No Saints, No Saviors: My Years With The Allman Brothers Band

No Saints No Saviors is Willie Perkins’ story of his days as road manager with The Allman Brothers and, in later years, with Gregg Allman. Since it is presented in anecdotal form, with most chapters consisting of one or two tales going three to four pages, there’s no attempt to present a comprehensive story of the group. and the author states as much in the first sentence of his forward to the 150-page book. Given that this is a series of snapshots, it’s up to the reader to glean the continuity from reading it. As the book progresses beyond the comparatively homespun tales of ABB in its earliest incarnation, living commune-style in the now famous Big House, it recalls any number of rock star gets rich self- indulgent and self-destructive melodramas. What’s interesting with Perkins’ stories is that he mentions the music less and less as time goes on, suggesting he was further and further from the source of his devotion as time passed and, not surpisingly, so were the musicians themselves. Willie is generally circumspect and conscious of being fair to both his business associates as well as the bandmembers. He even extends recognition, if not heartfelt gratitude, to Scooter Herring, who ended up involved in a federal drug case hat implicated Gregg and, based on its eventual outcome, appeared to have permanently rent The Brothers asunder. By this time in 1975, the bond between the individual group members had all but disappeared as their musical projects away from ABB, combined with the lavish lifestyles perpetuated on and off the road, accentuated rivalries into witness the tale of two solo careers of Gregg and Dickey (nee Richard) Betts as described by Perkins.