Berry Oakley *Duane Allman's choice for many reasons* (The Story Behind It All)

When putting the Allman Brothers band together Duane Allman didn't want somebody who just played bass, he wanted someone who was capable of taking the instrument and the music to a different level. Berry Oakley was the perfect fit! Here is the story of how Berry ended up in Jacksonville Florida after quitting school, his band in Chicago Illinois and became a founding member of greatest southern rock band in history The Allman Brothers Band.
#theallmanbrothersband #bassguitar #documentary
Bertie Higgins song
Key Largo • Bertie Higgins - "Key ...
Blues Messengers song
High Wednesday • Blues Messengers - Hig...
Tractor Bass Video • Shaun Oakleys talk abo...

[@geraldskinner63]

Fantastic video! I always thought Barry could throw down some killer Jazz runs as well. What he played underneath Dwayne and Dickie on the Filmore east records was amazing.

[@RiverDocs]

Agree!

[@latexsolarbeef4990]

...Barry played with soul and imagination which comes easy when you have soul and imagination....these guys weren't rock stars...they were MUSICIANS...big difference....

[@sjd5750]

2nd concert I ever attended was ABB. I was 14. Berry was still with them..Even at that young age I knew he was a special musician..Still the best concert I'd ever been to, and I've been to hundreds ever since..I'll be 68 on my next BD..I remember it like it was yesterday.

[@sjd5750]

In fact, I turned 15 when the clock struck 12, and they were still jammin' hard!

[@bb57365]

Mine also. June 72, Capital Theater, Passaic NJ. They my band, always.

[@TheHuester44]

I was fortunate to see the original lineup at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. I remember noticing that Berry at times would stand to the side of Dickie Betts so he could look over the neck of Betts guitar. For me I always considered Berry of amongst the best bass players . He was as integral to the Allman Brothers as Duane and Dickie. Together the three of them plus Gregg and Butch and Jaimoe all played together each adding their own gift to produce the music of one of the greatest bands ever . It was so sad to lose Duane then oddly almost an exact year later Berry . The band carried on and off and on again to great success however it would have been preferred if the original members could stayed together and produce even more wonderful music. Berry absolutely deserves great respect and recognition 🙏👌😊☮️❤️

[@RiverDocs]

I agree with everything you said! Thanks for watching!

[@jamescox8402]

Their 'Live at the Fillmore East' is truly one of the great live albums.

[@clevebaker8399]

The greatest lp ever🥳

[@coinneachmaclellan3121]

Berry Oakley and Jack Bruce...both played the bass like a lead instrument and both were key members in the success of their respective bands...

[@AbeFroman-zx5hs]

John Entwistle

[@cjnav7832]

Thank you for a short, yet extremely informative video on Barry

[@RiverDocs]

You're welcome

[@mmgreen31]

Fascinating video. Thank you for great info on a bass player truly underrated in the music world.

[@RiverDocs]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@stevia3162]

Berry Oakley was absolutely one of the all time greats of the bass guitar, an incredible, instinctive, Improvising musician!

[@tonetone7572]

Berry's greatness as a bass player is all over ABB on "Live At The Fillmore"....sometimes when listening to it i just listen to him.

[@RiverDocs]

yep...same here.

[@brookdalebill]

Berry was truly brilliant. Thanks for this great, insightful video!

[@RiverDocs]

Welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@billyjoejones3596]

It's a damn shame that Berry is almost never mentioned in any conversations of "best" bass players. He was truly one of the best.

[@mrg1911]

Greatest band of all time, Berry was the third guitarist in the band, thanks!

[@RiverDocs]

You're welcome,

[@DCHutchins]

I had a work trip to GA and was able to fit a trip to Macon. Any ABB fan should try to go to the Big House and Rose Hill Cemetery and other sites. Well worth the time and effort after listening to the Bros for all these years. Great video River Docs!

[@RiverDocs]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@thecoolestdad]

Hello again sir. Berry was an exceptional bass player. After gathering all of my content and info about the band, I have grown an entire new respect for them as musicians. I hate it so much that him and Duane were killed at such young ages. Can you imagine the songs we would have had if they had not been killed? It's gonna be later in the winter or even early next year before I will get my Allman Brothers video out. I have tons of editing and voiceovers to do and add in a lot of still pics. Stay patient, LOL, I'll let you know when they are up.

[@RiverDocs]

Hey, good to see you again. Yes make sure to let me know when you get your video completed. Thanks for stopping by!

