Brothers and Sisters

The instant New York Times bestseller

New York Times bestselling author Alan Paul offers an in-depth narrative on the Allman Brothers' most successful album, and a portrait of an era in rock and roll and American history.

The Allman Brothers Band's Brothers and Sisters was not only the band's bestselling album, with over seven million copies sold, but it was also a powerfully influential release. Both musically and culturally, its influence continues to be profoundly felt.

Celebrating the album's fiftieth anniversary, Brothers and Sisters delves into the making of the album while presenting a broader cultural history of the era, based on first-person interviews, historical documents, and in-depth research.

Brothers and Sisters traces the creation of this template-shaping record alongside stories of how the Allman Brothers came to the rescue of a faltering Jimmy Carter presidential campaign, helping the former governor of Georgia become president. It explores how Gregg Allman's marriage to Cher was an early indication of an emerging celebrity media culture and how the band's success led to internal fissures. The book also delves into the Allman Brothers' relationship with the Grateful Dead, including the most comprehensive reporting ever on the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen—the largest rock festival ever—and describes how they inspired bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, contributing to the creation of the southern rock genre.

With exclusive access to hundreds of hours of never-before-heard interviews with every major player, including Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman, conducted by Allman Brothers Band archivist, photographer, and "Tour Mystic" Kirk West, Brothers and Sisters is an honest assessment of the band's career, history, and highs and lows.