name	Melissa
pronunciation	Melissa
gender	Female
meaning	''Honey bee''
region	Greece
origin	Greek
related names	''Melita'', ''Mel'', ''Melina'' }}

Melissa is a given name for a female child. The name comes from the Greek word μέλισσα (melissa), "honey bee" and from μέλι (meli), "honey". Compare Hittite ''melit'', "honey".. In Ireland it is sometimes used as a feminine form of the Gaelic male name ''Maoilíosa'', which means "servant of Jesus." Melissa also refers to the plant known as lemon balm (family Lamiaceae; genus and species ''Melissa officinalis'').

The Greeks transformed Mulitta (the Babylonian Mūlida or "bearing goddess") into Melissa, the "honey bee." According to Greek mythology, perhaps reflecting Minoan culture in making her the daughter of a Cretan king Melissos, Melissa was a nymph who discovered and taught the use of honey and from whom bees were believed to have received their name. She was one of the nymphic nurses of Zeus, sister to Amaltheia, but rather than feeding the baby milk, Melissa, appropriately for her name, fed him honey. Or, alternatively, the bees brought honey straight to his mouth. Because of her, ''Melissa'' became the name of all the nymphs who cared for the patriarch god as a baby.

Popularity

:In 2007, Melissa was the 137th most popular name for girls born in the United States, dropping steadily from its peak of second place in 1977. It was among the top ten most popular names for girls from 1967 to 1984. The name "Melissa" was also the name of a song by the Allman Brothers, which has enjoyed renewed popularity in the 2000s due to its feature in a commercial for Cingular/AT&T; Wireless cell phone company and the use of it in a scene in Brokeback Mountain. "Melissa" was also prominently featured in the 2005 film House of D.

Mythology

Ancient Greek Mythology

The name "Melissa" has a long history with roots reaching back to even before Ancient Greece. For this reason, in part, there are several versions of the story surrounding the mythological character Melissa, especially in how she came to care for the infant Zeus. In one version, Melissa, a mountain-nymph hid Zeus from his father, Cronus, who was intent on devouring his progeny. She fed Zeus goat's milk from Amalthea and fed him honey, giving him a permanent taste for it even once he came to rule on Mount Olympus. Cronus became aware of Melissa's role in thwarting his murderous design and changed her into an earthworm. Zeus, however, took pity and transformed her into a beautiful bee.

Nymphs, such as Melissa, played an important role in mythic accounts of the origin of basic institutions and skills, as in the training of the culture heroes Dionysos and Aristaeus or the civilizing behaviors taught by the bee nymph. The antiquarian Mnaseas' account of Melissa gives a good picture of her function as in this respect. According to folklore, Melissa first found a honeycomb, tasted it, then mixed it with water as a beverage. She taught her companions to make the drink and eat the food, and thus the creature was named for her, and she was made its guardian. This was part of the Nymphs' achievement of bringing men out of their wild state. Under the guidance of Melissa, the Nymphs not only turned man away from eating each other to eating only this product of the forest trees, but also introduced into the world of men the feeling of modesty.

In addition, the ancient Greek philosopher, Porphyry (AD 233 to C. 304) wrote of the priestesses of Demeter, known as ''Melissae'' ("bees"), who were initiates of the chthonian goddess. The story surrounding ''Melissae'' tells of an elderly priestess of Demeter, named Melissa, initiated into her mysteries by the goddess herself. When Melissa's neighbors tried to make her reveal the secrets of her initiation, she remained silent, never letting a word pass from her lips. In anger, the women tore her to pieces, but Demeter sent a plague upon them, causing bees to be born from Melissa's dead body. From Porphyry's writings, scholars have also learned that Melissa was the name of the moon goddess Artemis and the goddess who took suffering away from mothers giving birth. Souls were symbolized by bees and it was Melissa who drew souls down to be born. She was connected with the idea of a periodic regeneration.

Hieroglyphics

Jacob Bryant, a significant British scholar and late eighteenth to early nineteenth century mythographer, recognized that as all the great occurrences of old were represented by hieroglyphics, we may in consequence of it perceive many different emblems, which manifestly relate to the same history. One such instance relates to the deity ''Melitta'' or Melissa — for the name is given in both ways — who was in particular described under various symbols.

Melitta

Within a fragment of the Orphic poetry, quoted by Natalis Comes, ''Melitta'' is spoken of as a hive, and called Seira, or the hive of Venus:

:"Let us celebrate the hive of Venus, who rose from the sea: that hive of many names: the mighty fountain, from whence all kings are descended; from whence all the winged and immortal Loves were again produced."

From the works of Hesychius, it is clear that the word Seira among other interpretations signified ''Melitta'', a bee; also a hive, or house of ''Melitta'', "[s]uch is the sense of it in this passage: and [she] was thus represented in ancient mythology, as being the receptacle, from whence issued that swarm, by which the world was peopled.". With that said, Seira was none other than the goddess Demeter, the supposed mother of mankind; who was also styled as Melitta and Melissa, and was looked upon as the Venus of the East. This Deity, ''Melitta'', was the same as ''Mylitta'', the well-known Venus of the Babylonians and Arabians. Melissa or ''Melitta'' is also said to be the mother-wife of ''Phoroneus'', the first that reigned, in whose days the dispersion of mankind occurred, whereas before all had been in harmony and only one language was spoken. ''Melitta'', being the feminine of ''Melitz'', the Mediator, consequently signifies ''Melitta'' the ''Mediatrix'' for sinful mortals.

