Report: Allman Brothers Band Producer, Collaborator Dead At 72

‘The Music World Has Lost Another Friend.’

He co-produced two of the Allman Brothers Band’s two biggest albums, joined Gregg and Duane Allman in their early band Hour Glass, and boasted a list of album credits from the best and brightest of the Southern rock world, and now it’s with a heavy heart that we report the death of legendary producer Johnny Sandlin, dead at 72 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

A fiercely respected figure in the music industry, Sandlin sailed into legend as a session musician who played guitar, bass and drums in a series of bands in the early 60s, joining brothers Gregg and Duane Allman in their pre-Allman Brothers Band project Hour Glass before ultimately being brought on board years later to serve as engineer on the Allman Brothers Band’s groundbreaking live album At Fillmore East, in addition to 1971’s Eat a Peach and their 1973 bestseller Brothers and Sisters.

The band’s 1975 break didn’t halt Sandlin’s presence – if anything, it amplified it as he continued to work with Allman Brothers Band alumni on their respective solo and side projects – beginning with Gregg Allman’s 1973 solo debut, Laid Back and running well into the 21st century as co-producer of Chuck Leavell’s 2001 album Forever Blue. With five platinum albums and ten gold albums to his credit and a spot in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Johnny Sandlin’s legacy also includes a lasting impact on the careers of Cowboy, Wet Willie, Bonnie Bramlett, and Elvin Bishop.

Our hearts are with Mr. Sandlin’s loved ones during this difficult time, and Society of Rock thanks him for helping bring to life some of the greatest music the world will ever hear.