it was all about heartbreak, drifting, and melancholy. From the 1990s on, how many songs were about overcoming substance abuse? He didn't write the material for Southern Blood, but most of the songs he chose to record are all about mortality. There aren't a lot of cancer songs. At a certain point, what was he supposed to write about? His tiny dogs? Actually, I would have loved to hear a song about Gregg's dogs.

As people get older, even artists get comfortable, even complacent. Some artists have more material in them than others, it's all relative. Just look at actors and filmmakers. Some actors like Christopher Plummer and Patrick Stewart can't stop working, meanwhile Gene Hackman retired from acting years ago, started writing books. Rick Moranis left acting and recorded country albums. Scorcese and Spielberg can't stop making films, meanwhile Tarantino keeps saying he's going to retire and has nothing left to say. Coppola and George Lucas have pretty much stepped away from behind the camera. For many, creativity wanes as time goes by.

I’ve often been mystified by the demands that fans place on artists. Why don’t they write more? Why don’t they tour more? No opinions allowed, just shut up and play!

In the end, no one owes anyone anything.

Yes. And when Gregg was interviewed about doing the summer of 2000 tour without Dickey he said this is about as time went by, realizing that someone just doesn't fit in anymore. People change and that is why me and so many others get divorced. This is not about money. All four of us originals and especially Dickey, can retire right now and never work again. This is not about money.

Tom Petty got better with age. I think some of his best stuff was on his last two albums, Mojo and Hypnotic Eye even though hardly any of it made it to the radio.