Robben Ford Discussion

[JohnnyZ]

Being a huge fan of Gregg, the Allman Brothers Band and Gregg Allman & Friends, I'm very disappointed to read in my local newspaper that Gregg is fighting a bout with Hepatitis-C. I'm a registered member of Gregg's website, and the lack of activity regarding GA&F 2007/08 concerts concerned me. Even the ABB NYC Beacon Theater shows postponed from their usual March dates to May of this year are now cancelled. However, I'm hearing that the news is good because treatment is usually successful...

Good luck Gregg. I hope he's well enough to do an ABB tour this summer. And, followed up with an awesome GA&F tour next fall & winter. Robben being a "friend" would be incredible (again)...

[Daved]

Johnny,

I just got off the phone from chatting with Gregory. He sounds good and positive, though weak.

We in the 'family' have, of course, known of this since late last year when he received the Hep-C diagnosis and started the Interferon treatments.

He is now cured of the Hep-C but the recovery period is still continuing and tough on him. They attempted some rehearsals last week (which I was unable to attend as I was tied up on the Steve Miller and Robben Ford shows), but the first 3 hours of the first day exhausted Gregg. The band, along with everyone else involved or affected, has agreed that it is best to let Gregory totally complete the process and recover his strength before putting the pressures of touring and performing on him again.

Gregory is feeling positive, glad he has been declared clean and free of the virus and is hoping that he'll soon be up and about and feeling great and ready to hit the stage again maybe as early as August.

Below is from a post circulating around the ABB/GA&F boards and announcements.

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HEPATITIS SIDELINES GREGG ALLMAN, CANCELS SHOWS
By George Henry
Atlanta, posted on Fri, March 28, 2008

Gregg Allman, a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, has canceled several concert dates to continue treatments for hepatitis C.

Founding drummer Butch Trucks believes his longtime friend will make a full recovery from the potentially fatal liver disease. He said the 60-year-old Allman began treatments six months ago.
"Gregg's going to be great," Trucks said Friday. "He's just really tired right now and needs lots of rest. We've known for several years that he had the virus, even though Gregg keeps things like that pretty close to the vest. But what encourages all of us is that the statistics of overcoming hepatitis are very good if you see the treatment through."

Allman, who is resting at his home in Savannah, undergoes weekly injections of Interferon, a medication that battles hepatitis but has side effects that can cause nausea and exhaustion.
"I'm getting better but I'm still tired," Allman said in a statement Thursday. "I need to be at 110 percent to do the shows the way we do them. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support and understanding my brothers and our fans have given me."

Hepatitis C is a disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can be spread via blood transfusions from an infected person or needle-sharing among drug abusers.
Health officials say hepatitis C can cause fatal liver disease as well jaundice and fatigue, but 80 percent of people infected show no symptoms.

Trucks indicated that Allman, a notorious substance abuser in the 1970s, '80s and early '90s, has been sober since the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 13 years ago.
"Like a lot of people in the '60s and '70s, we overdid everything," Trucks said. "I wondered many times how long Gregg was going to last because his liver was like the size of three basketballs, but he goes to the gym, he jogs, he eats right. Heck, Gregg cleaned up so much that he even quit smoking cigarettes."

Allman, whose brother Duane founded the band in 1969, participated last week in the first day of rehearsals in Atlanta. After three hours, the pace of the sessions was too much.

Two dates next month in Live Oak, Fla., were canceled as well as a June 14 appearance at Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, Tenn.
Trucks indicated the Allman Brothers want to reschedule their annual of shows at New York's Beacon Theatre. This year's run included 15 concerts from May 5-24.
Despite Allman's illness, the Wanee Festival will go on as scheduled April 11-12 in North Florida. Bob Weir, a founding member of the Grateful Dead will appear with Ratdog, as will Gov't Mule, the band fronted by Allman Brothers guitarist-singer Warren Haynes.

Butch Trucks believes Allman will be well when the band returns to the national summer circuit. The Allman Brothers' first scheduled date is Aug. 16 in Mansfield, Mass., but they might play earlier shows.
"They've already cut his treatments back to a half-dosage, and even though the disease has been wiped out of his body, doctors don't want to take any chances," said Trucks, 60.

The Allman Brothers Band has been a fixture on the national concert circuit since 1969, when it signed with Capricorn Records and left Jacksonville, Fla., for Macon, Ga.
Duane Allman, rated Rolling Stone magazine's No. 2 all-time guitarist behind Jimi Hendrix in 2003, died in a 1971 motorcycle accident. The band lost bassist Berry Oakley to a motorcycle crash one year later.
Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks and drummer Jaimoe, who legally changed his name from Johnny Lee Johnson, are the band's surviving members.
Dickey Betts, the singer-guitarist who wrote Ramblin'Man, Jessica, and In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, was forced out of the Allman Brothers for erratic behavior in 2000.
Gregg Allman wrote other well-known songs like Whipping Post, Midnight Rider, and Melissa.

© 2008 Ledger-Enquirer and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
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B C-ing U!
( }:-Daved
"This boy's diseased with rhythm!" -Bing Crosby (Road To Rio, '49)

[JackD]

We'll keep Gregg in our prayers. My father contracted Hep-C in the 70s from a blood transfusion during surgery. It ended up destroying his liver. 10 years ago, at the age of 70, he actually got a liver transplant. Although it was a very difficult surgery, my dad did great and has survived 10 years in terrific shape. He now has some other health issues that are taking their toll, but what do you expect for someone who's 80. Again, we'll put a good word in for Gregg to the "man upstairs."

[maxima]

I am very sorry to hear about Gregg.. steven tyler of aerosmith and bluesman Kenny Neal have recently been battling this disease also.

considering myself as close to an expert without being a hepatologist
I want to clear some things up after reading some other comments on this hard to understand disease.

first of all there is no "cure" for this disease, all the doctors can do is try to keep it in remission. meaning that the hep-c is no longer attacking the liver. but its still there.
this disease can lay dormant in your body for 20-30 years before giving any kind of side effect. If you donate blood they will check for this.

there are different kinds of hep c and some are harder to treat than others
even if you show very low levels of this disease ,you have to keep checking for its return so after treatment ends you have to have blood tests every 6 mos - a year for the rest of your life.
treatment lasts from 6 mos to a year and there are some really bad side effects but everyone handles them differently. the docs can give you meds to help with those.
one of the side effects is lowered red and/or white cells that makes you more tired.
also they check your liver to see how much damage there is,luckily the liver is an amazing organ! (be good to it)
the success rate for type 1 hep c is about 50% type 2 and 3 is about 80%
but it is getting better all the time and you can take treatment more than once
the key is to stay on the treatment if at all poss

ok I'm done blabbing

maxi

[Bluelobster]

All maxima said is 100% correct plus you forget about drugs & alcohol, it's like giving up what made you high & hip in order to get Zen as an Himalayan monk (by the way FREE THE TIBET NOW) come on u cheap moderators.

Oh & don't even try to tell me you can get hepatit doing sex .......

By the way actually i have two friends under treatment : one is ok, i mean cured, treatment over by now . Not so long ago. the other one is doing well but he is not done with it .Both of them looks like theyare on the verge of passing . Literally exhausted.
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