Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
My Cross to Bear  By  cover art

My Cross to Bear

By: Gregg Allman,Alan Light
Narrated by: Will Patton
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $25.19

Buy for $25.19

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Biography and Memoir, 2013

As one of the greatest rock icons of all time, Gregg Allman has lived it all and then some. For almost 50 years, he's been creating some of the most recognizable songs in American rock, but never before has he paused to reflect on the long road he's traveled. Now, he tells the unflinching story of his life, laying bare the unvarnished truth about his wild ride that has spanned across the years.

The story begins simply: with Gregg and his older brother, Duane, growing up in the South, raising hell with their guitars, and drifting from one band to another. But all that changed when Duane and Gregg came together with four other men to forge something new - a unique sound shaped by soul, rock, and blues and brimming with experimentation; a sound not just of a band, but of a family.

Bringing to life the carefree early days of the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg holds nothing back - from run-ins with the law to meeting girls on the road, from jamming at the Fillmore East to experimenting with drugs. Along the way, he goes behind the scenes of some of greatest rock music ever recorded, without shying away from the infamous and painful deaths of his brother, Duane, and Allman Brothers bassist Berry Oakley. Speaking for the first time about the profound impact that his brother's death had on him, Gregg offers a tribute to Duane that only a younger brother could write, showing how, to this day, he still confronts the grief of losing his big brother, even as Duane continues to guide and inspire him.

Setting the record straight about the band's struggles in the face of death, Gregg shows how the decision to persevere came with a heavy price. While the rock-and-roll excesses of drugs, alcohol, and personality clashes led to a series of breakups that culminated with the band's permanent reunion in 1989, Gregg fought his own battle with substance abuse, going to rehab no less than 11 times and floating through a string of failed marriages, including his tabloid-frenzied relationship with Cher, before finally cleaning up once and for all.

Capturing the Allman Brothers' ongoing, triumphant resurgence as well as his own recent fight against hepatitis C, Gregg presents a story as honest as it is fascinating, providing a glimpse inside one of the most beloved and notorious bands in the history of rock music and demonstrating how, through it all, the road goes on forever.

©2012 Gregg Allman (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

What listeners say about My Cross to Bear

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    781
  • 4 Stars
    199
  • 3 Stars
    54
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    10
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    770
  • 4 Stars
    125
  • 3 Stars
    39
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    6
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    704
  • 4 Stars
    161
  • 3 Stars
    53
  • 2 Stars
    18
  • 1 Stars
    6

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

my cross to bear was awesome

Would you consider the audio edition of My Cross to Bear to be better than the print version?

yes it was great to hear. i only wish gregg himself had done the the narration.

What other book might you compare My Cross to Bear to and why?

nothing else compares except the phil lesh book on tape...

Which scene was your favorite?

all of it. heart warming stories.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

when gregg talked about duane and his last conversation with him.

Any additional comments?

this is a must listen. i sat glued to it for 5 hours. the next 5hours was even better.the best 10 hours spent in my life so far.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Inside one of rock music's greatest bands

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The Allman Brothers Band is one of my all time favorites so I was eager to learn anything I could about what led to such music. If you don't care for the music, the story of Gregg Allman will not be that interesting.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It was a fitting ending. Greg Allman was resigned to his own mistakes and turned to religion after a life that seemed rather devoid of much deep thinking.

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?

The performance was very good. This is what I think it would have sounded like in the author's voice.

Could you see My Cross to Bear being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Not really.

Any additional comments?

I was intrigued by the author's lack of insight into the pain and harm he had caused to others. For instance, when his roadie was busted and imprisoned for trafficking drugs for him, Gregg Allman basically said "He knew what he was doing." But GA does not reflect on the fact that if he (GA) had not had a desperate need for drugs and sent his roadie out to score them, the bust would not have happened. I love the music and would have liked to have discovered that the leader of the band (post-Duane) was more likeable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

COUNTRY CREEP BECOMES COUNTRY GENT.

Would you consider the audio edition of My Cross to Bear to be better than the print version?