Poetry

The 16th century Italian poet Ariosto used the name "Melissa" for a good fairy (the good sorceress and prophetess who lived in Merlin's cave) in his poem "Orlando Furioso." The following is an ode to Melissa's birthday by Thomas Blacklock, a Scottish poet from the late 1700s.

ODE, ON MELISSA'S BIRTH-DAY

"Ye nymphs and swains, whom love inspires With all his pure and faithful fires, Hither with joyful steps repair; You who his tenderest transports share For lo ! in beauty's gayest pride, Summer expands her bosom wide ; The Sun no more in clouds inshriu'd, Darts all his glories unconfin'd; The feather'd choir from every spray Salute Melissa's natal day.

Hither ye nymphs and shepherds haste, Each with a flow'ry chaplet grae'd, With transport while the shades resound, And Nature spreads her charms around; While ev'ry breeze exhales perfumes, And Bion his mute pipe resumes; With Bion long disus'd to play, Salute Melissa's natal day.

For Bion long deplor'd his pain Thro' woods and devious wilds in vain; At last impell'd by deep despair, The swain preferr'd his ardent pray'r; His ardent pray'r Melissa heard, And ever)* latent sorrow cheer'd, His days with social rapture ble~t, And scoth'd each anxious care to rest. Tune, shepherds, tune the festive lay, And hail Melissa's natal day.

With Nature's incense to the skies Let all your fervid wishes rise, That Heav'n and Farth may join to shed Their choicest blessings on her head; That years protracted, as they flow, May pleasures more sublime bestow ; While by succeeding years surpast, The happiest still may be the last; And thus each circling Sun display, A mere auspicious natal day."

References

External links

Baby names

Category:English feminine given names Category:Italian feminine given names Category:Greek mythology Category:Nymphs Category:Greek feminine given names

be:Імя Меліса cs:Melissa de:Melissa el:Μέλισσα (μυθολογία) es:Melisa (nombre) fr:Melissa (prénom) it:Melissa (nome) nl:Melissa (voornaam) no:Melissa nn:Melissa pl:Melisa (imię) ru:Мелисса sv:Melissa (namn)

name	The Allman Brothers Band
landscape	yes
background	group_or_band
years active	1969–19761978–19821989–present
origin	Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
genre	Southern rock, blues rock, boogie rock, country rock, jam rock, hard rock
label	Capricorn, PolyGram, Arista, Epic, Sanctuary
associated acts	Gov't Mule, The Dead, The Derek Trucks Band, Derek and the Dominos, Hour Glass, Great Southern, Sea Level
current members	Gregg AllmanButch TrucksJai Johanny "Jaimoe" JohansonWarren HaynesMarc QuiñonesOteil BurbridgeDerek Trucks
past members	Dickey BettsBerry OakleyDuane AllmanChuck LeavellLamar WilliamsDavid GoldfliesDan TolerDavid "Frankie" TolerMike LawlerAllen WoodyJohnny NeelJack PearsonJimmy Herring
website	AllmanBrothersBand.com }}

The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (slide guitar and lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, organ, songwriting), who were supported by Dickey Betts (lead guitar, vocals, songwriting), Berry Oakley (bass guitar), Butch Trucks (drums), and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson (drums). While the band has been called the principal architects of Southern rock, they also incorporate elements of blues, jazz, and country music, and their live shows have jam band-style improvisation and instrumental songs.

The band achieved its artistic and commercial breakthrough in 1971 with the release of ''At Fillmore East'', featuring extended renditions of their songs "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" and "Whipping Post" and often considered one of the best live albums ever made. George Kimball of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine hailed them as "the best damn rock and roll band this country has produced in the past five years." A few months later, group leader Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident. The group survived that and the death of bassist Oakley in another motorcycle accident a year later; with replacement members Chuck Leavell and Lamar Williams, the Allman Brothers Band achieved its peak commercial success in 1973 with the album ''Brothers and Sisters'' and the hit single "Ramblin' Man". Internal turmoil overtook the band soon after; the group dissolved in 1976, reformed briefly at the end of the decade with additional personnel changes, and dissolved again in 1982.

In 1989, the group reformed with some new members and has been recording and touring since. A series of personnel changes in the late 1990s was capped by the departure of Betts. The group found stability during the 2000s with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, the nephew of their drummer, serving as its guitarists, and became renowned for their month-long string of shows in New York City each spring. The band has been awarded eleven gold and five platinum albums between 1971 and 2005 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked them 52nd on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004.

Band history

Beginnings

The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida on March 26, 1969, and consisted of Duane and Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, and Jai Johanny Johanson. Brothers Duane and Gregg Allman grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida, and had been playing music publicly since the early 1960s. They formed a garage band called the Escorts in 1963, which evolved into the Allman Joys in 1965. From there the brothers formed Hour Glass and moved to Los Angeles. The Hour Glass released two failed albums on Liberty Records in 1967 and 1968. They were all released from the contract except Gregg, who Liberty thought might have some commercial potential. Gregg and Duane had previously met Butch Trucks and his band The 31st of February while touring as the Allman Joys, and decided to record an album with them in September 1968, shortly after the breakup of Hour Glass. This album was eventually released as ''Duane & Greg Allman'' on the Bold Records label in 1972. Duane Allman played on Wilson Pickett's hit version of "Hey Jude" and became the primary session guitarist for FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, recording with Aretha Franklin, King Curtis, Percy Sledge, and others. Allman started jamming with Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks and Berry Oakley in Jacksonville. Eddie Hinton, with whom Duane Allman had played in Muscle Shoals, was considered to play guitar, but Hinton refused in order to join the Muscle Shoals studio band. Duane brought in Jaimoe, a drummer he had played with in the past. Gregg was in Los Angeles, fulfilling the Hour Glass contract with Liberty Records. He was summoned back to Jacksonville. The Allman Brothers Band played numerous shows in the South before releasing their debut album, ''The Allman Brothers Band'' in 1969 to critical acclaim. It featured future jam standards "Whipping Post" and a 12/8 time slide guitar ''tour de force'' "Dreams". A cult following began to build.

