19 Comments

It is all so ironic....Hendrix, SRV, Duane, Berry and Bruce all passed in emotionally stirring ways that remain tragic and unforgettable.

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Yes, true but all totally different. Stevie is the most tragic to me because of where he was in his life and how random and accidental it was.

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And how Eric avoided the same fate.

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So many emotions, I cannot begin to describe...shall I pray, cry, applaud, SHOCK and unforgettable

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I had tickets to the show where he died and sold them the day of the show as I wasn't going to make it to Atlanta. I really regret that now. I guess the last time I saw him on stage was at two Allman Brothers / Widespread Panic shows in 2009 in Birmingham.

Do you know if they filmed that tribute show at the Fox?

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A strange coincidence. Colonel Bruce Hampton and Derek Trucks' father Chris both went to Gordon Military High School/College in Barnesville, Ga. I remember them both. Hampton, as the story goes, I believe had to go to the infirmary with a bug in his ear to have it removed. Derek referenced Chris' trip to see the Fillmore East concert by the Brothers in an interview by Rolling Stone Magazine about the death of Butch Trucks (his uncle).

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I know this, but learned it relatively late in life... amazing fact. So, you were there, huh? wild.

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Beautifully said, I was at The Fox that faithful night , after many years before discovering Col Bruce and ARU by accident at The Cotton Club.

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I like the Zappa analogy. Both FZ's & the Colonel's music taught me that sometimes what becomes your favorite takes a while for you to appreciate the genius behind it.

Keep up the great work Alan Paul.

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Very nice tribute. I knew of Bruce and saw him perform once, possibly at an ABB or DTB show. Honestly, I didn’t know what all the fuss was about but came to appreciate his influence mentoring so many great players and I imagine non-musicians as well. Dynamic people are like that; they receive back as much as they give. Thanks for sharing this.

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Yes, his mentorship was profound. Derek wouldn't have become who he did without him. And neither would I!

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One story, I told the Colonel to throw anything into a deep planter bed to fill it up while I went for another load of dirt.

So this Atlanta housewife accosts Bruce while he was wrestling a 30’ vine into the planter which already had paint cans, a tree stump etc. in it, and hysterically asks him, “What’s the meaning of this?” He turned on her & focused those electric blue eyes on her, paused, then said, “Ma’am, there’s some things in this world that can’t be explained.” She screamed & ran into the house!

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Sounds about what I would expect. Thanks. I bet you have endless tales like that.

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Bruce used to say to me, “I’ll be huge when I’m dead.” Knowing him since his days of stand-up comedy, working for me in the landscaping biz (where he ruined every client ) to road manager of ARU, it was an unforgettable friendship. A void remains that can never be filled...

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Oh for sure all around - and he was right! I need to hear about him working for your landscaping biz.

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I have heard of him but don't really know much about Col Bruce. These articles make me fell like I am in a music class with Professor Alan Paul. Great article!

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Awesome. Thank you for saying that. Means A LOT to me.

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Met Bruce at Roots Rock Revival. He was enigmatic and profoundly unbounded in conversation and his music. His basically frightened philosophy may have seemed simplistic to some, but the message still resonates with me. Jam on.

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Any idea if there are master recordings of the 70th Birthday Bash? If so, what are the chances that they'll be released one of these days? I'd love to hear the whole show with a fade-out just before the inevitable.

Col. Bruce was a major player in my love of music. The last ARU reunion tour - and their stop in Raleigh, NC - got me through a really tough time in my life. It was quite possibly the most epic night of musicianship I had ever heard. Kofi and Branford Marsalis sat in all night. The smiles on all the band's faces told the story.

I also saw him many years before that, again in Raleigh, with the Codetalkers. It was a weeknight and there might have been 10 people there. They walked out in their disheveled suits and played for nearly 3 hours straight. It seemed that Col. Bruce didn't even realize there wasn't anyone there...like it didn't matter anyway.

I miss the Col.

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