Thanks for this, Bill. No other musician inspired me more than Allan. I probably saw him 25 times, and yes, he was inebriated quite a few of those times. The first time was at The Bottom Line opening for Larry Coryell (or was it vice versa?). I approached him at the bar for his autograph and he signed my ticket but not without looking at me like I was crazy for asking. Friends have told me stories of spending a night with Allan at NAMM and just watching him pound the pints and fall on the floor laughing at every joke. It is an upsetting story, but the man was truly special in this world and loved by so many. He certainly was able to really focus on his craft to the point of becoming something that never existed before. A true genius.
Thanks for this, Bill. No other musician inspired me more than Allan. I probably saw him 25 times, and yes, he was inebriated quite a few of those times. The first time was at The Bottom Line opening for Larry Coryell (or was it vice versa?). I approached him at the bar for his autograph and he signed my ticket but not without looking at me like I was crazy for asking. Friends have told me stories of spending a night with Allan at NAMM and just watching him pound the pints and fall on the floor laughing at every joke. It is an upsetting story, but the man was truly special in this world and loved by so many. He certainly was able to really focus on his craft to the point of becoming something that never existed before. A true genius.