''Idlewild South'' was released in 1970 to critical success and improved sales. Produced by Tom Dowd it featured the upbeat "Revival" and the moody-but-resolute "Midnight Rider". After completing the ''Idlewild South'' sessions Duane Allman joined Eric Clapton and his ad hoc Derek and the Dominos to record the classic ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs''.

1971 saw the release of a live album, ''At Fillmore East'', recorded on Friday and Saturday March 12 and March 13 of that year at the legendary rock venue the Fillmore East. The album was another huge hit. ''Rolling Stone'' listed ''At Fillmore East'' as number 49 on of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It showcased the band's mix of jazz, classical music, hard rock, and blues, with arrangements propelled by Duane's and Betts' dual lead guitars, Oakley's long, melodic "third guitar" bass runs, the rhythm section's pervasively percussive yet dynamically flexible foundation, and Gregg Allman's gritty Ray Charles-like vocals and piano/organ play which all completed the band's wall of sound. The rendition of Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues" was a straight-ahead opener, the powerful "Whipping Post" (with its famous 11/4 bass opening) became the standard for an epic jam that never lost interest, while the ethereal-to-furious "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" invited comparisons to John Coltrane and Miles Davis.

The Allman Brothers were the last act to play the Fillmore East before it closed in June 1971. The final shows achieved legendary status, partly due to bands literally playing all night; in 2005 Gregg Allman would relate how the jamming musicians lost track of time, not realizing it was dawn until the side doors of the Fillmore were opened and the morning light poured in.

The band continued to tour; decades later, a special-order recording of one of their final concerts in this lineup, ''S.U.N.Y. at Stonybrook: Stonybrook, NY 9/19/71'', would be released. It reveals that Duane Allman's slide guitar playing on "Dreams" and other songs was touching the farthest reaches of both that instrument and his imagination.

Loss and triumph

Duane Allman died not long after the ''Fillmore East'' album was certified gold, killed in a motorcycle accident on October 29, 1971 in Macon, Georgia, when he collided with the rear of a flatbed truck that had turned in front of him. The group decided to carry on. The album continued to gain FM radio airplay, with stations even playing 13-minute and 23-minute selections.

Dickey Betts filled Duane's former role in completing the last album Duane participated in, ''Eat a Peach'', released in February 1972. The album was often softer ("Blue Sky", "Little Martha") and wistful in tone ("Melissa", "Ain't Wastin' Time No More"), capped by the 34-minute "Mountain Jam" reverie taken from the Fillmore East concerts. Writer Greil Marcus described parts of ''Eat a Peach'' as an "after-the-rain celebration... ageless, seamless... front-porch music stolen from the utopia of shared southern memory."

The group played some concerts as a five-man band, then decided to add Chuck Leavell, a pianist, to gain another lead instrument but without, however, directly replacing Duane. This new configuration debuted on November 2, 1972, on ABC's ''In Concert'' late-night television program.

Days later, on November 11, 1972, Berry Oakley died from head injuries he received in another motorcycle accident near Napier Avenue and Inverness Street, only three blocks from the site of Duane's accident the previous year. The common retelling that it was at exactly the same site as Duane's death is incorrect, as is the legend that the ''Eat a Peach'' album is named for what was being carried by the truck involved in Allman's accident.

Oakley was replaced by Lamar Williams at the end of 1972, in time to finish the next album, ''Brothers and Sisters'', released in August 1973.

Dickey Betts was becoming the group's unofficial leader. ''Brothers and Sisters'' included the group's best known hits, "Ramblin' Man" and "Jessica", both written by Betts; the former reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 as a single, while the latter was a seven-minute instrumental hit.

The Allman Brothers Band had become one of the top concert draws in the country. Probably their most celebrated performance of the era took place on July 28, 1973 at the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen outside Watkins Glen, New York, in a joint appearance with The Grateful Dead and The Band. An estimated 600,000 people made it to the racetrack where this massive outdoor festival took place.

In the wake of the Allman Brothers Band's success, many other Southern rock groups rose to prominence, including the Marshall Tucker Band (who played as the Allman Brothers Band's opening act for many shows on their 1973 tour) and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Another peak of the Allmans' success came on New Year's Eve, 1973, when promoter Bill Graham arranged for a nationwide radio broadcast of their concert from San Francisco's Cow Palace. New arrangements of familiar tunes such as "You Don't Love Me" went out over the airwaves, as the show stretched out over three sets, with Boz Scaggs sitting in, along with Grateful Dead members Jerry Garcia and Bill Kreutzmann (Allmans and Grateful Dead members guested at each other's shows multiple times in the early 1970s).

Turmoil and dissolution

Personality conflicts started to tear the band apart, however. Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts both began solo careers, while Allman married Cher, separated quickly, reconciled, and eventually separated again, all in a storm of publicity; drug abuse took its toll on the entire band. Musically, Betts and Leavell were pulling in opposite directions, with Allman trying to mediate.

The tension resulted in the uneven ''Win, Lose or Draw'' (1975), with some members not participating on all tracks or doing so only from afar. The few stand-out tracks included a stop-start take on Muddy Waters' "Can't Lose What You Never Had", Betts' instrumental "High Falls", and Allman's Jackson Browne-influenced title song.

