EXCLUSIVE: 'My husband just shot himself. I can't look at him.' Hysterical wife of Allman Brothers drummer Butch Trucks' 911 CALL revealed after she witnessed his suicide at their waterfront Florida condo
- WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT
- The wife of Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks screamed into the phone seconds after a loud noise that sounds like a gunshot
- Trucks died last week in his waterfront condo in West Palm Beach, Florida at the age of 69 of a self-inflicted gun shot would to the head
- His wife Melinda saw him pull the trigger and dialed 911 at 6:02 p.m.
- Although he was breathing when police arrived, Trucks expired seconds later
- Palm Beach County court records show Trucks appeared to be wrestling with financials problems
- 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
- 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
- He was considered by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 10 drummers in rock history
'My husband just shot himself! My husband just shot himself!,' the wife of Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks screams into the phone seconds after what sounds like a gunshot.
DailyMail.com has obtained from police the audio of the 911 call that Melinda Trucks, the legendary drummer's wife of more than 25 years, placed January. 24 when the rocker took his own life in his waterfront condo in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The heavily edited recording -- police stripped all identifying words from the original -- starts with a loud noise believed to be the moment Trucks pulled the trigger on the pistol he held to his head as Melinda lets out blood-curdling screams.
'Allo, allo, my husband just shot himself,' Melinda yells into the phone. 'My husband just shot himself.'
'What did he shoot himself with,' the 911 operator asks.
Scroll down for video
Butch Trucks killed himself in West Palm Beach, Florida at the age of 69 in front of his wife Melinda, both pictured here at a benefit for missing and exploited children
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
'A pistol,' Melinda replies as the voice of a man sounds off in the background. According to the original police report, Trucks' singer son Vaylor may have been at the scene.
'Is he breathing still, though,' the operator asks.
'No, no,' Melinda replies. 'He shot himself in the head.
'I can't look at him,' Melinda says. 'What do I do? Call the hospital? .... Oh, I can't touch him!'
'No ma'am, you don't have to call the hospital ... You don't have to touch him ... Paramedics and the police are on the way,' the operator responds. 'Just stay outside.'
The transcript of the frantic call made to West Palm Beach Police also 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.
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 transcript of the frantic call made to West Palm Beach Police about 6:00 p.m. also 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.
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, had formed a new band and was active in Palm Beach social life
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.
Most watched News videos
- Moment carer is caught on camera manhandling a dementia patient
- Ministry of Defence release build up to Marine A shooting Taliban fighter
- Woman filmed performing sex act in Florida court house
- Sky News presenter accidentally says 'pr**k' in Trump segment
- MoD video shows build-up to moment marine shoots Taliban fighter
- Ivanka posts video of Arabella singing a song for Chinese New Year
- Moments after Audi R8 GT crashes after driving almost 200 mph
- Man hanging from windowsill of high flat falls to his death
- 'I'd like you to apologise': Moment outraged caller phones LBC
- John Berocw says there's 'no issue' with baby being in commons
- Junkie holds young girl at knifepoint as he demands drugs from police
- Loose Women: Farage rows with Saira Khan over US travel ban
-
EXCLUSIVE: Trump's Supreme Court pick Neil Gorsuch...
-
EXCLUSIVE: With frostbite on her hands and hair frozen to...
-
Mother reveals daughter, 13, 'was relentlessly bullied at...
-
'WAKE UP & JOIN THE RESISTANCE': Sarah Silverman calls...
-
Woman gives birth to 'FROG' baby in Zimbabwe… and is made...
-
Bupa carer is caught on hidden camera manhandling...
-
Rotherham child sex gang shout 'Allahu Akbar' in court as...
-
Brought to tears by Sharia justice: Woman is forced to...
-
Can you spot the 1.8-metre snake? Photograph posted...
-
EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Home sweet home! Neighbors welcome the...
-
Anna Nicole's daughter Dannielynn shows off her wonderful...
-
Russian girl, 12, is raped by family friend before being...