(I could not find a biography on Gerry Groom so in it's place below are two very interesting entries that I found on the internet / web about and regarding Gerry Groom.)

I. Gerry was Duane's Allman protege and he was an unbelievable slide guitarist who's first release on Shattered Music "Once In A Blue Moon" featured Mick Taylor who held Mr Groom in the highest esteem. Gerry Groom died prior to the release of his first CD and the original major label that was to release the CD dropped the project. Shattered Music picked it up. It was later, after the success of Once In A Blue Moon , that Bobby Owsinski (producer) went back and pieced together outakes and unrelaeased songs from Gerry that makes up "Twice Blue" The music is soothing with exceptional Dobro playing and vocals by Gerry. Jeffery Bars piano playing on Blue Moon stands out as well as the southwestern ballad " The Magic of Sante Fe" There are limited quantities of Twice Blue. Less than 350 .Back stock that we have recently discovered!

Source: Amazon Editorial - Gerry Groom's 'Twice Blue'

II. I bought both Gerry Groom CDs via Amazon and am listening to the second (Twice Blue) as I type this. Each shrink-wrapped CD was less than $5 and were more than worth the price. The second has a good interview from Nightmoves, conducted by Jerry Ross, which I've transcribed parts of:

JR: Then what happened?

GG: Well, Duane Allman and the Allman Brothers came to town. I was totally captivated by Duane and, like a bunch of other little kids, I hung around the stage and caught every show. I found out where he and the band were staying and I sneaked in and knocked on Duane’s door. Keep in mind that I’m around 16-17 years old at this time. Duane invited me in (I had my guitar in tow) and he asked me to play some with him. 5 minutes of so. He took an instant liking to me and called me “little brother.” He liked my playing so much that he asked me if I would come to their concert in Sarasota at Robert Arena the following week and get up onstage with them for a couple of tunes. I couldn’t believe it. Here I was being asked to play with Duane Allman . . . by Duane himself!

JR: What did your friends think of this?

GG: Well, of course, no one could believe it. Everyone was sure that it was bulls****ing. My history teacher challenged me on the Friday before I was going to Sarasota. He said, “So Gerry, what are you going to do this weekend?” I told him that I was going to Sarasota and play with Duane Allman. He said, “Oh, yeah! Well, I’ll drive you!” (figuring he was going to call my bluff). He was the best witness I could have ever had. We showed up and I played three songs with the Allman Brothers on stage that night. My teacher was flabbergasted, to say the least.

JR: So here you are, 17 years old, playing with the Allmans. Did you play any other dates with them and how were you received by the rest of the band?

GG: Well, I always felt that I didn’t belong with the band, although they all liked and accepted me. I think some of them resented Duane’s liking me so much and consequently I never would travel with them. Instead, I would hitchhike around the country and “just show up” at Kansas City, San Francisco, etc. Duane would know this and he would slip me a $100.00 here and there. I was in an unbelievable position being this close to Duane and I was in heaven. He was a tremendous person.

JR: And then the tragic accident.

GG: Absolutely. Very devastating. I had lost a real friend.

JR: I guess the attitude of the band changed a little toward you after that.

GG: Yes, somewhat. It was interesting because at Duane’s funeral they were going to bury his ’62 SG Les Paul with him. It was the guitar he used on “Statesboro Blues” and all of his great slide work, However Gregg remembered that Duane had told him that he wanted me to have this guitar if anything ever happened to him and I’ve had it ever since.

JR: You are the owner of one of the most classic guitars in rock history?

GG: Yes, and it is very rare because it is made out of one solid piece of wood (the neck and the body are one piece). The tone that this natural wood produces is unmistakable and almost impossible to copy through any amplifier setting. I use it quite a bit.

{snip}

JR: Can you tell me an interesting story about you and Duane?

GG: Yeah. I was sitting with Duane in his hotel room in Jacksonville and we were joking around one night. The rest of the guys in the band were going out on the town and Duane and I were sitting in his room. This was right around the time when the Layla album was out and The Allman Brothers Band Live at the Fillmore East had just been recorded. Jokingly, I told Duane that he really needed to work on his slide playing. He looked at me straight-faced and said, “You know, little brother, you’re right,” and he got up, unplugged his electric guitar and went into the bathroom. He closed the door and stayed in there playing slide guitar by himself for the next five hours or so.

JR: As you were learning from Duane, just by being around him, what would he say to you?

GG: He would say, “Don’t try to play like me or Hendrix or Clapton. Listen to the guys who inspired us. Listen to Robert Johnson and Elmore James for slide guitar and listen to guys like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters for vocals."

{snip}

JR: The burden and the debt to Duane must be tremendous.

GG: It is, especially when I remember Duane introducing me to Eric Clapton as his hope for the future. Duane created in me a feeling of always giving it my best shot.

JR: Any chance you would be a part of any Allman Brothers reunion to form a new band?

GG: Yes, as long as the brotherhood aspect was sincere, as was Duane’s intention. I even remember that their music crates and cases used to have "The All Bros Band” printed on the side of them.

Source: Dickey Betts & Great Southern Forum Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.