The band managed to limp along until 1976, when Gregg Allman was arrested on federal drug charges and agreed to testify against a friend and tour manager and bodyguard for the band, John "Scooter" Herring. Leavell, Johanson, and Williams formed Sea Level, while Betts worked on his solo career. All four swore that they would never work with Allman again.

Meanwhile, Capricorn Records released a compilation album, ''The Road Goes On Forever'', and a poorly received live album, ''Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas''. Neither sold very well.

The group reformed in 1978 and released the strong ''Enlightened Rogues'' (1979). It featured new members Dan Toler (guitar) and David Goldflies (bass), who replaced Leavell and Williams, both of whom concentrated on Sea Level instead. "Crazy Love" was a minor hit single, and the instrumental "Pegasus" got some airplay, but overall The Allman Brothers Band was no longer as popular as before, and financial woes plagued both the group and Capricorn Records, which collapsed in 1979. PolyGram took over the catalogue, and the Allman Brothers Band signed to Arista Records. The group released a pair of critically slammed albums, firing Jaimoe in the process, and then disbanded once again in early 1982.

Allman quickly formed the Gregg Allman Band with the Toler brothers Dan and David ("Frankie") (drums) in 1982 and began touring small venues and clubs. Betts, Leavell, Trucks and Goldflies formed the band Betts Hall Leavell Trucks (BHLT). Neither garnered attention from any record labels. BHLT would dissolve two years later.

The Allman Brothers Band reunited in 1986 for a pair of benefit concerts for promoter Bill Graham in New York and Macon. Allman, Betts, Trucks, Jaimoe, Leavell, and Dan Toler performed together but no subsequent reunion plans for the band were made. The following year, the Gregg Allman Band and the Dickey Betts Band co-headlined a theatre and club tour. After each band played a set of music, Betts, Allman and the Tolers performed a closing set of Allman Brothers music together.

In 1987, Epic Records signed both Allman and Betts to separate solo contracts. The Gregg Allman Band had a surprise FM hit single with the title track to the 1987 album ''I'm No Angel''. ''Just Before the Bullets Fly'' quickly followed from Allman in 1988. The Dickey Betts Band, including Haynes, was also formed during this time and released the album ''Pattern Disruptive'' in 1988. This series of collaboration among bandmembers and interest from a major label during the late 1980s laid the groundwork for the next era of Allman Brothers Band activity and success.

Revival

In 1989 The Allman Brothers reunited and returned to popular consciousness of the American public, spurred by Gregg's recent FM radio success, the release of archival material by PolyGram, and the start of regular appearances on the American summer outdoor amphitheatre circuit. Warren Haynes (guitar, vocals), Johnny Neel (keyboards and harmonica), and Allen Woody (bass guitar) joined originals Allman, Betts, Jaimoe and Trucks. Leavell opted to go on tour again with the Rolling Stones, with whom he has been a touring member since 1982.

After the 20th Anniversary tour, the band signed to Epic Records and released ''Seven Turns'' (1990), which got excellent reviews. This was followed by Neel's departure and a series of moderately-selling, but critically well-received albums including ''Shades Of Two Worlds'' (1991) and ''Where It All Begins'' (1994, certified Gold by the RIAA 1998), both featuring new percussionist Marc Quiñones. Warren Haynes and Allen Woody formed their own side project Gov't Mule in 1994. In 1995, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 1996 they won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "Jessica". When Haynes and Woody decided to concentrate full-time on Gov't Mule in 1997, Haynes was replaced on guitar by Jack Pearson, while Woody was replaced on bass by Oteil Burbridge. Derek Trucks, nephew of original Brother Butch Trucks, replaced Pearson in 1999.

In 2000, the band forced Dickey Betts out for "personal and professional reasons." For this tour, he was replaced by Jimmy Herring. Betts then filed a lawsuit against the other three original members and the summer separation turned into a permanent divorce. Also in 2000, former bassist Allen Woody was found dead on August 26. The band did release the live CD ''Peakin' at the Beacon'' that year which chronicled the now-annual March tradition of a many-night stand at the Beacon Theater in New York City. The band has sold out the 2900-seat Upper West Side Manhattan theatre 188 times since 1989. The tradition is known as the "Beacon Run" among fans, who travel from across the United States, Canada and Western Europe to see these annual March and April shows.

2000's onward

Warren Haynes began appearing with the Allmans again in 2000 and rejoined full-time in 2001, while also maintaining his active schedule with Gov't Mule. (Haynes also toured during this time and later in the decade with former members of the Grateful Dead). Haynes' return marked a new period of stability and productivity for the band after nearly four years of lineup shifts. The Haynes-produced ''Hittin' the Note'' was released in 2003 to popular and critical acclaim, as was the ''Live At the Beacon Theatre'' DVD film (2003, certified Platinum 2004). The live CD ''One Way Out'' (2004) also chronicled the Beacon concerts.

The Allman Brothers garnered back to back Grammy Award nominations in 2003 and 2004 in the category of Best Rock Instrumental for performances of "Instrumental Illness" from ''Hittin' The Note'' and ''One Way Out''. In 2003, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine named Duane Allman, Warren Haynes, Dickey Betts, and Derek Trucks to their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, with Allman coming in at #2 and Trucks being the youngest guitarist on their list.

The Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks lineup continued the band's connection with younger music fans via concert pairings with popular jam bands The String Cheese Incident, moe, and Dave Matthews Band among others. The Allman Brothers Band continue to be a major attraction at the Bonnaroo Music Festival since 2003. Since 2005, the Allmans have staged their own two day Wanee Music Festival at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida. The Allmans, Gov't Mule and The Derek Trucks Band perform on different stages along with younger roots artists including the North Mississippi Allstars, Robert Randolph and The Family Band, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Devon Allman's Honeytribe, Nickel Creek, Mofro and others.

Allman Brothers songs have been used in various advertising campaigns and television programs, with the most well-known use being that of "Jessica" used in both the 1977 and 2002 formats of the BBC television series ''Top Gear''. "Jessica" was also used in the film Field of Dreams. It was also the opening song of a famous radio show in the State of Bavaria, Germany during the 70s known as "Club 16" (http://peterhammer.de/sound4/br/club16outro.html with an example while the show ends. )

The band cancelled their Beacon run for 2008 due to Gregg Allman recovering from hepatitis C treatments, but they were back on the road that summer for the amphitheater circuit. On November 20, 2008, The Allman Brothers Band received the Legend Of Live Award at the 2008 Billboard Touring Awards ceremony in New York. The award recognized "a touring professional who has had a significant and lasting impact on the concert industry." At the ceremony, Gregg Allman talked about his brother Duane, saying: "It happens to be today would have been his 62nd birthday and I'm sure he's looking down on this and is really proud of us. We'll keep coming back until we can't come back no more."

The Allman Brothers Band celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2009. That year's Beacon run also marked the 20th anniversary of their appearances in that venue; and the band focused on paying tribute to Duane, inviting guest appearances from those who had played with him. The 15-night stand was considered to be the best Beacon run of all, highlighted by two nights of the first-ever stage appearance of Eric Clapton with the band and performances of numbers from ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs''. Guests on other nights included members of the Grateful Dead, Phish, Levon Helm and his band, and represented genres from bluesman Buddy Guy to jazz great Lenny White to rap-rock-country eccentric Kid Rock. On March 26, three days after the actual anniversary of the band's 1969 forming, what's been known as the "Legendary Jacksonville Jam", the band featured no guests but performed their first two albums in their entirety.

In March 2010, The Allman Brothers Band's New York run changed venues from the Beacon Theater to the far uptown United Palace Theatre, but in March 2011, the Allman Brothers returned to the Beacon Theater, playing their 200th show there on March 26.

Awards and recognition

Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, 1996, "Jessica"

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1995

''Rolling Stone'' Magazine's "Greatest...of All Time" lists:

100 Greatest Artists of All Time (2004): #52

500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2003): #49 for ''At Fillmore East''

* 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time (2003):

* #2 Duane Allman

* #23 Warren Haynes

* #58 Dickey Betts

* #81 Derek Trucks

Discography

''The Allman Brothers Band'' (1969)

''Idlewild South'' (1970)

''At Fillmore East'' (1971)

''Eat a Peach'' (1972)

''Brothers and Sisters'' (1973)

''Win, Lose or Draw'' (1975)

''Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas'' (1976)

''Enlightened Rogues'' (1979)

''Reach for the Sky'' (1980)

''Brothers of the Road'' (1981)

''Seven Turns'' (1990)

''Shades of Two Worlds'' (1991)

''An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: First Set'' (1992)

''Where It All Begins'' (1994)

''An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: 2nd Set'' (1995)

''Peakin' at the Beacon'' (2000)

''Hittin' the Note'' (2003)

''One Way Out'' (2004)

Lineups

Original members in bold.

800px|left|Pictorial representation of the band's timeline.

See also

''Almost Famous''

List of rock instrumentals

Gregg Allman Band

Sea Level

Gov't Mule

The Derek Trucks Band

The Allman Brothers Band Museum (the "Big House")

References

Further reading

''The Allman Brothers Band: Dreams'' liner notes

Freeman, Scott. ''Midnight Riders: The Story of the Allman Brothers Band'', Little, Brown & Co. 1995.

Reynolds, Dean. ''The Complete Allman Brothers Band Discography'', 2000.

Leavell, Chuck with J. Marshall Craig. ''Between Rock and a Home Place'', Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2004.

Perkins, Willie. ''No Saints, No Saviors'', Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2005.

Poe, Randy. ''Skydog: The Duane Allman Story'', Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books, 2006.

Reid, Jan. ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominos'' (Rock of Ages). New York: Rodale, Inc., 2006.

External links

Official web site

Founding Member Dickey Betts' Website

Flying Frog Records - Butch Trucks' jamband label

Chuck Leavell's website - former keyboardist

David Goldflies' website - former bassist

The Allman Brothers Band at the New Georgia Encyclopedia

The Allman Brothers Band Legends of Southern Rock at Swampland.com

The Allman Brothers Band at RollingStone.com

2009 Concert Photo Gallery

Category:Rock music groups from Florida Category:Jam bands Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Musical groups from Jacksonville, Florida Category:Arista Records artists Category:People from Jacksonville, Florida Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Southern rock musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1969 Category:Musical sextets Category:Musical septets Category:Epic Records artists

cs:The Allman Brothers Band da:The Allman Brothers Band de:The Allman Brothers Band es:The Allman Brothers Band fr:The Allman Brothers Band gl:The Allman Brothers Band it:The Allman Brothers Band he:להקת האחים אולמן lt:The Allman Brothers Band hu:The Allman Brothers Band nl:The Allman Brothers Band ja:オールマン・ブラザーズ・バンド no:The Allman Brothers Band pl:The Allman Brothers Band pt:The Allman Brothers Band ro:The Allman Brothers Band ru:The Allman Brothers Band simple:Allman Brothers Band sr:Олман брадерс бенд fi:The Allman Brothers Band sv:Allman Brothers Band uk:The Allman Brothers Band