YES

What other book might you compare My Cross to Bear to and why?

ERIC CLAPTONS BOOK *CLAPTON*

Have you listened to any of Will Patton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I DON'T BELIEVE I HAVE.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

WELL I'D HAVE TO SAY .ALOT OF TRAGETY IN THAT BOYS LIFE, AND OH, WHAT A WASTE.

Any additional comments?

I HAD THE OPPERTUNITY TO MEET AND SPEND VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WITH HIM IN 86', SADLY, HE WAS VERY DISCONNECTED.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the best bios I have read in a LONG time

Would you consider the audio edition of My Cross to Bear to be better than the print version?

Didnt read the print version but the reader on the audio version was amazing - sounded just like what I image Mr. Allman to sound like.

What was one of the most memorable moments of My Cross to Bear?

All of it

What does Will Patton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Felt like I was in the moment and there in the story

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES

Any additional comments?

Didnt exepct much out of this book but it is hands down one of the best I have "read" this year! Amazing story and history!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Lacks the details that make for a good book.

Gregg shares many stories of his trip to fame, however his story lacks details that make the reader want more. He jumps through events just to get to the next thing that happened. This could have been much better if he left some things out and elaborated more on others. We all know that being on the road equals loads of life lessons and thrilling events, they may have been mentioned here but with no depth. I was disappointed that Gregg himself did not do the reading, however Will Patton did an amazing job!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Shallow story

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I wouldn't - the author did not bother to say much about the music created, the creative process etc. The book is mostly a factual account of his life, focused on the women he slept with and the drugs he did. By the end of the book, it was clear to me that I could not expect more - this is the simple story of a simple person.On the flip side, it was nice to see the hard work that it used to take to escape anonymity (before 'modern' times when kids show their ass on TV and become rich the next day).

Would you ever listen to anything by Gregg Allman and Alan Light again?

Nah.

Which character – as performed by Will Patton – was your favorite?

Anything Will Patton reads sounds alive and exciting. Do look him up (e.g. 'On the Road'), he is just amazing and perfect and I want him to read to me every night at bedtime.

Was My Cross to Bear worth the listening time?

The two things worth the listening time was Will Patton's performance and learning a few things about the history of my favourite hobby.I don't regret it, but if I knew what it was, I would choose something else.

Any additional comments?

Have a listen to this, and then compare.http://www.audible.com/pd/Bios-Memoirs/Herbie-Hancock-Possibilities-Audiobook/B00OGPRH88

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

SO great!

Where does My Cross to Bear rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

If you are any kind of ABB fan you will love this book and the history. I loved everything about it and felt like I was right there with him.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enlightening and entertaining!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely would recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about Gregg Allman. My spouse knew some of the folks with the Allman Brothers band and knew most of this history. He was curious how much Gregg would put out there and in my spouse's opinion, Gregg really put it ALL out there.

What did you like best about this story?

I shared listening to this with my husband and we enjoyed just talking about the book together. It's just funny and sad and all those things that happen in a real person's life.

Have you listened to any of Will Patton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but he did a great job with this reading and sounded very similar to Gregg.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When he talks about his attempts to reconcile with his children and does so honestly and sometimes it is heartbreaking - but real.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Terrific on all counts

Would you consider the audio edition of My Cross to Bear to be better than the print version?

What a great read. While it's not at all necessary to have Iived through the eras, the music and the sidebars as an observer, it made it even more of a ride. Recommended to all and especially aspiring musicians as there is solid insight into Gregory's creative process.

Who was your favorite character and why?

No one could compare to Gregg.

What does Will Patton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Will Patton is Gregg Allman...can't imagine a better interpretation nor would I invite one.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

While he's no angel, it's great to hear his side

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What a story!!

Being from the south, who doesn't love The ABB. What a life this guy has lead. I am fascinated he is still alive today. Good for him and his family, I hope he lives a long life and continues to write songs. I would love to hear Dickey Betts side of the story. Will Patton is on his A game as usual.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful