Allman Brothers Band Mississippi Coliseum Jackson, MS July 20, 197 I drove over to Jackson, MS to see the Allman Brothers Band the day before we were to see them in New Orleans at City Park Stadium. This was the first show that I'd photographed, where I began to believe that I could get 'the close-up shot'. Until this show, all attempts with my 150mm lens had been 'no count'. I had gotten an acceptable result with Dr John, who had opened the show; but, it was this close-up of Berry Oakley that pushed me on, wanting to get these kinds of shots, as well as those stage shots with the standard 50mm Takumar lens. The following night we saw The Brothers in New Orleans. It was the first time that I had seen Freddie King, who was the opener. I was captured by the performance from his beginning entrance. The band was already onstage, cookin' up an intro beat...and here comes Freddie King, struttin' around on the field level, approaching the stage front stairs...arriving onstage, plugging in, and precisely dropping in on beat...cookin', cookin'! I have been a fan ever since!!! At some time, during the Allmans set, there were hundreds of peaches tossed out from the upper part of the stadium, 'creating quite a stir'; these were the months after the release of the 'Eat a Peach' album. This was no coincidence Another memorable part of the show was that, on two occasions, Berry had left the stage ill; with Joe Dan Petty, one of the roadies, filling in on bass. Years later he would play bass in a band named Grinderswitch
Peaches and Willie
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