Allen Woody

After having studied at Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music,{{cite web|last=Moseley|first=Willie G.|title=Allen Woody: Of Short-Scale Basses and Long, Long Songs|date=May 11, 2001 |url=https://www.vintageguitar.com/2794/allen-woody/|publisher=Vintage Guitar Magazine|access-date=January 20, 2017}} Woody joined the Allman Brothers Band along with guitarist Warren Haynes upon the group's reunion in 1989. Woody and Haynes formed side project Gov't Mule in 1994 with former Dickey Betts drummer Matt Abts. Haynes and Woody decided to leave the Allman Brothers Band in 1997 to put a full-time effort into Gov't Mule. Prior to that, Woody played in the 1970s jazz fusion rock band Montage, and following that with former Kiss drummer Peter Criss in the Criss Penridge Alliance in the 1980s.

Woody was found dead the morning of Saturday, August 26, 2000 at the Marriott Courtyard in Queens, New York. A preliminary autopsy performed was inconclusive and showed no immediate cause of death;{{cite web |url=http://elvispelvis.com/allenwoody.htm |title=Allen Woody Page in Fuller Up, The Dead Musician Directory |publisher=Elvispelvis.com |date=August 26, 2000 |access-date=May 25, 2013 |archive-date=June 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601204548/http://elvispelvis.com/allenwoody.htm |url-status=dead }} but he was subsequently determined to have died of a heroin overdose.Dixie Lullaby by Mark Kemp. Free Press: 2004. {{ISBN|0743237943}} pgs 201-2 He was survived by his wife Jenny and daughter Savannah.

Woody's death helped Haynes in his decision to return to the Allman Brothers Band. Gov't Mule continued on after Woody's death with Andy Hess assuming bass duties after a three-year period that saw a rotating group of bass players including Mike Gordon, Dave Schools, Oteil Burbridge (Woody's replacement in the Allman Brothers Band), George Porter Jr. and Les Claypool.

The Canadian band Big Sugar wrote one song "Nashville Grass" about Woody's death and funeral.

{{unreferenced section|date=March 2021}}

Woody had a large collection of bass guitars (around 450), featured in his own bass instruction video and was held in high esteem for his playing. The Epiphone Rumble Kat signature bass was similar to two specially built double-neck instruments that Gibson made for him: a bass/guitar and a bass/mandolin. With the Allman Brothers, although Woody used many different basses, Gibson Thunderbirds were his preferred instruments, along with Alembic basses. With Gov't Mule, Allen usually played the Gibson EB series, particularly the hollow-bodied EB-2 and the solid-bodied EB-3. At times he played a Rickenbacker or Gibson Thunderbird. Ampeg SVT was his amp of choice most of the time. Epiphone posthumously released an Allen Woody Limited Edition Bass, a semi-hollow arch-top similar to the Rumble Kat. Woody played esthetically customized Musicvox 4 string Spaceranger and Space Cadet Basses with Gov’t Mule. He played a Musicvox Space Cadet 12 String guitar and Yellow Musicvox Space Cadet 12 String Bass on tour with Blue Floyd performing extended 12 string bass solos in his role as second guitarist in the band.

;With the Allman Brothers Band

• Seven Turns (1990)
• Shades of Two Worlds (1991)
• Live at Great Woods (1992 VHS/LaserDisc release, 2000 DVD release)
• An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: First Set (1992)
• Where It All Begins (1994)
• An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band: 2nd Set (1995)
• Play All Night: Live at the Beacon Theatre 1992 (2014)

;With Gov't Mule

• Gov't Mule (1995)
• Live at Roseland Ballroom (1996)
• Dose (1998)
• Live... With a Little Help from Our Friends (1998)
• Life Before Insanity (2000)
• The Deep End, Volume 1 (2001)
• Mulennium (2010)
• Sco-Mule (feat. John Scofield) (2015) - recorded live in Atlanta in 1999{{Cite web |url=http://www.guitarworld.com/govt-mule-premiere-spanish-moon-new-sco-mule-album-john-scofield-exclusive |title=Gov't Mule Premiere "Spanish Moon" from New 'Sco-Mule' Album with John Scofield — Exclusive | Guitar World |access-date=January 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213184916/http://www.guitarworld.com/govt-mule-premiere-spanish-moon-new-sco-mule-album-john-scofield-exclusive |archive-date=February 13, 2015 |url-status=dead }}
• The Tel-Star Sessions (2016) - remixed/remastered demo recordings made in June 1994

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.allmanbrothers.com/ Official Allman Brothers Band website]
• [http://www.mule.net/ Official Gov't Mule website]
• [http://www.gibsonbass.com/allenwoody.php/ Fly Guitar website featuring an interview with friend and bandmate Warren Haynes; Allen's bass technique, guitar collection and their original ideas when creating Gov't Mule]
• {{IMDb title|qid=Q7336126|id=tt0310168|title=Rising Low}}
• [http://www.allenwoody.com/ Allen Woody tribute site]
• [http://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21390/douglas-allen-woody Allen Woody Find-A-Grave]

{{Allman Brothers Band}}

{{Gov't Mule}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woody, Allen}}

Category:1955 births

Category:2000 deaths

Category:The Allman Brothers Band members

Category:American rock bass guitarists

Category:American male bass guitarists

Category:Gov't Mule members

Category:American mandolinists

Category:Epic Records artists

Category:20th-century American musicians

Category:Guitarists from Tennessee

Category:American male guitarists

Category:20th-century American guitarists

Category:20th-century American bass guitarists

Category:Deaths by heroin overdose in New York (state)

Category:Drug-related deaths in New York City

Category:20th-century American male musicians