Maplewood resident and New York Times best-selling author, Alan Paul, is gearing up for the celebration of the release of his new book, “Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and the Album that Defined the ’70s.”
The event will be held Thursday, July 20, at Words Bookstore in Maplewood at 7:30 p.m. The book explores the powerful impact that the Allman Brothers had on the politics and culture of the 1970s, and the surprising ways that their influence continues to be felt today, timed to the 50th anniversary of their best-selling release.
Paul, a lead guitarist for Friends of the Brothers, a musical group composed of members closely associated with the Allman Brothers Band, considers himself “a writer who plays music.”
“The writer and musician side are not equal,” Paul said. “Music is a huge part of my life but I’m a writer.”
Since he was a child, Paul had a vision of being a writer, but never had a Plan B. He started playing music much later.
Growing up in Pittsburgh, Paul was inspired by American poet Paul Zimmer, who was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh and a friend of the family. His math teacher had a brother who was an author, Lee Gutkind, who penned, “The Best Seat in Baseball, But You Have to Stand!”
However, he also had a natural ability to write. “Luckily, it worked out,” he said.
When Paul noticed that other kids would freak out when they had to write an essay, it was easy for him.
“I found it exciting and invigorating,” he said.
While studying at the University of Michigan, Paul worked for the Michigan Daily. During his freshman year, he’d go to a bar that had blues bands and he fell deeply in love with the blues.
The first time he interviewed a musician for the paper, Paul felt it was incredible. It brought his two worlds, writing and music, together.
“I loved musicians,” he said. “I could talk to them.”
Once Paul began interviewing blues legends like Johnny Copeland, he never looked back.
When Paul was offered a job as the managing editor of Guitar World, it was a dream come true for him, but he had to leave when his wife had an opportunity to work in Beijing.
During his time there, he met three great Chinese musicians and another American. Their blues band, Woodie Alan, took off and they toured China and made an album in both English and Mandarin. They also earned the title “Best Band in Beijing,” and earned praise from ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and the Allman Brothers Band’s Warren Haynes.
This experience inspired Paul to write his first book, “Big in China,” which was published by Harper in 2011.
In 2014, Paul released “One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band.” The book made it up to number nine on the Times’ hardcover nonfiction list.
It was the product of 25 years of reporting on the band and hailed as a “thorough account” by Rolling Stone. Later that year, the Allman Brothers performed several nights at New York’s Beacon Theatre. Paul covered the shows and began to form a professional relationship with the band.
Paul has been a Maplewood resident for 25 years. He lives with his wife, Rebecca Blumenstein, and their three children. When Paul isn’t working, he likes to hike, ski, and listen to and play music.
“My hobbies intersect with my job,” he said.
He’s looking forward to his book event at Words because “Maplewood has been very supportive of me.”
For more information on Alan Paul, visit: http://alanpaul.net/
For more information about Words Bookstore, visit: https://www.wordsbookstore.com/
Maplewood musician/author writes about Allman Brothers added by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta on
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