Raymond Berry Oakley III (April 4, 1948 – November 11, 1972) was an American bassist and one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band. Known for his long, melodic bass runs, he was ranked number 46 on Bass Player magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time". He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Allman Brothers Band in 1995.
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It’s been 50 years since the Allman Brothers Band was formed, and the celebration is continuing with the release of their explosive live performance at the Fillmore West in 1971. Bassist Berry Oakley was in top shape with the band and even took to singing “Hoochie Coochie Man.”
A historic set of performances by The Allman Brothers is once again in circulation with the release of Bear’s Sonic Journals: Allman Brothers Band, Fillmore East February 1970. The live concerts, engineered by Owsley “Bear” Stanley, were first issued in 1996 but went out of print. His foundation teamed up with The Allman Brothers Band to re-release the music on...
After the recent passing of Gregg Allman, it was only fitting to binge listen to some Allman Brothers records. Swept away by the lengthy jams, slide guitar solos, and beautifully in-sync double drummers, this band helped define Southern Rock and usher in a new era of blues. The man keeping it all together was Berry Oakley, whose bass lines to...
What was once an Allman Brothers Band bootleg is now a more official release, called Live From A&R Studios. While the August 26, 1971 live, in-studio performance broadcast on New York’s WPLJ radio has long circulated as a bootleg, the new release’s sound quality sets it apart, having been remixed from the original multi-track studio recording. The record also features...
The Allman Brothers Band’s landmark 1970 album Idlewild South is getting the deluxe treatment 45 years after its initial release. The album, which features “Midnight Rider” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” as well as the playing of late bassist Berry Oakley (d. Nov. 11, 1972 from a motorcycle accident), is being released in three forms: a single remastered album;...