Name	Gregg Allman
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Gregory Lenoir Allman
Born	December 08, 1947Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Spouse	Shelley Jefts (1971-1972) Janice Mulkey (1973-1974) Cher (1975-1979) Julie Bindas (1979-1984) Danielle J.P. Galiana (1989-1994) Stacey Fountain (2001-2007)
Instrument	Vocals, Organ, Piano, Guitar
Genre	Southern rockBluesCountryGospel
Occupation	Musician, Songwriter, Actor
Years active	1965 – present
Label	Liberty, Atco, Capricorn, Epic
Associated acts	The Allman Brothers Band, The Hour Glass, Gregg Allman Band, The Allman Joys
Website	GreggAllman.com
Notable instruments	Hammond B-3 Organ }}

Gregory Lenoir Allman (born December 8, 1947 in Nashville, Tennessee), known as Gregg Allman, is a rock and blues singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter, and a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2006. His distinctive voice placed him in 70th place in the ''Rolling Stone'' list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time".

Early years

Allman was born in Nashville but his family moved to Norfolk, Virginia when Allman was an infant. While his family was in Norfolk, his father, Willis Allman, a career United States Army sergeant, was murdered by a hitchhiker and fellow veteran who he picked up a day after returning from a long tour of duty. Geraldine "Mama A" Allman moved her family back to Nashville. In 1957 they relocated to Daytona Beach, Florida. Along with his older brother Duane, Allman attended Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach. During his teenage years, Gregg took an interest in the guitar, which was spurred by summer visits in Nashville with his grandmother. However, Duane would soon become the superior guitarist and Gregg switched his focus to vocals and keyboards. Little Milton was one of his favorite singers.

Allman Joys and Hour Glass

In the mid- to late-1960s, the Allmans played in a series of bands including The Escorts and Allman Joys, mostly around the Southeastern United States. Toward the end of the decade, The Allman Joys relocated to Los Angeles, California, and were signed to Liberty Records, which renamed them The Hour Glass. Strongly controlled by the label, the group produced a pair of psychedelic blues albums. All the players were deeply dissatisfied with the results; Duane Allman in particular spoke bitterly of the Hour Glass' output. The label however, was impressed with Gregg Allman's vocal abilities and abilities as a keyboardist.

Formation of The Allman Brothers Band

After its second album, The Hour Glass broke up and Duane Allman returned to the South, playing sessions at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Duane Allman was assembling the group that would become The Allman Brothers Band - Duane and Dickey Betts on guitars, Berry Oakley on bass guitar, and Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson on drums. Liberty Records still believed that Gregg Allman had more potential as a solo act, and allowed the rest of The Hour Glass to leave on condition that Allman stay in California to record for them. He quickly grew miserable with this arrangement, and when Duane called from Jacksonville, Florida in March 1969 to say that he had assembled a band that needed a singer, Gregg jumped at the opportunity. He had long wanted to play the Hammond Organ, and was given one immediately upon joining the band. Allman played the Hammond B-3 (preferring a 1969 B3 hooked to a Leslie speaker 122RV) and handled much of the lead vocal and songwriting duties for the Allman Brothers Band, along with occasional piano and guitar contributions.

Solo career

After the death of Duane Allman in 1971, Gregg Allman started out on a solo career. His first album, ''Laid Back'', was released in 1973 to a positive critical reception.

It included a couple of reworked Allman Brothers songs, such as a horn-infused version of "Midnight Rider" that made it to #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and originals like "Queen of Hearts", which Allman and the band felt did not quite fit the Allman Brothers sound. Allman also covered a traditional gospel song "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" and former California roommate Jackson Browne's song "These Days."

Allman's solo career has continued intermittently throughout the subsequent decades, sometimes touring when the Allman Brothers Band is off the road. Generally, these solo efforts - first with the Gregg Allman Band, and later with Gregg Allman & Friends - eschew lengthy guitar solos and cast Allman more in the mode of his favorite soul singers. The bands often include a horn section and are more groove-oriented, mixing original songs with reworked Allman Brothers songs and covers of blues, R&B;, and soul songs.

Allman's second chart single came in 1987 with the #49 peaking "I'm No Angel", from the album of the same name. The album went on to be certified Gold for 500,000 copies sold and led to a renewed interest in Allman and to a reformation of the Allman Brothers Band less than three years later. His 2011 album, ''Low Country Blues'', is a collection of eleven blues standards and one original song.

Allman has also made guest appearances on albums and concert videos by a wide variety of other artists, including a concert DVD celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Radiators, playing ''Midnight Rider'' with that band.

As an actor, Allman had roles in the films ''Rush Week'' (1989) and ''Rush'' (1991), and in episodes of the TV series ''Superboy''. He also had a brief speaking cameo in the ''Family Guy'' episode "Let's Go to the Hop".

When Allman was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame on September 16, 2006, he was introduced by Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and performed "Oncoming Traffic", "Melissa", and "Georgia on My Mind" solo and then ended with "Midnight Rider", backed by fellow inductees Bill Berry, Peter Buck, and Mike Mills from R.E.M. at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Personal life

Allman struggled with drugs both legal and illegal, primarily cocaine, heroin, and alcohol, from the 1970s onward. He was sober as of the mid-1990s.

He continues to tour every year with The Allman Brothers Band, which in 2003 released ''Hittin' the Note'', its first studio album in nearly a decade.

