EXCLUSIVE: Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks shot himself in the head in his waterfront Florida condo in a horrific scene witnessed by his artist wife of 25 years

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Butch Trucks, the gifted drummer who co-founded classic rock's  Allman Brothers Band, died after he shot himself in front of his wife of 25 years, according to police records obtained exclusively by Dailymail.com.

The 69-year-old rocker's entourage and police in West Palm Beach, where Trucks died Tuesday night, have tried to keep the cause of his death hidden from the public and millions of fans.

But the transcript of a frantic call made to West Palm Beach Police about 6:00 p.m. Tuesday provides the awful details of the drummer's death at home in the downtown waterfront Villa Del Lago complex.

A woman caller who is unidentified on the transcript but described as 'hysterical' dialed 911 at 6:02 p.m., the transcript shows. 

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Butch Trucks killed himself Tuesday in West Palm Beach, Florida at the age of 69 in front of his wife Melinda,  both pictured here at the 2012 Grammy Awards 

The police dispatcher reported an unidentified woman in the 911 call woman saying her 'husband just shot himself' with a pistol. From left, Jai Johanny 'Jaimoe' Johanson, Dickey Betts, Gregg Allman and Butch Trucks were members of the rock band founded by Duane and Gregg Allman

The transcript of a frantic call made to West Palm Beach Police about 6:00 p.m. Tuesday provides the awful details of the drummer's death at home in the downtown waterfront Villa Del Lago complex

The police dispatcher reported the woman saying her 'husband just shot himself' with a pistol.

The caller used Trucks' real first name, Claude, when she identified the victim.

As several squad cars rolled toward the apartment building, the caller continued talking to the dispatcher although she was so distraught she couldn't speak in complete sentences.

Trucks suffered a gun shot wound to the head, the caller said. At that point, the caller wasn't sure Trucks was still breathing.

The dispatcher then radioed the officers that Trucks' wife, painter Melinda, and a son were waiting for police in the hallway outside the condo. Trucks had two adult children, a daughter and a son, Atlanta-based musician Vaylor Trucks.

The dispatcher noted Melinda witnessed Trucks pulling the trigger.

Although he was breathing when police arrived, the man considered by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 10 drummers in rock history expired seconds later as the dispatcher concluded the call by noting a 'Signal 7,' police code for a dead person.

Police refused to comment but put out a statement confirming that Trucks died in his condo, and investigators did not suspect foul play despite the fact the incident officially still is under investigation.

Although he was breathing when police arrived, the man considered by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 10 drummers in rock history expired seconds later. Above, Warren Haynes, Billy Gibbons, drummer Butch, Natalie Cole, and Graham Nash perform at the Beacon Theatre on July 27, 2011 in New York City.

The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy Wednesday, but the results won't be known for weeks.

Kathleen Salata, a manager at Villa Del Lago, said Melinda was spotted by residents Wednesday but was 'completely distraught.'

Several residents walking their dogs said they had no clue that the shooting occurred in their building and didn't realize that a legendary rocker lived on the fifth floor.

Todd Brodginski, Trucks' publicist, didn't return repeated calls asking whether the musician appeared depressed as of late.

Palm Beach County court records, meanwhile, show Trucks appeared to be wrestling with financials problems as of late.

In 2011, Trucks had to sell his prized home in Palm Beach for $2 million when it was possibly worth twice as much to pay off a $800,000 mortgage that a bank was trying to foreclose on.

In 2014, Trucks and his wife spent $500,000 on the condo where he shot himself.

And he was hounded by the IRS, according to federal records.

Butch Trucks, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, died on Tuesday 

Last year, the IRS filed two liens against the condo to force Trucks to pay additional taxes for 2013 and 2014 for a total of more than $540,000.

A consummate Floridian, Trucks was born in the Jacksonville area and by age 8 played drums with local bands.

He was playing a gig in Daytona in the late 60s when he was approached by Gregg and Duane Allman. Together, they formed The Allman Brothers Band, which became one of the 70s most popular concert bands.

Trucks moved to the Palm Beach area in the early 1990s. He and Melinda had become stalwarts on the local charity circuit and often made appearances at high-profile dinners to benefit non-profit groups.

He was one of the Allman Brother's Bands two drummers. Through the years, the band broke up and reunited three times and Trucks was there for every reunion. 

During their most recent stretch, from 1999 to 2014, Trucks' own nephew Derek was brought into the band to play guitar.  

After the band's most recent break-up two years ago, Trucks started a new group called Butch Trucks and the Freight Train Band. Trucks played his last show on January 6, and the group was scheduled for more shows this spring.

Trucks had been very open about his demons, including the drug and alcohol problem he developed in his early years in the band. 

Trucks told the Palm Beach Post that by 1974, the first thing he did in the morning was drink a beer or wine. He got into cocaine as a way to prolong the night. 

When the band first broke up in 1974, he says he tried to quit both by moving his family to Tallahassee and going back to school to finish college.  

While he was able to kick hard alcohol and drugs, he kept drinking wine.

After his kids left the house, Trucks and his wife moved to Palm Beach where his alcohol demons came back to bite him. 

'I promised myself no more than three glasses and I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it,' he said.  

In October 2001, he quit alcohol completely, without going to rehab of Alcoholics Anonymous. 

'You have to make the commitment deep down inside that this is enough. That you care more for the people around you than the booze. My message is 'life can get better,'' he said

Just this year, Rolling Stone named Trucks and bandmate Jai Johanny 'Jaimoe' Johanson among the 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time.   

Having two drummers remains rare for bands, but Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dicky Betts said that the two brought different qualities to the sound. 

'Jaimoe was a real good drummer, but more of a pocket guy … he wasn't really able to handle the power,' Betts said in the Allman Brothers biography. 'We needed Butch, who had that drive and strength, freight train, meat-and-potatoes thing. It set Jaimoe up perfectly.'

Following Trucks' death on Tuesday, friends and family members started posting memorials on Facebook.  

'My cousin Butch Trucks died. Great drummer. Good person,' Trucks' cousin Lee posted at 8am on Wednesday.  

Then came the tribute posts from his peers and fellow musicians. 

'Just got work that original Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks has passed away. Condolences to family and band mates,' country musician Charlie Daniels, best known for 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia', tweeted Wednesday. 

If you need to speak to a counselor, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1 (800) 273-8255.