[@thecoolestdad]

@@RiverDocs Yes sir I will.

[@impalaman9707]

He had a really unique bass guitar sound somewhere between Peter Cetera and Chas Chandler. Some of his best playing was on the two singles put out by the Second Coming in 1968 kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4DKmpRtntZsr9k

[@kc0lif]

berry starts whipping post. i heard of bertie higgins.

[@marcofranko2]

My favorite band period. I'm a Skynyrd plane crash survivor. You should come down to Gillsburg on October 19th and 20th. Survivors and Reponders get together every year. It's a great story.

[@RiverDocs]

Never know. I might do that. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@VincentVader]

Berry's playing on the Fillmore East vinyl, especially, is bad ass.

[@Iconoplastt]

Berry was so great, the original ABB was so amazing and Berry was so remarkable, really the best bassist for Dickie and Duane! Duane and Berry had an amazing connection and Berry took up riding after Duane died, so many similarities

[@RiverDocs]

No doubt, him and Duane had a connection. Thanks for watching!

[@Iconoplastt]

@@RiverDocs I am mainly a bass player (playing for >30 years), but also play lead and learned a ton of Dickie, Duane and Berry's stuff and musically they are so amazing.Berry holds down the low end and knows who to go high to elevate it, it's extraordinary... Blue Sky is one of my favorites to play, I like to play the guitar parts on my own after doing it on bass first. RIP Duane, Berry, Butch, Greg and Dickie!

[@TheGuitarMan71]

Glad to see Berry getting the recognition he deserves

[@jewelramsey1491]

He Was A Phenomenal Bass Player! Very Underrated! He Was A Very Handsome Man! He Didn't Receive The Recognition He Truly Deserved! R I P ❤❤❤

[@williamdejeffrio9701]

Great documentary, excellent early photos and information. I've been a fan ever since 1970 and thought I knew all there was to know about Berry, but this one gave me some new stuff and some new views. Thanks!

[@Ryan-Hall]

DOC, always Love your Story Telling and got the facts down too! But I knew Dwayne left us way to early, But didn't know Berry's life was so short and he was from Chicago!? That's Cool+was a Guitar player first! Do you know if he ever played GUITAR 🎸 on any Albums or Song's?? Thanks My Music-In-Law Brother & hope you and the misses is well to?? Stay Safe through this Storm Bro 🙏❤️🫂✌️🤠

[@johnkaraphillis754]

Thank you for recognizing a great bass player that played for the “greatest band of them all”!

[@aminahmed2220]

What a fantastic video have a great day Doc and also happy first day also week of fall ❤😊🍂🇨🇦🇺🇸🎸

[@RiverDocs]

Thanks! You too!

[@marcofranko2]

Hello

[@ramboweed5169]

Mountain jam

[@JoelPerri7777]

I always forget how young Berry and Duane were when they died. They didn’t even make it to the magical rock age of 27. I never knew Berry was a lead guitarist either. Thanks for another great episode man, I really dig your stuff.

[@RiverDocs]

Thank I appreciate it. Glad you enjoy the channel!

[@hihatjas9477]

That bass should be in the Smithsonian.

[@Jeff-li5ri]

I agree. Berry was one of the greatest bass players ever! He always played what was right for the song. Always solid but lead like. What a great band the ABB was! Loved their improvisations.

[@rcnotes]

In the late 60's I went to Forrest hs in Jax and witnessed the Allman's coming together as a band. I was at the Cedar Hills Armory, Jacksonville Beach Coliseum, Willowbranch Park Be In's and the Forest Inn jams. What a time to be alive.

[@jeffreyjohnsen4320]

My first ever concert was The ABs at the spectrum in Philly, Duane was gone but did get to see Berry with the brers, to this day i cherish that show n experience, they were and are at age 67 my all time #1 band, miss you all....

[@jeffsilverman6104]

Thank you for the attention to Berry, he was truly Duane's soulmate. They rest alongside each other for all time. "We got a little number from our first album we're gonna do for ya, Berry starts it right off...."

[@RiverDocs]

You're welcome. Berry deserves a lot more attention as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for watching and your comment.

[@jeffsilverman6104]

@@RiverDocs He absolutely deserves it.

[@michaelgibbons1982]

Informative piece --- well done! So his grandson has the Tractor now? Thought I recall seeing it at the Big House at some point

[@mattrodela2030]

Berry was and is an inspiration. He always gave each song a signature bass theme that developed beautifully as the songs progressed. His part in Ramblin Man got me hooked on bass when I was a kid..