On June 23, 2010 Allman underwent liver transplant surgery. He had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C in late 2007 and has been battling the disease ever since. Gregg Allman has successfully kept one of the most influential bands of all time together for the most part, molding and altering their sound to accommodate newer members overcoming tragic experiences.

Marriages, relationships & children

Allman has been married at least six times and has several children and three grandchildren.

His first son, Michael Sean Allman, was born in July 1966 to Mary Sutton. His marriage to Shelley Kay Winters (later Jefts), produced another son, Devon Allman, on August 10, 1972. Devon is also a musician, leads the band Honeytribe, and has appeared with the Allman Brothers Band on a few occasions.

At the time of his first solo album, ''Laid Back,'' Allman was married to Jan Blair, sister of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' bassist, Ron Blair.

Allman was married to the entertainer Cher from 1975 to 1979. They had one child together, a son, Elijah Blue Allman, who later formed his own band, Deadsy. The couple tried a musical collaboration, releasing an album ''Two the Hard Way'' (billed as Allman and Woman) in 1977. It was universally panned, and it has long since been out of print. ''The Hard Way Tour'' did not achieve success either. In an interview on NPR's ''On Point'' in March 2011, Allman expressed that he and Cher split due largely to his desire to no longer live in Los Angeles, and his growing discomfort with his wife's celebrity lifestyle.

Allman was married to Julie Bindas from 1979 to 1981. They had a daughter, Delilah Island Allman, November 5, 1980.

In the late eighties he convinced the future porn actress Shannon Michelle Wilsey "Savannah" to travel to San José, California, to make a casting, when they arrived she discovered the movie thing was fake, later she was pregnant by him and lost the baby (or aborted it).

Around 1992, he met Shelby Blackburn, who had interviewed him at a radio station where she worked. Out of this relationship came daughter Layla Brooklyn Allman, born March 31, 1993. Layla fronts the band Picture Me Broken.

He married Stacey Fountain in 2001.

Allman currently lives in Richmond Hill, Georgia.

Discography

Albums

1973 ''Laid Back''

1974 ''The Gregg Allman Tour'' (live)

1977 ''Playin' Up a Storm'' - The Gregg Allman Band

1977 ''Two the Hard Way'' - Allman and Woman (Cher)

1986 ''I'm No Angel'' - The Gregg Allman Band

1988 ''Just Before The Bullets Fly'' - The Gregg Allman Band

1997 ''Searching for Simplicity''

1997 ''One More Try: An Anthology''

2002 ''20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection'' (compilation)

2002 ''No Stranger to the Dark: The Best of Gregg Allman'' (different compilation, with three new tracks)

2011 '' Low Country Blues''

See also

List of Hammond organ players

Quotation

References

External links

Official website

Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:American baritones Category:American rock singers Category:American blues singers Category:American rock keyboardists Category:The Allman Brothers Band members Category:Delaney & Bonnie & Friends members Category:Musicians from Tennessee Category:People from Nashville, Tennessee Category:People from Volusia County, Florida Category:Cher

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name	Melissa McCarthy
birth date	August 26, 1970
birth place	Plainfield, Illinois, United States
occupation	Actress
spouse	Ben Falcone(2005-present; 2 children)
yearsactive	1997–present }}

Melissa McCarthy (born August 26, 1970) is an American actress and comedienne.

She debuted in film in 1998 and continued to play character roles. From 2001 to 2007, she played Sookie St. James on the The WB television series ''Gilmore Girls''. From 2007 to 2009 she played Dena on the ABC sitcom ''Samantha Who?''. She currently stars in the CBS sitcom ''Mike & Molly'', for which she earned her first Emmy Award nomination. In 2011, she starred in the film ''Bridesmaids''.

Early life

McCarthy, a cousin of actress Jenny McCarthy, was born in Plainfield, Illinois, the daughter of Sandy and Michael McCarthy. She was raised on a farm, in a "big, Irish-Catholic family". She graduated from Joliet Catholic Academy (Formerly St. Francis Academy) in Joliet, Illinois. Her career started with stand-up comedy and includes film, television and theater. McCarthy is an alumna of The Groundlings, an improvisational and sketch comedy troupe based in Los Angeles, California.

Career

In 1997 she appeared in an episode of the NBC comedy series ''Jenny''. From 2000 to 2003 she played supporting roles in the films ''Disney's The Kid'', ''Charlie's Angels'', ''Go'', ''The Third Wheel'' and ''The Life of David Gale''. She also did voice work in three episodes of ''Kim Possible'', where she played DNAmy.

From 2001 to 2007 she played the role of Sookie St. James, Lorelai Gilmore's best friend on the The WB television series ''Gilmore Girls''.

In 2007, she acted opposite Ryan Reynolds in ''The Nines'', written and directed by John August. McCarthy played Dena on the ABC sitcom ''Samantha Who?'' from 2007 to 2009. She also was a guest star in TV series ''Rita Rocks'' in 2009 and ''Private Practice'' in 2010.

In 2010, she played character roles in films ''The Back-Up Plan'' and ''Life as We Know It''. Since 2010 McCarthy has played a leading role as Molly Flynn on the CBS hit sitcom ''Mike & Molly''. In 2011, she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on ''Mike & Molly''.

In 2011, she starred in the financially successful and critically lauded film ''Bridesmaids'' with Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper. In June, 2011, she hosted the ''Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards''.

She will play a role in the sequel to Judd Apatow's film ''Knocked Up'' - ''This is Forty''. She will star in the upcoming film ''ID Theft'' with Jason Bateman. She will also appear in season 37 of ''Saturday Night Live''.

