Devon Allman
(born August 10, 1972) is a vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist and
songwriter. He is also the founder and bandleader of Honeytribe, (also
known as Devon Allman's Honeytribe). In addition to creating two albums
and leading multiple tours across North America and Europe with
Honeytribe, Devon has also contributed to several other musical
recordings, including Vargas Blues Band and the A Song for My Father
compilation album. Devon has also appeared occasionally as a guest
musician for both Gregg Allman and The Allman Brothers Band. His latest
musical projects are the blues-rock supergroup Royal Southern
Brotherhood, and a solo album which was released in February 2013.
Devon is the son of Gregg Allman (of The Allman Brothers Band) and
Shelley Kay Jefts. His parents divorced when he was an infant, and he
grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, as well as Tennessee and St. Louis,
Missouri, raised by his mother in a typical suburban American household.
Devon began playing music as a teen, but was not influenced by his
famous father. He did not meet his father until he was in his teens, but
they then bonded instantly. For several years in the 1990s he performed
around the growing St. Louis blues and rock music scene, while also
managing a suburban Guitar Center store. In his twenties, Allman tried
various musical styles and sounds to distance himself from his father's
sound and avoid obvious comparisons, though his father did not meddle in
Devon's career. In his thirties, Allman embraced the blues and rock
style of music that was in his blood, realizing that it was inherited
naturally.
His family’s prestigious musical history actually had little effect on
him. He initially found his own way at age five while listening to The
Beatles and Kiss, and from there started to learn guitar. Later in life,
after meeting his dad and getting to see what was involved in a musical
career, he became inspired to improve his craft. Devon grew up on
classic, blues-inspired rock music, and has specifically mentioned
Santana, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, and The Allman Brothers Band.
When asked if there was one record that he could cite as the definitive
recording that has influenced and inspired him, Devon responded with
Layla, by Derek and The Dominos. He explained, "Although it's not
straight blues, it's obviously dripping with soulful blues guitar. Layla
has always appealed to me because you can really really ‘feel’ what
Clapton was going through. That man was straight up in love. It brought
out a burning passion in his throat and fingers that is undeniable, and
it obviously soaked into the other players on the record. My uncle Duane
just sounds like a bird on it as well! It has so much raw energy and
passion that it sounds ultra fresh every time I put it on. Front to
back, one of the few records that can bring me to tears if I let it."
Honeytribe was formed by Devon Allman in 1999. In 2001, the band broke
up so Allman could spend time with his newly born son. They re-formed in
2005 with their original lineup, and have since toured in the United
States, Europe, and Canada, and have recorded two albums. They recorded
Torch in 2006 and hit the road, playing up to 300 shows a year in 42
states and ten countries. Allman eventually grew restless with the
original Honeytribe sound and pared the band down to a power trio in
2008 with bassist George Potsos and new drummer Gabriel Strange. This
incarnation of Devon Allman's Honeytribe issued Space Age Blues in the
fall of 2010.
In October 2011, Allman began working on a project titled the Royal
Southern Brotherhood. The blues-rock supergroup includes Cyril Neville,
Mike Zito, Grammy-award winning drummer Yonrico Scott and bassist
Charlie Wooton. Allman was skeptical of joining the group at first,
telling his manager "Dude are you crazy? Thats like putting five
quarterbacks in a room and saying 'go play football'. What the Hell are
you talking about?" However he soon changed his mind and the group
recorded their first album in December 2011, over five days at Dockside
Studio, a 12 acre estate on the banks of Vermilion Bayou, in Maurice,
Louisiana. The group made its stage debut in September 2011 at the Rock
’n’ Bowl in New Orleans. As of September, 2012 they have toured
extensively in the U.S. and fourteen foreign countries.
In September 2012, Allman finished recording sessions for his first solo
album, titled "Turquoise," which features Myles Weeks on bass and
Yonrico Scott on drums. The sessions were recorded at Ardent Studios, in
Memphis, Tennessee, engineered by Pete Matthews and produced by Jim
Gaines, and includes guest musicians Luther Dickinson, Samantha Fish,
Rick Steff and Ron Holloway. A solo tour began in November 2012, and the
touring band include Pedro Arevalo on bass, Bobby Schneck Jr. on second
guitar, and Anthony Nanney on drums. The album was released on 12
February 2013, and the track listing is: When I Left Home; Don't Set Me
Free; Time Machine; Stop Draggin My Heart Around; There's No Time;
Strategy; Homesick; Into the Darkness; Key Lime Pie; Yadira's Lullaby;
Turn Off the World.
In 2005 Allman appeared on Love, Union, Peace with bluesman Javier
Vargas' Vargas Blues Band (along with Jack Bruce, Reese Wynans, and
others), and in 2008 on the Flamenco Blues Experience recording by the
same outfit. In 2007 Devon guested on Paris Luna's City Lights album. He
has also made appearances at various festivals and on MTV Europe.