[@jamesmickryan982]

Several yrs back I became friends with Kim Payne one of the original ABB roadies. Kim used to talk about him & Berry repeatedly listening to the Layla album together & tearing up at the Big House after Duane died. Kim was also dating Berry’s sister at the time & was ridding with him when he had his fatal accident. I herd rumor from a good source after Kim’s recent passing his ashes were sprinkled in Macon by the Brothers grave. R.I.P too them all.

[@gxtmfa]

This made my day!! I’m a huge Berry Oakley fan! His bass work makes him one of my favorite musicians

[@dagotom6588]

I saw Barry and Duane when the Allman brothers played in San Diego a few months before Duane died in a motor cycle accident. The best concert I’ve seen in my life, just straight up southern rock and roll !!

[@sl5932]

He was a mature musician, far beyond his years. He led the "engine room", the glue, while Duane & Dickey led the music to incredible places.

[@bozzhughes6101]

i honestly believe that if those two lived the ABB would have maintained a cult following throughout all musical genres i.e. punk, alternative...A beautiful unique band. The skies the limit!!

[@BlindArthurBlake]

I always thought Berry Oakley was one of the most inventive bass players in rock history, along with Jack Bruce, Phil Lesh and Jack Casady

[@casablanca2745]

“We got a little number from our first album, Berry starts it off” Greg Allman Whipping Post Filmore East. Nuff said. RIP Berry

[@esltogo6898]

His mother was a 2nd grade teacher at St. Iranaeus in Park Forest when I was in 1st grade the year they moved to Florida. In the late 70's, I got out of the service in Georgia and was playing bass in a local southern rock/ country band and we opened a show for Grinderswitch. Their roadie asked if I wanted to play through the band's bass rig to make the switchover easier. I agreed and noticed the rig was a Mac 2300 power amp, an early Alembic stereo pre, and a JBL 2-15 cab with both voice coil covers removed and covered with duct tape. I asked about it after we sound checked and he said Barry thought the aluminum covers provided too much top end so he cut them off. I said who's Barry?

[@rigamarole1117]

I'm sure Al Paul could fill in some gaps for you.

[@johndrx165]

Thank you for spotlighting this great musician! He contributed so much, but gets little credit for his contributions to the ABB. There is not a lot of info out about him.

[@PaulZimmerman-t4k]

The Allman Bros. was not a "Southern Rock" band

[@jhsams1977]

Awesome Bassist, love his groove on Mountain Jam and the solo

[@jeromestracks108]

Berry Oakley The master of the Tractor

[@Larry-v9r]

They never were the same after Berry, and then Duane passed.

[@AbeFroman-zx5hs]

Thanks for doing something on Berry. For some reason base players always “stand in a shadow”.

[@RiverDocs]

You're welcome. It does seem the bass players gets pushed to the shadows a lot. I have a few more on the channel, but way more guitar players than bass players.

[@donny_doyle]

There was magic among those boys. Together>solo.

[@unk4045]

Great post!! Thanks!! ABB👍❤️

[@davidgibbs381]

Thank You for this documentary. I attempted to research Berry & how he connected with Tommy Roe but didn't get far. Should have dug deeper. Oh well, Thanks for the research & the unseen photos too!

[@RiverDocs]

You're very welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@petejohnson8366]

Good info ,best band of all time.

[@jackjustice1731]

Great stuff! Thanks.

[@darrellkinkade9205]

Simply excellent!!

[@tedgibson5960]

HEY!! River Doc's hope you and yours is all right! looks like it got nasty!

[@RiverDocs]

We are doing just fine here. The storm surge was the biggest issue where I live. But I was just far enough away to miss out on that. So all is good. Nice to see you and thanks for watching!

[@tedgibson5960]

@@RiverDocs COOL!😎✌

[@cowpuncher5099]

Good stuff RD! Hunker down brother!

[@RiverDocs]

Thanks. I'm getting blowed around a little right now but we'll make it ok. Got both generators setting out waiting lol

[@felixramirez6898]

[@McBain-qe2jh]

Great video man.

[@RiverDocs]

Thanks. Appreciate it!

[@stevegrady5134]

Love the ABB. Would it be too much of a stretch to say that the early lineup was essentially a Southern rock band that happened to have a jazz rhythm section?