Personal life

McCarthy married her longtime boyfriend, ''Ben Falcone'', an actor and fellow alumnus of The Groundlings, on October 8, 2005. They have two daughters, Vivian, born May 5, 2007, and Georgette, born in March 2010. McCarthy's pregnancy with Vivian was written into the last season of ''Gilmore Girls''.

Filmography

Film

! Year	! Film	! Role	Notes
1998	''God'	Margaret
1999		Sandra
		Doris
''Drowning Mona''	Shirley
''Auto Motives'	Tonnie
	Sky King Waitress
		Cici Pinkus
''''	Marilyn
	Paramedic
	''''	Nico the Goth Girl
''Chicken Party''	Tot Wagner
''Kim Possible: The Secret Files''	DNAmy	voice
2006	''Cook-Off!''	Amber Strang
	''''	Margaret / Melissa / Mary
	Night Store Clerk	uncredited
''''	Fran
		Selma
''Pretty Ugly People''	Becky
	''The Back-Up Plan''	Carol
	DeeDee
2011		Megan
			spin-off of 2007's ''Knocked Up'', Filming
''ID Theft''		Pre-production
2013	''Untitled Melissa McCarthy Project''		Pre-production

Television

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1997		Melissa	Episode: "1.5"
2000		Molly	Episode: "Justice"Episode: "Blame"
2000-2007	''Gilmore Girls''		153 episodes
2001	''''	Billy	Episode: "Mark of the Beast"
2002-2005	''Kim Possible''		voice			Episodes: "Downhill", "Partners" and "Gorilla Fist"
2004	''Curb Your Enthusiasm''	Saleswoman
2007-2009	''Samantha Who?''		35 episodes
2009	''Rita Rocks''	Mindy Boone	Episode: "Why Can't We Be Friends?"
2010		Lynn McDonald
2010-present	''Mike & Molly''		Lead role			Nomination - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (2011)
2011	''Saturday Night Live''	host	Episode: "Melissa McCarthy"

References

External links

Melissa McCarthy cast bio on The CW

Melissa McCarthy's biography on filmbug

Category:1970 births Category:Actors from Illinois Category:American film actors Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American television actors Category:The Groundlings Category:Living people Category:People from Will County, Illinois Category:Women comedians

bg:Мелиса Маккарти da:Melissa McCarthy de:Melissa McCarthy es:Melissa McCarthy fr:Melissa McCarthy ko:멜리사 매카시 is:Melissa McCarthy it:Melissa McCarthy nl:Melissa McCarthy pl:Melissa McCarthy ru:Маккарти, Мелисса simple:Melissa McCarthy fi:Melissa McCarthy sv:Melissa McCarthy tl:Melissa McCarthy uk:Меліса Маккарті

Konstantinos (Kostas) Bigalis is a popular singer and musician who is known for representing Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest on 2 occasions: as a singer and composer in 1994 and as a composer in 1996.

Biography

Kostas was born in Athens on 15th March 1953 and he started his career in 1975 after wining the first prize at a music contest for amateurs. He took part in many festivals, he played in the rock opera Jesus Christ Super Star, he entered the Song Festival of Thessaloniki where he was awarded the awards for Best Lyrics and Best Composition and in 1981 he recorded two songs for the soundtrack of the American film Next One. In 1982 he starred as Simon in a religious themed tv series, alongside Anthony Hopkins.In 1984 he formed the music duo Big Alice along with Mariana Efstratiou. They had a number one hit in Greece, entitled I Miss You and it was out to the music markets of 18 other European countries.

Kostas toured abroad for quite a long time and in 1989 he returned to Greece in order to launch a solo career. He had his first album the same year. His big hit came in 1992 with his second album that reached platinum sales.

Eurovision Song Contest

His first attempt to represent Greece in the ESC was in 1989, but his entry never made it to the finals. In 1994 ERT chose him to be the Greek representative with the pop/folk song To Trehandiri. Accompanied by the music group Sea Lovers on stage, Kostas gave a fresh performance, though the results were not so good. He received 44 points and he was 14th out of 25 entries.

In 1996 he wrote music for a song performed by Mariana Efstratiou. The song made it to the eurovision finals but once more the results didn't satisfy him. The song gained 36 points and it was 15th out of 23.

In 2002 he tried once more. This time he penned a duet for himself and young singer Mirella. The song made it to the Greek selection night but it was not victorious. Bigalis was furious with ERT for the ''bad sound'' (as he was stating) and he made several TV appearances complaining and accusing ERT for not winning the event.

In 2005 he wrote the song The Light in our Soul for Helena Paparizou in order for her to compete to the Greek selection for the ESC 2005. A few days before the event, his former colleague, Mirella stated that this particular song was performed by her and it was already in a cd that was issued a few months ago in Germany. The fact that the song was aired before the Greek contest was against the rules and the song was disqualified.

Discography

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Year	Title	Certification
			!	!
1989	''Me ton Ilio stous Ihtheis''
1992	''Tou Aigaiou ta Blues''
1993	''Mikri mou Melissa''
1994	''Mousiko Taxidi''
1996	''Ilie moy, File moy''
1997	''O Erotas sou Thalassa''
1998	''Mithos''
2000	''Pathos''
2002	''Mia Stigmi sto Hrono''
2005	''Galazio''

References

www.musiccorner.gr

www.madtv.gr

Category:Greek male singers Category:Greek Eurovision Song Contest entrants Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1994 Category:People from Athens Category:Modern Greek-language singers Category:Living people