Most Epic Drum Solos of Butch Trucks

Butch Trucks wasn’t just known for his rock ‘n’ roll name. He was arguably one of the greatest drummers to ever live. One of the original members of the Allman Brothers Band, Trucks passed away Tuesday night at the age of 69.

“Butch and I knew each other since we were teenagers and we were band mates for over 45 years. He was a great man and a great drummer and I’m going to miss him forever. Rest in peace, Brother Butch,” said singer Gregg Allman in a statement.

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“Today we lost a brother and the music world lost a great, innovative drummer and part of rock history,” Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes added in another statement.

Through their music history — off and on from 1969 to 2014 — the Allman Brothers Band created hit songs like “Ramblin’ Man” and “Jessica” and became known for their impressive live performances. Trucks was a big part of that success.

“We decided, ‘OK, we don’t care if we don’t make any money. We’re having the time of our lives,'” Trucks told Rolling Stone in 2016 about the band’s road to stardom. “Little by little, people started understanding what we were doing. But it had to start with us. Once the crowd got in and we could feed on their energy, we’d feed it back to them.”

In celebration of the legacy Trucks leaves behind, here’s a look at five of the artist’s most epic drum solos:

Capitol Theater, 1979
The way Trucks played the drums was mesmerizing. But nothing was likely more mesmerizing than when Trucks pulled off a 12-minute drums performance with fellow drummer Jaimoe Johanny Johanson at the Capitol Theater in 1979.

He never slowed down, never missed a beat. It took eight minutes for a bass guitar to even be introduced into the act, but Trucks had the audience eating out of his hands anyway, perfectly in his element.

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Beacon Theater, 2014
Trucks never lost his touch. At the band’s final performance, he was giving lessons on the drums as expertly as when he began. This time, he led a more massive drum solo, and it was just as mesmerizing watching an artist do exactly what he was born to do.

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Roots Rock Revival, 2014
Butch Trucks didn’t need a big audience to showcase his skills. He was well-known for teaching the intricacies of songs he mastered, such as, “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” Here, he seems to be doing nothing except prepping for a show — and his playing is a show in and of itself. With everything stripped away except for his drums, it becomes more obvious why Trucks was a master of his craft.

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SUNY Stony Brook, New York, 1970
“Mountain Jam” was one of the most impressive songs the Allman Brothers Band ever did. An instrumental song that could last anywhere from 30 minutes and change to 40 minutes, it drew direct inspiration from the 1967 single “There is a Mountain” by Donovan, as well as a handful of other songs. The Grateful Dead would later record a shorter version of the song.

You can hear the drum solo, partly done by Trucks, played at the 11-minute mark — but the whole thing is worth listening to for any music lover. Truck’s smooth playing is the signature aspect of the song.

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Fox Theater, Atlanta, 2014
While “Whipping Post” is a tune that gives more of an opportunity for the bass and guitar to show off, the drums by Trucks and Jaimoe Johanson are just as complex and impressive — and carry the whole song. In this live performance, Trucks gets an opportunity to show the power he could bring in building anticipation within a song. He can be seen toward the end of the performance beginning to steal the spotlight.

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And as an added bonus, here’s Butch Trucks teaching how to play the drums for “Whipping Post.” He was a true artist who spent just as much time passing along the knowledge of his craft as he did mastering it and sharing it on stage.

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