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HEADLINE: LAID BACK By ROD HARMON Sarasota Herald Tribune Words of wisdom by Gregg Allman: * Just because you're a member of the NRA doesn't mean you hunt. Sometimes, you just like to shoot targets with a James Bond-style pistol. * If there are bonnethead sharks in your favorite fishing spot, wear heavy leather gloves, because they can put up a hell of a fight. * If you want your music to get heard, play, play, play. "My son (Devon) once told me, 'Dad, I can't seem to get nothin' goin','" Allman said from his home in Savannah, Ga. "And I said, 'Well, you need to get your ass out there on the road and let people hear ya.'" It's that type of basic, no-nonsense approach that has helped Allman remain one of the most respected musicians in the business almost 40 years after founding The Allman Brothers Band with his late brother, Duane. On Saturday, the 58-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer headlines the 16th annual Sarasota Blues Festival, a gig he's played numerous times (he's an old friend of blues fest promoter Barbara Strauss.) Devon's band, Honeytribe, is also on the bill, so it's a safe bet father and son will pair up. "I don't see how we could do it without doin' that," Allman said with a hearty laugh. The key to having a pleasant interview with Allman is simple, really: Don't ask him about Cher, to whom he was briefly married in the late '70s, or about Dickey Betts, who was dismissed from the ABB six years ago. (Allman stopped drinking. Betts didn't.) Instead, ask him about his home in the country, his favorite fishing spot (dubbed the "honey hole"), his customized Harley-Davidson, his painting, his family, his three dogs, and, of course, his music. Once you do that, you'll find that he's not only gracious, he can be a chatterbox. More words of wisdom from Gregg Allman: * The key to keeping your daughters out of bad relationships is to raise them with plenty of love, "so if some sumbitch does mistreat 'em, they can damn sure tell the difference." * Save a dog from the pound. If you really love the dog, get it tattooed on your chest. * If you're without light and a song hits, a box of kitchen matches will do just fine. "I wrote 'Whipping Post' on an ironing board cover," he said. "My brother was stayin' with this lady, and she had a little baby -- wasn't his baby -- but it was a place for me to stay ... so this tune hit me, I mean, it snatched me up outta bed. I'm walkin' around the house and looking for some pencil and paper and a damn light, I couldn't find the lights anywhere. But I did find an ironing board and a box of kitchen matches. "I could strike one and hold it up for light, and strike another one, blow it out, and write with the charcoal on her 'brand-new,' as she said, ironing board cover. I caught a little hell the next mornin' ... never did wake the baby, though." Allman plans on playing "Whipping Post" (along with other ABB and solo classics) at the blues festival, which is part of an American tour lasting through January. After that, he hopes to cut a new solo record. Mostly, though, he just likes living the simple life. "Armadillos are probably my biggest problem," he said with a laugh. "I hate those damn things!"